Stupid question

Zooid

Zooid

New member
Forgive my ignorance but I am a newbie.
I want to get a large tank and put all of my live rock from my other tanks in it. I want a new sandbed though.
Will I have to cycle the new tank? Or will the live rock serve as my biological filter as the sand is becoming live?
I have approximately 250-300 pounds of live rock right now.
thanks
 
You will still have to cycle the sandbed. Should happen fairly quickly if you spike it with some live sand, like a few days if you are using active live rock.
 
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people that ask questions ;)

I think your tank would go through a fast cycle but for the most part you would be ok. But again, I could be completely wrong, it's happened twice before.
 
I'm pretty sure I don't agree with what you have been told. The "cycle" is created when there is excess nutrients and the aerobic bacteria that reduce those nutrients to nitrate are unable to keep up. The tank is cycled when the microbes that convert ammonia to nitrite and the microbes that convert nitrite to nitrate can keep up with the load.

Your existing live rock is colonized with the appropriate amounts of bacteria to keep up with the load in it's present location. If you put it all together in 1 tank, with new sand, the bacteria will colonize the sand at a rate proportionate to the load you place on the system. There can only be enough bacteria to break down the available load, no more. There should be no cylce unless you use sand with excess organic nutrients in it that need more bacteria to break it down.

The hazard will be once you have this beautiful large tank. You need to introduce waste producers slowly so the bacteria can multiply fast enough to keep up with the load. Let's say your rock was supporting 15 fish in 3 tanks. You put all the fish and all the rocks in 1 big tank. There should be no cycle and the bacteria will begin to colonize the sand bed. Now, you see all this new space so you go out and get 5 new fish and introduce them all at once. A new cycle begins. Every time you add a source of nutrients, there is a cycle. Just make sure it is a little one (and test your water to make sure I'm telling you the real deal).

Sorry, feeling kind of chatty tonight.
 
I agree with Del. If the live rock is in good shape, and you don't capture too many air bubbles in it when transferring, you should see 0 amonia or nItrite. I have a couple times went from new empty tank to having live rock and corals in it in 4 or 5 hours, and not had problems with ammonia or nitirite. The rock must be well established to attempt this. Also, you can expect to go through your normal agea cycles that a new tank has.

Brian
 
thanks for all your input guys. I appreciate it. When I started my black and white ocellaris tank I used existing live rock and new aragalive sand. the cycle was so fast that I barely noticed it (thank goodness because the clowns were in the tank already). I checked parameters at least once a day just to make sure the clowns would be ok.
 
I did my 125 with established rock but new seeded sand. I never saw an Amonia spike but I did have Nitrites for a couple days. The way I understand it (and like Brian said, I could be wrong here) the anarobic bacteria is the last to be established so nitrites will be released into the water column until the bacteria fully colonize the sandbed. Could be so minor it doesn't matter, especially with 300 pounds of rock.

Some people actually recomend cycling a tank using clowns (not me), They are pretty hardy.
 
I try not to use clowns to cycle my tank but I did have my tank crash a few months ago. Was forced to cycle the tank with all my fish and anemones. That was a nail biter.
 
B****, I think Vikebron can help you out.

But that brings up another question:

You're trapped in a room with a tiger, a cobra and a lawyer. You have a gun with only two bullets. What do you do?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9122487#post9122487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Misfit6669
Oh great, now Grim is agreeing with me. Anybody have a gun I can use, once. :D
Click to expand...

You'd miss:lol:
 
Reminds me of a joke.

Husband walks in to the bedroom.
Blonde wife is pointing a gun at her head, yelling, "I'm sick of all the cheating."
Husband yells, "don't do it, don't do it, I love you."
Blonde yells back, "shut up, you're next."
 
Glad you got to know Brian and Grimm... ;)

Anyway, I think Del is right on. If you have a used sandbed, you may see some cycle, if it is new sand, probably not. Just keep it going slowly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
200 Gallon Mixed Reef - Rock Questions
2
Replies
20
Views
556
wvned
wvned
E
Aquascape question?
2 3 4
Replies
72
Views
940
Elmareefer
E
A
110 Catalina Aquarium Build
Replies
4
Views
500
griss
griss
Niven
Am I allowed to bring live sand/live rock home from Mexico?
Replies
12
Views
269
Uncle99
Uncle99
E
Marco dried rock or Live rock?
2
Replies
30
Views
3K
Timfish
Timfish
Back
Top