Cycling DRY live rock progress thread (with photos)

[TPetty84]

Hey guys. I'm so glad this thread is getting so much use. I have major news. I FINALLY got my rock into the main tank. I tested the water in the cycling container and I DID end up with nitrates!! This shows you can start with dry rock, add an ammonia source (naturally with a raw shrimp in my case) and the bacteria will follow!

Full disclosure: Those who have been following me personally on this thread have seen I have only been topping up that container for about a year. So I do realize the bacteria that spawned to cycle probably are gone due to lack of "food". It does however show that the system works because nitrates did appear at some point. Please feel free to comment! I'm excited to report this worked

 

[jerseypete]

here is proof that it works. The only way i'll ever start a tank

the pick with just rock and sand was the first day rock was added to tank after 5 months cycling in a brute. Only took that long cause tank wasn't ready. Pic abovecwas 6 months later

 

[TPetty84]

Very nice jerseypete! I'm pretty pumped it worked out for both of us

 

[ReelRednekReefer]

Nice thread! Wish I had found this when i started my first tank! My last tank was started with bleached dry rock. I seeded with a raw shrimp and Dr. Tims, then maintained ammonia to 2ppm after shrimp dissolved with Dr. Tims Pure ammonia. From adding water to tank to cycled it was 3 months. I felt like it was never gonna cycle but it did. It stalled for nearly a month in the middle. When nitrites spiked they stayed high for several weeks then one day dropped by half and gone 3 days later. I learned that even though the tank cycled, it was a very 'soft' cycle! even with 40lb rock in a 45g tank. It was only capable of supporting a single fish. After 6 months I was able to increase to 2 damsels then at 8 months I added 4 clowns.

After reading this thread, I believe I will cycle my newly cleaned rock with a shrimp, then pure ammonia to the 4ppm that jerseypete recommended. His theory that it creates a overstocked tank environment makes sense. In effect, making the cycle stronger ( more bacteria supports more livestock ).
I think the bacterial supplements do work, but would like to compare my own results using the methods outlines in this thread.

I also learned in my adventure that nitrate readings with any detectable nitrites will be inaccurate. Something about similarities in composition.

Again very nice thead!

 

[jerseypete]

When i did this with my fresh water tank i added 15 fish at once. With my current reef i added 5 the first week. No problems with either tank

 

[ReelRednekReefer]

Like I said. Solid theory- Replicate the environment your trying to emulate. More ammonia = more fish. Practical science at its best!
One of the simplest yet most informative threads I've read. Maybe we overcomplicate this whole reef thing sometimes?

 

[TPetty84]

Reelrednekreefer: I had the same thing with nitrites doing it this way. Took a while for the nitrates to show up. Part of doing it the "natural" way I guess.

 

[TPetty84]

Quick opinion poll for those following this thread. I have both Hagen and API test kits. The API is much cheaper and easier to test (less steps). Anyone find any difference between brands?

 

[ReelRednekReefer]

Never used Hagen but did use Red Sea ammonia kit to verify readings. My findings showed the tests to give similar readings and API was actually easier to discern. Lighting played a huge factor in reading the Red Sea kit and took 15 minutes to read whereas the API was less affected by lighting and only takes 5 minutes. I would only use the RS kit when I want to verify the API readings if I suspected/saw an ammonia spike.

 

[Karen]

I've only used the API so far. It works for me since I only have to do the basic testing. The only corals I have are the yellow polyps. And a couple fish.