Seeding
- Thread starter Patriot54
- Start date
Geodriller
New member
If you have another tank it will be cheaper to seed with your own sand. Even better if you can add sand from multiple aquariums ( if you know some locals with tanks)
It will take a couple months for the whole sand bed to become "alive" (depending on the ratio dead/alive)
It will take a couple months for the whole sand bed to become "alive" (depending on the ratio dead/alive)
Geodriller
New member
depends.
are you starting it with cured LR, water from the old tank. Or will it all be new except for the small amount of sand from the other tank?
If you start off with some bio and no die-off then yes you can add fish (hardy fish)
the sand being alive does not really have much to do with it. If the tank is going to need to be cycled then I would hold off. If you use enough old (LR, LS, Water) and it does not cause an ammonia spike then you can add now.
By the sound of it you already have one tank and this will be the second tank up at the same time. If this is the case you should try to get as much out of the old into the new w/o causing harm to the old.
do a large water change and add that water to the new tank. do this for a couple of WC's
take rock out of the old tank, put it in the new tank, and add new cured rock to the old tank. (again dont take too much out of the old)
use as much of the sand you can from the old. (every little bit helps)
all of these things help. If the old tank is big enough, and the new tank small enough, (which is rarely the case) than you could ultimatly start a new tank that does not cycle at all.
are you starting it with cured LR, water from the old tank. Or will it all be new except for the small amount of sand from the other tank?
If you start off with some bio and no die-off then yes you can add fish (hardy fish)
the sand being alive does not really have much to do with it. If the tank is going to need to be cycled then I would hold off. If you use enough old (LR, LS, Water) and it does not cause an ammonia spike then you can add now.
By the sound of it you already have one tank and this will be the second tank up at the same time. If this is the case you should try to get as much out of the old into the new w/o causing harm to the old.
do a large water change and add that water to the new tank. do this for a couple of WC's
take rock out of the old tank, put it in the new tank, and add new cured rock to the old tank. (again dont take too much out of the old)
use as much of the sand you can from the old. (every little bit helps)
all of these things help. If the old tank is big enough, and the new tank small enough, (which is rarely the case) than you could ultimatly start a new tank that does not cycle at all.
Geodriller
New member
short answer: no
the addition of fish has to do with parameters (amm/trite/trate)
even though sand/rock has to do w/ bio, and bio has to do with parameters.
the addition of fish has to do with parameters (amm/trite/trate)
even though sand/rock has to do w/ bio, and bio has to do with parameters.
Geodriller
New member
It really all depends on die-off (for the most part).
if the rock you are getting from BRS is shipped dry but was just wet, then it will have some die-off (which leads to the ammonia). if you put enough live rock from the existing system to turn that ammonia---nitrite---nitrate fast enough then the ammonia will not be strong enough to hurt a fish.( the sand and water will also house the nitrifying bacteria) . this is assuming the eco-rox are cured at the facility.
If the rock has been and is now dry then there will be no die-off. and you will be okay to add a fish.
keep in mind it is all relative. you can only add what can be handled by your bio.
it all depends on what you get in the tank from the old and what condition the new is in.
if you use cured rock, a little live sand (and as much dry as you want), and say 1/3 total new tank water volume in the new, from the old. then you will probably not see a spike in ammonia at all.
if you tell me:
new tank size
how much LR from other tank your adding
" " LS " "
" " water " "
and condition of the Eco-rox I can give you a more accurate answer.
Wow, this turned into a long type-up. Just to put things in perspective, when I started my tank (long ago when everyone used hearty fish to cycle their tanks), I filled my tank with tap water ( horrid tap water at that), 20lbs/80lbs:live/dry sand, and about 20lbs cured LR. The third day it was up I put 5 chromis in. nobody died. Now this was long ago (when I did not know diddly-squat about the hobby), and I would not recommend this to anyone now. but, it just goes to show that a little bio goes a long way with some hearty fish.
All-in-all I think you will be fine with what you have described.
if the rock you are getting from BRS is shipped dry but was just wet, then it will have some die-off (which leads to the ammonia). if you put enough live rock from the existing system to turn that ammonia---nitrite---nitrate fast enough then the ammonia will not be strong enough to hurt a fish.( the sand and water will also house the nitrifying bacteria) . this is assuming the eco-rox are cured at the facility.
If the rock has been and is now dry then there will be no die-off. and you will be okay to add a fish.
keep in mind it is all relative. you can only add what can be handled by your bio.
it all depends on what you get in the tank from the old and what condition the new is in.
if you use cured rock, a little live sand (and as much dry as you want), and say 1/3 total new tank water volume in the new, from the old. then you will probably not see a spike in ammonia at all.
if you tell me:
new tank size
how much LR from other tank your adding
" " LS " "
" " water " "
and condition of the Eco-rox I can give you a more accurate answer.
Wow, this turned into a long type-up. Just to put things in perspective, when I started my tank (long ago when everyone used hearty fish to cycle their tanks), I filled my tank with tap water ( horrid tap water at that), 20lbs/80lbs:live/dry sand, and about 20lbs cured LR. The third day it was up I put 5 chromis in. nobody died. Now this was long ago (when I did not know diddly-squat about the hobby), and I would not recommend this to anyone now. but, it just goes to show that a little bio goes a long way with some hearty fish.
All-in-all I think you will be fine with what you have described.
