Starting the tank question

[Bluetangclan]

Another fun question, like I have said in other threads, I did reef tanks for over a decade including a successful planted marine tank in years past. I went on hiatus and just found out it isn't polite to cycle a tank with chromis anymore. Far enough back I do not remember all the details which is why I am asking particulars here. I have also had cichlid tanks and bred WC African cichlids for quite a few years. More pertinent was my freshwater planted discus tank I ran for awhile until I got bored with it. In freshwater planted tanks you add the plants when you start the tank. No waiting for a cycling period or anything like that. Throw in the gravel, plant the plants, pour water and wait for it to clear.

Now in salt water I am more than aware the cycle is much more severe, you could throw even less hardy fish in a FW tank and expect them to live, in SW only the really strong ones like chromis are going to make it. So should I start the tank with LR and sand and wait for the cycle to end or start the tank with macro algae and plants(plus sand and LR) and do the cycle that way? Will any of the chemicals from the cycle even bother macroalgae. Ammonia is a fertilizer as are nitrates. Having plants in a FW tank cycles the tank faster. The cycle is the same for both FW and SW except for the types of bacteria involved and the severity. I wonder if it would speed up the cycle?

Note I am still in research phase and the current 120(160)gal tank this will be in still has several cichlid colonies thriving in it, so I wont be doing this tomorrow. Also note I will not be using chromis to cycle the tank.

 

[ChimolaFish]

I'm not too sure about your logic for freshwater cycling. Plants definitely help, but don't completely cycle a tank. But anyway, if you are starting with live rock, if its cured, you shouldn't see a cycle, plants\macro or otherwise

 

[Bluetangclan]

I am actually going to be starting with ten or so pounds from Tampa Bay Saltwater and the other ten to 15 of base rock. Not a fan of cured LR, takes away the point of buying LR when you kill off much of the life on it(and yes I know a portion of it dies during the cycle anyway).

As to my logic, in a FW tank, the plants handle the cycle and speed up the process. Plants, especially the root area are covered in bacteria of various kinds. You almost wont even know you had a cycle. But yes I know that wont be the case here to that degree.