Cycling just fish tank with only salt and bacteria???

[3rdimension]

I've been in the aquarium hobby over 10 years now; I've cycled and taken care of just about every ph level type fresh water fish and salt water fish. Everything from basic small fish in nano aquariums, to larger discus, cichlides and even salt water angel fish, triggers, eels, and cat sharks.

I have always cycled any aquarium using starter fish along with starter bacteria in a bottle. I know for a fact that bacteria can not survive without decomposing waste and food produced by fish or food if you're keeping "only" fish with ornaments.

With that said, this guy at this local aquarium shop that sells and maintains only salt and reef, just told me today that a tank can be cycled using only bacteria that would feed off of the salt mix? It just didn't sound right and went against anything I've ever known in this hobby.

Is that guy wrong or right? What ingredients are in salt that the bacteria can feed off of? It just doesn't make sense, considering there aren't any real living or dying organisms or ammonia in salt mix, just additives and natural chemistry from the ocean.

I've spoken to many professionals in the industry as well, and they tell me that if you're doing just fish with "no live rock" then you need to start it out with some fish and bacteria in some form to help start the cycle process. That at least sounds logical and reasonable.

Anyone else hear or have been told that you can cycle a tank with just the salt, regular "non-bacteria" sand and beneficial bacteria in a bottle? to me it seems it wouldn't do anything and just waste money and time.

 

[jwm2k3]

While I wouldnt 'rock the boat' with this guy and call him out so to speak, I wouldnt heed his advice either.

I have always cycled a new tank with something that was decomposing. Early on in my SW career (20+ years ago) it was the norm to cycle with damsels. Then a raw shrimp tossed in, then someone discovered this whole 'live rock' thing.

Using 'starter fish' is kinda frowned upon now-a-days. Its thought to be unplesant for the fish having to deal with the high levels of ammonia. So, now I cycle with a ton of live rock, a raw jumbo shrimp and a bottle of bacteria. I make the tank go thru a really hard cycle with absurd amounts of ammonia and let it stablilize.

 

[3rdimension]

maybe I'll just try cycling with using the ammonia in a bottle along with bottled bacteria this time around. I cycled a salt tank with mollies once and half survived and ended up having babies in the tank. I found the babies living in my sump months later surviving off of excess food and waste while surviving mostly in the dark. crazy huh? Thanks

 

[3rdimension]

oh and the main reason I don't plan on putting live rock in my tank is because of bristle worms overtaking the tank. I learned that the hard way on my 180 gallon several years ago. never again. too much of a hassle trying to look for them and kill them off.

 

[DoubleM 10]

oh and the main reason I don't plan on putting live rock in my tank is because of bristle worms overtaking the tank. I learned that the hard way on my 180 gallon several years ago. never again. too much of a hassle trying to look for them and kill them off.

from what i know and understand is that most bristle worms are benificial. they eat left overs at night and dont bother other animals.

im sure their are rouge bristle worm, and worms that people think are bristle worms doing bad thing but for the most part they are godd for our tanks in moderation

 

[snorvich]

Don't cycle with fish. Bristle worms are beneficial especially in FOWLR tanks.

 

[3rdimension]

they may be beneficial, but I got stung a number of times while handling and moving the live rock around when doing gravel vacs and resituating the environment when introducing a new fish on my last aquarium several years ago. The bumps and welts didn't go away for a few days and would itch and burn like crazy. I hated having to put on rubber gloves every time I maintained the aquarium too.

I guess at this point, it's all about personal preference. Less hassle and maintenance is my goal while running the skimmer, u.v. and switching out the carbon in the sump periodically with 1/3 water changes. That system worked fine for me in the past.

Speaking of beneficial bacteria building up, I purchased Dr. Tim's ammonia and added the correct amount in the tank, followed by nite out II and special blend. Boy does that stuff reek for a while!

I was wondering if it was necessary to keep the u.v. turned off during the cycle process? I turned of the u.v. bulb immediately after I dumped the ammonia and bacteria in. I'm wondering if it would have killed the beneficial bacteria. Also is it necessary to have the skimmer turned off during the cycle process? It's still running at this point.

I also placed a little bit of flake food in the tank this morning and a small bite size piece of frozen whiting fish shredded up in the tank for the bacteria to feast on.