Cycling question

Joker79 · Aug 9, 2016

I've had a 8x8x4 marine pure media block in a very mature tank for the last 4 months in preparation for my new build.
My plan is to use the media block to cycle my new tank.
My question is do you think there is enough bacteria in the media block to cycle a 65 gal tank with a 40 gal sump completely?
Thanks for your time!

CarrieB · Aug 9, 2016

Are you saying you aren't going to put any live rock in the system at all?

Joker79 · Aug 9, 2016

I will have live rock sorry. I have 2 Vidarock structures i will be using. Bare bottom tank.

Joker79 · Aug 9, 2016

dragon99 · Aug 9, 2016

Marine pure has a huge amount of surface area and should hold enough bacteria to seed the new tank assuming you go slow with new tank inhabitants. I wouldn't count on it to support a fully stocked 65g tank on day 1 though.

BRS did a comparison of the marine pure block vs live rocks:

Joker79 · Aug 9, 2016

Great video! Very informative and thanks for sharing!

tom39 · Aug 9, 2016

Without knowing the basics, like what inhabitants will be in your tank, type of food and quantity you will be feeding each day. My safe answer is NO.

I say this because, without testing the systems capabilities to process waste, there is no way to know for certain if the MarinePure block has colonized enough bacteria to handle even the lightest of bio-loads. The only way to know this is to have the system running, add an ammonia source and test accordingly. Even then if the test proves that you have enough bacteria to process a bio-load, the system is still new and I would recommend that you add inhabitants slowly, feed sparingly, monitor water parameters and have on hand a fresh supply of mixed water for an emergency water change.

Please also remember that most things that happen fast in this hobby are rarely a good thing. So IMHO I would recommend that you set up the tank, take a few weeks to allow it to cycle and settle in, ghost feed it, test it often, get familiar with the new setup and most importantly, DO NOT BUY A DAMSEL!

Joker79 · Aug 9, 2016

Thank you for your feedback!
I do plan to monitor the new build accordingly and make sure I go slow with this build as I did my last as well.

wkscott · Aug 11, 2016

Hi Joker79.
Just as an aside, what size tank is the the MarinePure block in currently? I ask because the beneficial bacteria in our tanks are finite basically being limited by ammonia production. If this block is currently in a small tank, removing the block to the new tank could possibly significantly reduce the amount of biological filtration in the first tank. This could lead to ammonia spikes etc. in the first tank. So, if the first tank is relatively small, be sure to monitor BOTH tanks for a while.

Joker79 · Aug 11, 2016

wkscott said:
Hi Joker79.
Just as an aside, what size tank is the the MarinePure block in currently? I ask because the beneficial bacteria in our tanks are finite basically being limited by ammonia production. If this block is currently in a small tank, removing the block to the new tank could possibly significantly reduce the amount of biological filtration in the first tank. This could lead to ammonia spikes etc. in the first tank. So, if the first tank is relatively small, be sure to monitor BOTH tanks for a while.

The tank it came out of was a 500 gal system with 3 other marine pure block.
I decided to use one of them for this one set up to assist with cycling.
Its a 65 gal with a 40 gal sump.

wkscott · Aug 11, 2016

You're good to go then. I was hoping that it wasn't coming out of a 29g BioCube!

Joker79 · Aug 11, 2016

wkscott said:
You're good to go then. I was hoping that it wasn't coming out of a 29g BioCube!

HAHAHAAAAAA 29 gal can a large media block fit in one of those things??? lol ;-)

saltyfilmfolks · Aug 11, 2016

Joker79 said:
HAHAHAAAAAA 29 gal can a large media block fit in one of those things??? **** ;-)

yea if the fish are really small

Joker79 · Aug 11, 2016

Hahahahaaaa

wkscott · Aug 11, 2016

Joker79 said:
HAHAHAAAAAA 29 gal can a large media block fit in one of those things??? **** ;-)

I actually did this a couple of years ago when I was going to transfer my BioCube into a 90g. I plumbed a large sump next to the BioCube and loaded it up with new dry rock and let this run for about 3 months hoping that the new rock would be fully seeded by the time I made the transfer to the 90g tank. Of course, it didn't quite work out that way...

Joker79 · Aug 11, 2016

What happened?

wkscott · Aug 11, 2016

Joker79 said:
What happened?

At that time I just didn't think about it and realize that adding more rock to an existing tank doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get more nitrifying bacteria. It just means that you have added more places for the bacteria to colonize. Since I didn't increase feeding my fish, I didn't increase ammonia production, so the total number of bacteria didn't increase. They just found new places to live.

When I moved the BioCube rock and the sump rock to the new tank, I basically had exactly the same number of bacteria that I originally had and I realized that my BioCube sump experiment had been a big waste of time and effort.

Joker79 · Aug 11, 2016

Ah gotcha. Yeah gotta feed Seymour (bacteria) to make it grow!

Gravityreefing · Nov 4, 2016

Hi all. I have a question regarding cycling also. I had my dead rock cycling in saltwater for about I'd say 8 ro 9 months. I just put them in my tank about a week and half now. I put 200 lbs of live sand in my tank..poseidons feast 3000 copepods to tank and sump.ben testing water so far everything is going well so far. As for as me cycling my rocks for 9 months in a brute container with heat and saltwater. will my tank cycle quicker is what am asking..

brandon429 · Nov 4, 2016

absolutely that will cycle them, its 3x the amount of months needed with mere submersion to adhere bac to surfaces. they get in when you hydrate the holding containers, not when we add a retail doser (those are boosters)

all sorts of contaminations get in along the way to provide natural feed, and given that many mos underwater you're cycled. There is one test to confirm or deny:

buy a salifert ammonia test kit for reefs

dose liquid ammonia from the searchable liquid ammonia cycling threads to 1 ppm in the holding tanks

check in 24 hrs

if zero, its fully ready/ it will def pass that test after this long underwater.

it wouldn't even matter what your temps were (within reason, not frozen or above 95f) just the hydration constant for that long, unsealed container, will cycle all internal surface area just as if you Dr Tim'sd it for three weeks.