Peli45
Community Member
I am here from the freshwater side, and I am building a 55 soon. I have most of the tank planned, and I am wondering how to cycle a tank. It is a 55, and I plan to buy rocks and water from my LFS. So HOW do I do it?
Beginner cycling questions
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LRT
10K Club member
What kind of rock do you plan on using?
Wet from established tank thats already carrying a bioload or dry rock from shelf?
Your going to get alot of its useless and harmful to use water from an established tank and all that and it may actually be depending on what kind of system your pulling the rock and water from. One of our lfs sells water from display system full of healthy fish and thriving corals so use your best judgment on that one.
Wet from established tank thats already carrying a bioload or dry rock from shelf?
Your going to get alot of its useless and harmful to use water from an established tank and all that and it may actually be depending on what kind of system your pulling the rock and water from. One of our lfs sells water from display system full of healthy fish and thriving corals so use your best judgment on that one.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
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EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Lots of good info already collected and placed at the top of each forum... Read through the threads I posted and others in the Sticky sections, they will answer a lot of questions for you.
damsels are not mean
Valuable Member
It will cycle similar to in freshwater. With an ammonia source any body of water will eventually cycle, fresh or salt. If the rocks you are buying are wet ("live rock") then the cycle will be very fast or, depending on how well the stuff on the rock survives in transit, essentially instant.
Peli45
Community Member
Wet, and I would like to use dr. tims. The main thing I am confused about is where ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are supposed to be during the cycle. Spesifically, when to dose ammonia?
LRT
10K Club member
Your looking for a tiny register of ammonia and then back to 0.
However, If your pulling wet rock out of an already established system carrying a bioload- Fish and other critters.
Chances are you won't even notice a cycle or change in ammonia because your rock is already fully cycled and able to carry a bioload.
At this point you should be able to put rock in system with a few hermits and feed them just enough to eat a few times a day for a few days. I use frozen mysis. When I say just enough to eat I'm saying a few small mysis from a cube.
How big is your tank going to be?
However, If your pulling wet rock out of an already established system carrying a bioload- Fish and other critters.
Chances are you won't even notice a cycle or change in ammonia because your rock is already fully cycled and able to carry a bioload.
At this point you should be able to put rock in system with a few hermits and feed them just enough to eat a few times a day for a few days. I use frozen mysis. When I say just enough to eat I'm saying a few small mysis from a cube.
How big is your tank going to be?
LRT
10K Club member
I would not dose any ammonia. It's not needed for the way you plan on starting this tank. Your buying cycled rock from an established tank all the work has already been done on that level. Your trying to achieve keeping its cycle of life going strong but slowly at first to allow the tank to break in. After a week or so you should be good with a small fish or 2 for a month or so and let your tank grow and adjust.
PlumbTuckered
Active Member
Make your own water. The water they sell at the fish store is old water from their system. You don't really think they are going to give you new water, do you?
Old water is depleted of crucial elements because the lfs livestock has already used it up. So they make room for new water by selling old.
LRT
10K Club member
Nice I've setup countless tanks this way with as little as 1 pound per 5 gallons. I'd buy enough rock to build a nice scape and you should be set for life. Slow but steady is the trick. Cycling ammonia out is key. Keeping phosphates and nitrates recordable. Temp and salinity stable and there really is no way to fail. If you plan to keep corals id wait a bit until you get get comfortable and confident enough with testing alk,cal and mag because you will have to dose these things to maintain a healthy thriving tank down the road.
LRT
10K Club member
I 100% disagree with this statement. This is fully system dependant on the system water is being pulled from. Folks spend thousands of dollars to test, sample and maintain nutrient levels in water column. If water is being pulled from the healthy, thriving system I just described its fully acceptable to use.
LRT
10K Club member
Good stuff let us know what you end up doing id like to see how everything works out for you.
