How do you cycle an aquarium with dead rock?
- Thread starter coburn13
- Start date
mcgyvr
New member
Typically one would get the tank filled with rock/sand/saltwater then toss in a dead shrimp or sprinkle flake food each day for a week or so,etc... to get some decaying matter,etc.. in there..
At that point bacteria (which is basically everywhere) starts to feed off this "decay" and starts to increase in population/numbers..
A tank is cycled when the bacterial population is large enough that any ammonia/decay is quickly processed into lesser toxic forms..
This typically happens in 4-6 weeks when using the process above..
You can also now buy "bacteria in a bottle" to attempt to speed up that process..
Some will also add a small amount of "live rock" from the local fish store or online to attempt to speed up the process and bring in diversity from the tank that rock was in..
You should probably start your learning journey here..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074
At that point bacteria (which is basically everywhere) starts to feed off this "decay" and starts to increase in population/numbers..
A tank is cycled when the bacterial population is large enough that any ammonia/decay is quickly processed into lesser toxic forms..
This typically happens in 4-6 weeks when using the process above..
You can also now buy "bacteria in a bottle" to attempt to speed up that process..
Some will also add a small amount of "live rock" from the local fish store or online to attempt to speed up the process and bring in diversity from the tank that rock was in..
You should probably start your learning journey here..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074
mattgumaer
New member
I think there are two issues: 1) how to get the bacteria necessary to convert ammonia into nitrite, nitrite into nitrate and then potentially even eliminating nitrate (I think maybe in some low oxygen zones); and 2) how to get the variety of really small living things found in a 'normal' reef environment?
With respect to #1, the bacteria is essentially everywhere so, in a tank with organics to process, the bacteria population will grow over time to handle the load. This is what's typically referred to as a tank 'cycling'. The process can be sped up by using bacteria in a bottle or possibly 'seeding' the tank with sand/rock/other things from another tank, but, this gets us to point two.
One of the reasons people like reef tanks is the remarkable biodiversity possible, including organisms you can and cannot see, pods, worms, feather dusters, sponges, etc., etc.. The frustration is that sometimes you're inadvertently adding things you don't want, bubble algae, aiptasia, gorilla crabs, etc., etc. when you're trying to make your tank more 'diverse'.
I'm not sure there is a perfect solution. Adding biodiversity may carry an inherent risk that you'll add some bad with the good. The safest bet may be to find someone with a well established tank that appears to have been free of the most troublesome pests for an extended period of time and ask them for a little rock/sand to seed your tank. Even if no bubble algae or aiptasia have been spotted for years in their tank, it may pop up in your tank because the original tank may have offered it less favorable conditions to thrive, enough to keep it alive but out of sight.
Every time you put something living (or coming from a living environment) in your tank, you may be unknowingly adding new and different critters to your tank, pleasant and unpleasant surprises alike. How much risk you're will to tolerate to try to establish a 'diverse' tank is ultimately up to you.
I think the consensus is that the best way to reduce risk is to quarantine everything, if at all possible. Some living things are far more than an annoyance and can quickly wipe out various fish, corals, invertebrates. Many people do not but, they are accepting a larger risk of problems as a result.
Sorry for the rambling.............
Matt
With respect to #1, the bacteria is essentially everywhere so, in a tank with organics to process, the bacteria population will grow over time to handle the load. This is what's typically referred to as a tank 'cycling'. The process can be sped up by using bacteria in a bottle or possibly 'seeding' the tank with sand/rock/other things from another tank, but, this gets us to point two.
One of the reasons people like reef tanks is the remarkable biodiversity possible, including organisms you can and cannot see, pods, worms, feather dusters, sponges, etc., etc.. The frustration is that sometimes you're inadvertently adding things you don't want, bubble algae, aiptasia, gorilla crabs, etc., etc. when you're trying to make your tank more 'diverse'.
I'm not sure there is a perfect solution. Adding biodiversity may carry an inherent risk that you'll add some bad with the good. The safest bet may be to find someone with a well established tank that appears to have been free of the most troublesome pests for an extended period of time and ask them for a little rock/sand to seed your tank. Even if no bubble algae or aiptasia have been spotted for years in their tank, it may pop up in your tank because the original tank may have offered it less favorable conditions to thrive, enough to keep it alive but out of sight.
