New tank cycling method help

[alindell21]

So the 120 gal that ive been building up to for what seems like a decade is finally coming together and we have a few things left but one of the upcoming tasks is to begin the cycling after the pluming is complete. I have all the basic equipment and to start the cycling my plan was to once the tank is ready for sand and rock I was gonna put the dry rock into the tank and then the sand add a bunch instant ocean salt water to the tank and begin the basic start up of the tank. after everything settles and the pluming works and there is no issues I was gonna add a couple pieces of fresh raw shrimp to the tank so the bacteria from the live sand can use that as a start for the nitrogen process and start the cycling of the tank without using bio-spira or some other bottled bacteria brand. I will be running the return pump of course, but what about the lights, the flow pumps, skimmers, using ceramic bio-media; should these be running too or the question is what exactly should I be using and running while the tank is cycling? does this shrimp method work for my set up? I have heard that I shouldn't run a skimmer until the parameters are stable?, but im sure running the lights, pumps and using ceramic biomedia shouldn't hurt the mass the bacteria cycling process for the tank to become stable?

 

[Fitz19d]

I wouldnt run lights, just grow algae. I would run everything else. You want the breakdown and movement of the bacteria, but I think skimming some excess out with skimmer not bad. Doesn't have to be a ton if you are stocking slow. If you plan to go straight to adding 3 tangs and other stuff, then I'd worry more about building a large load of bacteria. (IE after feeding tank and letting ammonia subside, should be able to handle another shrimp or a few pinches of food without spiking again.

 

[TheRealChrisBrown]

I would think the ceramic media would be a must for the start as well because the point there is to give a place for beneficial bacteria to populate. Get that up and running from the get go.

 

[jda123]

Get some live rock and skip the bacteria in a bottle.

Add some bio load slowly, be patient and give it some time.

There is no secret formula to a cycle... just gotta go slow.

The dry rock will likely contaminate your tank with phosphate for a long time - maybe even a few years. Have a plan for this.

 

[SynDen]

IMO If you are starting with dry rock, you dont need to add the shrimps. You can add them but it wont speed up or slow it down. This will just add to a phosphate problem the dry rock will already cause.The dry rock, even if well washed, will still have a substantial amount of dead material in it that will be doing the same thing as the shrimp. Either way, with dry rock, the cycle will take quite a while so be patient and let it do its thing.
Keep in mind that starting with dry rock will mean that the tank will likely go through a substantial algae phase after the main cycle period and this phase can last for sometime. Be patient and diligent
I would run everything except the lights, although the skimmer is optional. It will help the tank stay cleaner and will oxygenate the water more, as well as pull out tons of gunk, but many believe it can slow the cycle a small amount.

 

[alindell21]

so my plan will be to run the skimmers, no lights, keep the ceramic bio-media, run the pumps, test and keep testing, for the first stage of cycling and then possibly add a small bioload of clean up crew to start after the water has cleared up some.I will be patient while seeing what happens and eventually once I feel stability start my dual BRS reactor with ROX carbon and GFO to rid the tank of phosphates and nitrates and start to slowly increase the bioload of the tank. When would be a good time to run the reactors?

 

[Fitz19d]

The cleanup crew needs food. Wait until algae is getting apparent, otherwise gotta feed them.

Carbon and GFO do not remove nitrates.

Dry rock even if cleaned in the basic way will have stuff to decompose. Pinches of food doesn't hurt to start. Some dry rock is supposedly mined in places where you shouldnt have much to decompose. Then theres always muriatic acid bath's and such.

For nitrates, you need just water changes, enough anaerobic zones for bacteria to turn it into nitrogen, or removal manually (aka algae or macroalgae eats it, then you remove them. Algae eaten by cleanup crew means those nutrients just staying in system.)

 

[Balz3352]

I just cycled a tank. I had someone throw on of my marine pure blocks in their system for a while while I was setting up the rest. Literally my tank was cycled only using that and live sand since pretty much the first week. Although I still took it slow I barely registered any nitrates/ites.

I highly recommend using marine pure for this but be aware some people are stating it's leaching aluminum. Look at i think r2r for that thread but still im going to use them.

I still have no clean up crew. Im barely to the point of thinking about adding some with minimal algae growth starting. I also have 2 clownfish in the tank I added probably 3 weeks in.

I am currently running a fuge growing cheato. Id highly recommend running this as early as possible to help grow good algae instead of bad

 

[Andrew_bram]

Well I will stand by by normal thought process. Pee in the tank let the rock break it down works like a charm.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Well I will stand by by normal thought process. Pee in the tank let the rock break it down works like a charm.

I knew you'd chime in.


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