Tank Cycle question

[mikemartinez]

I am trying to think of a way to avoid going thru a cycle when I set up my tank since I am about to start doing that..

I had thought of using water from other people's tanks and then just adding a little new water to that but I dont know if that would work...

I only have a 14gal biocube so I dont have enough to do it all myself since I am setting up a 95..

Does it make sense to try and do that or would I still go thru all of the cycle?

If anyone is willing to help me out as far as giving me some water I would apreciate it,like when you're cleaning your tank..

 

[H@rry]

I doubt if "used water" would do you much good. It would be better if you could get a cup or two of sand from an established tank. At any rate, I think it would be a mistake to try to hurry a cycle. Have patience, you'll appreciate it in the long run.

 

[gsusfreak]

Will U have all live rocks? If not all, then I would suggest starting from scratch. Save yourself a road trip of picking up gallons of water... From lifting buckets after buckets to possibly receiving some nasties from other people water. If ur rocks are all live though your cycle will still be rather small.

 

[EllieSuz]

The bacteria you need to cultivate lives in the rock and not the water. Used water is not effective and a pain in the butt to lift and carry. Waiting out a cycle is not such a negative; it lets you practice the patience you'll need from here on.

 

[mikemartinez]

I don’t mind the waiting part since I have done that before many times either for my tanks or friends who I have helped start theirs… I just didn’t know if what I was thinking made sense or not… I had not thought about possibly getting the bad stuff from someone tank though which that alone is reason enough not to do what I was thinking about..

Yeah John I’ll have the rock ready when I set it up… I just need to pick up my pump for my sump and get it hooked up..

I think I will try the suggestion H@rry gave about using 2-3 cups of established sand from someone tank.. I have heard of doing that but never tried..

Thanks for your help/suggestions.. I guess I’ll have many more questions as I am setting up my tank…

 

[Fanof49ASU]

If you get established rocks and switch them quickly from one tank to another (keeping them wet so you don't have anything die off), you "shouldn't" have anything to cycle.

 

[waynesworld]

Mike the rock I have will be loaded with the stuff you will need to start your tank off and I have sand too with some pods to get you running without any cycle we need to just make sure it is seamless from when you get it and take it straight to your tank. I have set up numerous tanks that way.

 

[mikemartinez]

ok cool.. I'll make sure to take a couple of big containers to transport to rock in...

 

[Fanof49ASU]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14085110#post14085110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikemartinez
ok cool.. I'll make sure to take a couple of big containers to transport to rock in...

Might want to think about several small containers.....remember, you gotta pick that stuff up.
[This is coming from someone with a bad back]

 

[H@rry]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14085313#post14085313 target=_blank>
Might want to think about several small containers.....remember, you gotta pick that stuff up.
[This is coming from someone with a bad back]

Amen to that. This is *rock* ya know!

 

[Angela Short]

I had a very small cycle with my 270. I set it up with maybe 45-50 lbs of live rock and the rest dry and all new sand. I put the big ehime I had seeded on it also to help handle any spikes but plan on yanking it when I am positive my tank can keep up with my bio without it. I did buy some of that instant bio (1 bottle of cycle and 1 bottle of seachem brand) and dumped one in before I went on Xmas vacation and have one I am still doesing every few days. I only did that because I wanted to be sure the tank was finnished with any mini cycle it may have because I was bringing a big SPS run home from koxville. I had a small spike of ammoinia about .25 and then a small nitrate (trite?) spike and was leveled off within a week good to go. I had a freind checking my params for me to know if I could bring the coral safely or not ( thanks Poolkeeper). I am holding steady and even added a few fish but plan on going very slow as in no more fish till the tank breaks in for a few months.
I am getting a small dino outbreak but thats to be expected and the fact I used 100% tap to fill the tank with I expect a few issues like this but so far so good!
If you are transfering all your stuff from the small tank and some new from Wayne you will be fine. The only thing "old" water will give you is someone elses P04 and nitrates (trites?) I can never remember which is last . Basically just bad stuff not to mention a disease wich could be scooped up in a cup of water. Just best to keep your tank to yourself and other folks tanks to themself I say other than fraggs which should be properly dipped.
I agree with 5 gallon buckets for rock and water. A tub of rock is one thing but a tub of rock covered with water is another!!! Good luck!!

Also not sure if you was but I WOULD NOT re-use the old sand from the cube. Sand is just a nasties sewer and you ask for problems IMO reusing sandbeds. I scoop a few cups, swish all the dirt out in salt water and only reuse that much to seed with. Just my opinion . But when you go to scoop that stuff out you will see what I mean! Pee yeeewww!

 

[mikemartinez]

Thanks for your help guys/gals… I’ll scoop up all my 5 gal buckets and get em ready… over 100 lbs in 1 tub with water??? I don’t even want to think how heavy that would be..

Yeah I was thinking about starting with new sand and just seeding it since I am not thinking of going deep with the sand anyways… Just a thin layer..

I was thinking about that Instant Bio as well because I saw it at AC but didn’t ask about it… I might try that as well since you had luck with it.. I wonder if there are any negatives to using it?

 

[Angela Short]

I think its pretty much expensive water, at least the kind off the shelf like I used but that refrigerated kind I think is suppose to be the real deal but kinda high IMO. The seachem, and cycle kind I used from the shelf I am sure added a lot of bacteria but I am not sure how much it helped. Unless you have a TON of dead stuff you are trying to get through (a fresh live rock shipment) a modest amount of ammonia can be taken care of with already established live rock and a scoop of sand as long as you don't add a ton more bio.
Think of it this way, you are having the same bio load in the 90 as the 14 gallon fish wise so you are basically adding 76 gallons of water and some extra rock to what you already have established. Corals, especially frags like you are interested in don't reallly add to the bioload of the tank per say.
You may get a tiny spike just from everything being disrupted like rock being exposed that was priviousley buried in the sand, sponges getting air and having a little die off kinda thing. but as long as you keep your rock wet during the swap over I think you will be fine and save the extra $ for the "cycle" and buy a few frags

I even aquascaped mine 100% dry is probably why I had a cycle at all. I took all my wet live and all my dry and laid it out on the floor and built the reef that way and it was so much easier than doing it under water! I say my rock was dry for about 2 hours total but if you want you can fill a water bottle with tank water and just keep misting the rock to keep it wet while you work also.

I had 100 gallons of SW mixed and temp up to room temp also so that is something to concider. And when you move your fish and existing corals from the rubbermaid holding tub be sure to float them or be pretty darn close with temp differances. I killed tons of coral by being to impatient with this the first time I moved from an 80 to a big tank. I was to gun ho and didn't give the waters time to get the same and paid dearly. Good luck!!

 

[mikemartinez]

Thanks for the great suggetions angela..

I had thought about moving the stuff over from the 14gal tank but just decided to start all new on this one..

I love starting from scratch cause I have the chance to make everything completely different from last one..

I am going to start looking at other peoples aquascaping to get an idea of how I want mine to look..