Amateur Question about Cycling

[Joel Franco]

I am in the process of cycling a 75 gallon tank and at the time of setting it up I used RO/DI water to start the cycle since at the time I did not have a big enough storage can to mix salt. Is it okay to keep using the RO/DI water or should I flush it out and put in salt water?

 

[FL_Reefer]

You should have started with saltwater my friend. How did you ''start your cycle''?

 

[Joel Franco]

I have about 70 pounds of live rock and I read some where that before starting the cycle to put your live rock in with a heater and get the rocks cleaned.

 

[FL_Reefer]

You can do this but most people will do it to start with dead rock and it will also kill off all the beneficial bacteria that is already contained in your live rock. I would put saltwster in and then you will start the cycle again from the die off. How long have you had fresh in for?

 

[Joel Franco]

Its only been 5 days.

 

[nervousmonkey]

Yep, you need to cycle with saltwater. It's fine to use freshwater, but then you are cycling for a freshwater tank, not a saltwater tank. The live rock you put in the fresh is dead now, so just replace the freshwater from the RO/DI system you got it from, with saltwater and just start a cycle over again. Your live rock is now dead, as FL_Reefer stated above, so just follow that advice and you'll be cycling in no time.

 

[melypr1985]

all good advice above. Your live rock (and live sand) is no longer live sorry to say. It will take longer to cycle now too, but it's ok. Start over and use saltwater this time