Cycling New Tank

[j_beau_13]

I'm currently upgrading my 29 gal to a 75 gal. Got the skimmer and sand and everything ready except for rock (which i ordered 75 lbs of base rock a couple days ago)

and i had a couple questions:

1. How do you cycle a tank with dead sand and base rock? I was thinking of puting a peice or two of live rock in and use water leftover from waterchanges on the smaller tank...will this be good enough bio-filtration till the rock turns live??

2. Can i set my tank up with just sand and saltwater while i wait on the rock?? Only problem i see is that there is no biological filtration, but will the water from the old tank get it started??

I just want to put water in it and get it going...ive waited over a year and a half :rollface:

 

[nmprisons]

Are you adding more rock to the new tank? If so, put that rock in and cycle tank you are upgrading into as you would a new tank. Then, acclimate your livestock to the new tank.

 

[poppin_fresh]

old tank water will not do much, other than bring nutrients with it. There really isnt any bacteria in the water column, but rather the surfaces in the tank.

I would drop in a piece of LR from your old tank and scoop some of the substrate and add it on top of the new sand. This will help the cycle, but it will not eliminate it. You will still have to wait for it to complete naturally.

Sorry...I know its not what you wanted to hear. The good news is that it might happen very quickly, within a week or so.