I have just gotten a 75 gallon tank. It is not drilled and has a hob filter. I plan to get an hob overflow in the future. My question is, how harmful would it be to add just the sand and start the cycle and add the live rock later? I know later when the tank is cycled and I add all of the live rock it will probably throw everything out of wackin but I just wanted some other opinions
Cycling a 75 gallon aquarium
- Thread starter RhinoGino
- Start date
Elricsfate
New member
I just set up a 75.
I used Bio Spira to jump start the cycle. My Ammonia never went over .25, and after a couple of days it was 0, with 3 small fish in the tank. I started with a decent amount of dry rock and a thin layer of sand.
There is no reason adding rock later should throw things "out of whack" unless you put uncured live rock with a lot of things dying off on it. If you use dry rock, or cured live rock, it should simply add new places for the bacteria to populate.
kevin21
Active member
Use live rock for your sure. If you get it shipped, or even transport it in a bucket from your local fish store, their will be die off. That die off will help jump start your cycle. If for some reason that rock was cured and experiences no die off during transport (which I doubt) you can sprinkle a little food in there to help it get going.
The way I do it: I put my sand in, followed by the rock. I aquascape it the way I want without water in the tank. Makes things a whole lot easier. Then I fill the tank with my already mixed water at 1.025. I use a pump to add it from the container it is in to the tank. Cycle can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Every tank is different. Adding sand wont do much in terms of the cycle, it is more of the dying bacteria that allows a cycle to kick start.
The way I do it: I put my sand in, followed by the rock. I aquascape it the way I want without water in the tank. Makes things a whole lot easier. Then I fill the tank with my already mixed water at 1.025. I use a pump to add it from the container it is in to the tank. Cycle can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Every tank is different. Adding sand wont do much in terms of the cycle, it is more of the dying bacteria that allows a cycle to kick start.
It would be much better if you wait because when you aquascape in an empty tank it's much easier and you can make changes easier to the aquascape. You really wouldn't be saving much time by trying to cycle with sand only either. Patience is a big part of this hobby and rushing only get you in trouble at some point. I'm a big fan of doing it right 1 time vs trying to piece it together.
