Cycling

[Frogspawn]

If I'm using aged rock with coraline to cycle a new setup, and live sand, do I need a kick start to get a cycle going or will the current bacteria be enough?

Thanks,

 

[Spar]

honestly should be enough, but I am a personal big fan of of the liquid chilled Bacteria additives that you can get at pet stores. My brain is drawing a blank on the actual names of the products, but if you call Dallas North Aquarium they will have a couple brand choices.

It is relatively cheap, definitely won't hurt anything, and will help things at least a little but probably a lot.

remind us again of what your pounds of rock and gallons of tank is?

 

[Hunchback]

I used Turbo Start, it will cycle your tank in days

 

[TriggaFish99]

Even with about 1lb live rock per gallon and the "liquid live bacteria", I'd still take it slow and make sure you have good readings for a while. If you live rock is not cured, it could cause your tank to cycle or continue to generated ammonia.

 

[ToddLaCo]

All I can say is PATIENCE IS KEY in this hobby.

I personally would let the tank cycle naturally. While it cycles for 2 to 4 weeks (2 possibly due to aged lve rock) research your stocking options and add livestock slowly.

I personally like to let my tanks run with no fish or coral for 2, maybe up to four months (4 to 6 months with my current 360) to allow critters and micro fauna to establish and accumulate a solid population before adding livestock. This can be especially important if you plan to add Mandarin Gobies or others that will normally only survive with live food in the substrate and rock work.

That's my 02 cents

 

[Frogspawn]

Thanks everyone! To be more detailed, I'm cycling a 215 with 360 lbs of live fiji pink sand and currently have 190 lbs of established rock. I literally took it out of the previous owners established tank and in one hour it was in mine.

I plan to put a bit more in when I find the right pieces. The rock has plenty of purple coraline on it along with a bit of bubble algea. Oh well, good with the bad huh...

In reference to the mention of establishing critters in the rock; My tank is currently using a Berlin sump. Until I go to a fuge', which I understand is the way to go, what can I do to beef up the populations of the micro worlds?

 

[SumpDiver]

I'm also a big fan of Turbo Start 900. This product along with some well seasoned rock will get you off to a great start. But I also agree with Todd. The longer you let your system run without fish, the better. Until I began this fallow project I never realized just how pretty a tank can get without fish to screw things up. I love fish, but there is a lot to be said for keeping zero nitrates for long periods of time. Even if your tank is perfectly cycled and holding you should still keep it fishless for a few months.

 

[Bayou]

If it was my tank & the reading have leveled out consistantly. I would go ahead and do the 50% water change after a cycle and start adding inhabitants. You won't crash your tank by adding healthy coral frags; and if you have a good skimmer I would not be afraid of adding a fish or 2 every few weeks.

 

[washingtond]

@ToddLaCo wrote:

Overcome the temptation to rush because all good things come with time and you will enjoy your tank much more with less loss. Stability of all the parameters is the key over time, key word <u>time</u>.

 

[opus18]

We were fairly sure that everything was where it needed to be in our tank. Zero Nitrite & Amonia... about 20 nitrate... But, this was after about 1.5 weeks.,.. We added the TurboStart mentioned above and have had a very happy tank since... (minus my constant nitrate battles of course)

 

[bimmerzs]

So to clarify..You have nothing in the tank as far as livestock and you are "battling" nitrate's after your tank has supposedly cycled. When you say battling, do you mean that doing water changes reduce the nitrate level to zero and then it creeps back up???

Cheers!

 

[opus18]

oh no... I have a wealth of livestock (well, EA's wealth anyways).

I do a 10 gallon change and see a small drop... After talking with Ramin at EA, I'm going to do 10 gallon changes every other night for a bit (46G bowfront). I've just never been able to see them bottom out like some aquarists report... Normally, they sit in the low 20's... I'd prefer the low zero's...