Every time you put something living (or coming from a living environment) in your tank, you may be unknowingly adding new and different critters to your tank, pleasant and unpleasant surprises alike. How much risk you're will to tolerate to try to establish a 'diverse' tank is ultimately up to you.
I think the consensus is that the best way to reduce risk is to quarantine everything, if at all possible. Some living things are far more than an annoyance and can quickly wipe out various fish, corals, invertebrates. Many people do not but, they are accepting a larger risk of problems as a result.
Sorry for the rambling.............
Matt
reefgeezer
Active member
Google Garf Grunge.
reefgeezer
Active member
Sorry, Garf Grunge for add Microfauna after cycle. I'd cycle it with ammonia.
Valentini89
New member
I used about half dried and half actual live rock and had virtually no cycle. I'm not sure if my results are typical or not.
But you want a cycle. I assume by no cycle you mean no distom or algea bloom?
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RioReefr
New member
Bacteria is everywhere.... literally.
As someone else said, the tank will cycle eventually no matter what...but, you are better off using one of those start-up bottles. They are like $10 and can speed-up the cycling dramatically:
BIO-Spira:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ODDS5E/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=4518303533042278392&pd_rd_wg=3wEvr&pf_rd_r=SRS32NR8FPN04TB3W1K5&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B002AK47JS&pd_rd_w=6gA2O&pf_rd_i=aquarium%2Bbacteria&pd_rd_r=7711b46b-6386-4630-ab18-7378705b2384&ie=UTF8&qid=1531440232&sr=1&th=1
Valentini89
New member
No diotom or algae bloom, ever. Well, I had a cyano bloom but that's it.
mcgyvr
New member
You want a good bacterial population...
If you bring plenty of bacteria into the tank on established live rock and don't have a cycle thats totally fine..
The local fish stores keep rock in tanks all cured,etc... so that you can buy a tank, water from them and fish,etc... that day and take it home and set it up instantly and not have to wait for a cycle to occur.. There is no cycle in that situation.. And thats just fine because the goal is to have sufficient bacteria to quickly process toxic ammonia into lesser toxic forms..
There is always a cycle. Every time you add an organism to a tank there is a cycle. Every time you feed there's a cycle. The cycle is constantly occuring. It's the algae and nastie that come with it that people often refer to as "not really having a cycle". That's not the cycle.
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mcgyvr
New member
We are not referring to the nitrogen cycle in general.. We are referring to the initial cycle/initial cycling process..
(and I think you know that)..
mcgyvr
New member
Typically once you start adding corals you will being microfauna in on that..
or..
http://www.garf.org/!paypal2010/Store.html
This place has some stuff too but its expensive IMO for what you get..
http://www.ipsf.com/
or..
http://www.garf.org/!paypal2010/Store.html
This place has some stuff too but its expensive IMO for what you get..
http://www.ipsf.com/
Turtlesteve
New member
In my 90 gallon tank restart I added a single good piece of live rock (about 8" in all dimensions) with all the base rock. That was more than enough to add all the desirable fauna and few of the undesirables, and was enough to avoid a "cycle".
homer1475
New member
My current tank I started with dry sand and dry rock.
My process was to aquascape, add sand, add water, mix salt in tank, let return and PH's run to mix salt. Day 2 I added enough pure janitorial ammonia to bring it up to 2ppm, then just let it ride until the cycle starts.
One ammonia, and nitrites were 0 I did a 100% WC to clear the eventual high nitrates.
The microfauna your looking for came in the form of frags from the LFS and a couple cups of sand from a well established reef. My LFS just gave me a couple cups in a baggie that was full of spaghetti worms, bristle worms, pods, etc, etc.
My process was to aquascape, add sand, add water, mix salt in tank, let return and PH's run to mix salt. Day 2 I added enough pure janitorial ammonia to bring it up to 2ppm, then just let it ride until the cycle starts.
One ammonia, and nitrites were 0 I did a 100% WC to clear the eventual high nitrates.
The microfauna your looking for came in the form of frags from the LFS and a couple cups of sand from a well established reef. My LFS just gave me a couple cups in a baggie that was full of spaghetti worms, bristle worms, pods, etc, etc.
