Cycling New Tank/Sump/Refugium

L

lmcnutt

All,

I've got a newly setup tank, 90 gal. A 35 gal sump/refugium. I have water circulating with about a 1.5" sandbed in the display and 2" in the 15gal refugium area. I plan to add more sand in the refugium soon.

My question is about cycling and the order in which I start "building" the remaining pieces of the system.

Do I have these in order?

1. More refugium sand (small or large diameter better for dsb?)
2. Live Rock
3. Other filtration types (tell me what you use)
4. Chunk of fresh shimp (how much) to start the cycle.
5. Cleanup crew
6. Carbon
7. Refugium plants

I would also like recommendations on building a filter sock to strip the water of the remaining sand storm.

Thanks!
Larry
 
@lmcnutt wrote:
All said:
If you want to add more sand to the refugium, you can do so anytime.

If you are buying fully cured live rock, it won't need to be cycled and it will seed your tank with bacteria. If you don't plan to buy LR yet, you can start the cycle with raw shrimp left in the tank for 72 hours. Remove after that, and wait for the A-N-N cycle to complete itself over about 3 weeks time.

Once the water tests show 0 for ammonia and nitrite, and 10 for nitrate, it is ready to add the cleanup crew. Not before. At this point, macro algae can be added to the refugium.

You do not need to run carbon at this time.

A filtersock can be placed in the sump, and have the water drain into it. Adding LR to your tank, the sand storm will go away within 12-24 hours typically.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Marc,

That's what I was hoping to find out! It helps a lot in the planning, buying process.

I do plan to buy cured live rock. I planned on about 125-130 lbs for the 90 gal, but have noticed recommendations for 2lb/gal.

Larry
 
If you do buy live rock, you won't need the shrimp. Hopefully it will be fully cured and you won't have to go through the cycling process. But, as you know, patience is not only a virtue, but a necessity in this hobby.
-Chuck

PS - this is my 700th post! :D
 
thanks Chuck. I've learned the patience lesson the hard way over the last year or so. On the shrimp, I finally put 2-and-2 together on that topic. thanks.

L
 
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