Need a Little SPS keeping help

[Galantra]

I am coming across many good deals on SPS and other type of frags; but as many of you know I have taken down my tank and just recently setup a smaller cube for the time being, which hasn't cycled yet.

I really would like to setup or run a frag/Propagation tank is there anyway to work around setting up a system that is not cycled or a method on quickly setting up a system like what I would like to do.

Would love to hear some insight please also from vendors who may experience creating a quick system.

 

[scolley]

Easy. Though many frag tanks are actually plumbed into larger systems, it sounds like you'll be doing a free-standing, not connected to anything else tank. So make it bigger than you need... big enough to put in a good bit of live rock. Then fill it with already cycled water.

I've got a grapefruit sized live rock in my sump I could let go of. Now see if you can find 10 more...

After that, you'll need to get people to volunteer to give you the waste water from their water changes. Having a 29g, and doing only small change, I'm afraid I'm only good for a gallon or two. But it's a start.

Put all that in a plumbed, bare bottom tank and you're cycled. :thumbsup:

If you wind up accumulating live rock and water over time, you'll need to be sure to keep it circulated (for aeration) and heated. And a little light would not hurt either.

 

[Galantra]

Steve, Thanks for the input I think you hit the nail right in the head. I guess I have to make the effort of finding water and some rock on an establish tank to get this to work

 

[thefuz]

You can also drop in some dead rock and try a fishless cycle with any of the various methods here on the forums. It's not terribly challenging and definitely works (it did for me, at least).

That said, you're welcome to w/c water from my tank... but the bacteria are on the rocks / substrate. I'm in Norwalk.

 

[Galantra]

Well the tank I am cycling right now pretty much with dry rock with a pound of live rock to help seed this rock
what are some of the methods?

 

[thefuz]

Dosing with live bacteria and ammonia. There are several good products on the market but some are on the pricey side (Dr. Tim's being the one I used). For a 29 gallon it may not cost that much. You may also be able to just use Stability which is available pretty much everywhere locally (Petsmart, etc.). You add the bacteria, bring your ammonia up to around 2ppm and then read ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels as you would normally during a cycle. You're waiting for the point at which you can dose a few drops of ammonia and see that it's processed fully through NH4/NO2/NO3 in 24 hours.

This is one of the posts I followed.

 

[RTMA]

Hey Rich - no bones about that - you will need fully cycled rocks for the quickest turnaround. Are you doing just frags or adding fish? Once you add fish, you'll need more rock (obviously). But to get it started (frags only) , you could use a few cycled rocks in a bare bottom tank and be fine (like what I did for my move), add base rock slowly and you most likely won't see any type of cycle.

Also if you want, I can throw some of your base rock in my sump for a while, but i don't know your time frame (I imagine it would take a few weeks to become fully cycled).

I don't really see the benefit of the water.

My system now is basically a glorified frag tank (two separate 4' x 16" x 12" frag flats - one for sps and one for lps).

Your more than welcome to come see it, maybe give you some ideas.

 

[scolley]

I don't really see the benefit of the water.

In a freshwater world I'd say there is none. Nictifying bacteria principally live on surfaces. But for a reef I'm assuming there may be planktonic value... ESPECIALLY when talking about the needs of SPS.

However that is purely newbie assumption on my part. Apologies for not qualifying my first post as such!

 

[Galantra]

Joe, What I wanted to do is try and set up a frag tank to be able to house these frags that I kind of got a deal on. But since my tank is still maturing I am stuck with pretty much nothing so I was trying to set up a frag tank separate from an existing sytem. Can this be done or not?

 

[srusso]

Joe, What I wanted to do is try and set up a frag tank to be able to house these frags that I kind of got a deal on. But since my tank is still maturing I am stuck with pretty much nothing so I was trying to set up a frag tank separate from an existing sytem. Can this be done or not?

It can be done, but rushing is never that best idea. Like others have said a few pieces of live rock from someones tank or a LFS would be best. Transport it in buckets of water from the source. Dont ever let it go dry... Buy the water from a LFS if you have to... they will tell you its ok to transport without, but its not...

That being said, if at all possible just wait for the cycle. Better to wait and give your SPS the best chance, then to rush it and lose them. SPS can go south on you in an hour.

Good luck, that being said... what ya getting??!!!

 

[RTMA]

Yes it is possible. I've done it a few times, but you need fully cured rock (if you want to keep it more than a few day) and no fish. I've only done it with new water and rock I've just pulled out of the tank. Yes sps can be fickle, but this is done every day. If you keep the temp and params stable, with good flow you should be fine (give them a day to settle before the lights). I know most people drip acclimate stuff, but with SPS - I don't. I would fill your tank and go, I've grown enough sps to know that some will die and most thrive and those that die often do so without any reason (they are getting good light, flow, stable params - so not much I could do.)

If you are getting it all from one source, I wouldn't even bother dipping. Dip them when you move them to the permanent home and save the stress for later when they are acclimated to the water.

SPS hate P0 / nitrate - so if you have just frags in new sw, those are minimal. When I have done this - I've also used a HOB filter (like a penguin) and ran it with the carbon filter.

How many corals are we talking? Whole colonies? I have a 15 gallon I used for my QT with a HOB filter you can borrow for a while.

In the past I've used that when I've gotten a large amount of sps corals shipped to me - I'd acclimate them to new SW in the 15, with a 2-3 pound fully cured rock and hob filter, left it for about 1-2 weeks and then when I wanted to transfer them, I removed the rock, two gallon water change (1 gallon in two separate buckets)- dosed interceptor - let it sit with hob filter for a day, about 20 minutes before I transfer I removed the HOB & dosed CoralRX (Koralia for flow still in there). Then I would rinse each frag in the first bucket (swirl) and then the second bucket (more swirl) and then into the display tank.

this is just me and what I've done in the past, it worked for me.

 

[Galantra]

Joe, Well what I was getting is about 20 mix frags and colonies most of these frags are actually 4 inch if not bigger but because of the uncertainly of being able to house and not lose any of these I backed out on the deal ( So i am not really happy cause it hard to get a deal like this). But currently right now I do plan on working on a stand alone frag tank like what you suggested to save me the trouble of this again

 

[RTMA]

Hey Ritch - thats too bad. I'm sure you could have pulled it off - but some loss would most likely have occurred. Better not to have to rush into anything anyway. good luck, Holla if you need help.