Cycling time Caribsea Life rock

[Jared's Little Reef]

Hey there, not new the saltwater aquarium hobby just had about an 8-year break from it. I ended up buying the Caribsea Life rock (30lbs), live sand (20lbs), and bio-spira for my 20 gallon Nuvo peninsula. LFS told me it would take just 2-3 days to cycle but I plan on waiting at least a week even if levels are 0. Has anyone else tried similar mix and how long was the cycle period?

 

[Rscott]

I am using life rock in my red sea reefer 450
90lbs of it and 80lbs of carib sea live sand

I dont know if it has anything to do with the rock but cycling has been very slow.
Also, my skimmer has taken forever to break in.

Someone on here told me it was because of the rock.
Im a noob so i dunno if that was helpful but would share what i have been told.

 

[Jared's Little Reef]

I am using life rock in my red sea reefer 450
90lbs of it and 80lbs of carib sea live sand

I dont know if it has anything to do with the rock but cycling has been very slow.
Also, my skimmer has taken forever to break in.

Someone on here told me it was because of the rock.
Im a noob so i dunno if that was helpful but would share what i have been told.

I doubt the long cycle is due to the rock, my LFS owner sets up tons of aquariums with the stuff and has never had any issue with it. Maybe a minor additive like Bio-spira or Dr Tim's one and only might help speed it up, if you want to get a fish in there in the next few weeks. If you do put a cycling additive though make sure to turn off the skimmer for a few hours up to a day or those bacteria will just end up in the skimmer waste.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I set my evo 13.5 up with life rock but seeded it with some media from my main tank and some fritz zyme 9, ghost fed it with a little flake food with lights off and still left it for 7 weeks before I put my first fish in. one I never tested it I just let it go through the ugly stages then while that was happening after 2.5- 3 weeks I put 2 hermits and a snail in then on about week 7 I put 2 tiny clowns in. I've set up a few tanks now but this was the first with dry rock and a bottle of bacteria, I'm a bit weary of these easy start bottles. Iv on just started to get coraline after a year.

 

[Rscott]

And here in lies the great debate. There doesn't have to be an ugly stage.

I am cycling mine reefer 450 right now and have not had a spec of algae or diatoms.
And, i have had my lights on 12 hours a day.

I used the red sea reef mature kit, the tank is clean.

 

[Jared's Little Reef]

And here in lies the great debate. There doesn't have to be an ugly stage.

I am cycling mine reefer 450 right now and have not had a spec of algae or diatoms.
And, i have had my lights on 12 hours a day.

I used the red sea reef mature kit, the tank is clean.

I completely agree, while I am just getting started getting back into saltwater aquariums. I previously had 3 tanks without any major ugly stages for 4 years. (minor algae but nothing that couldn't be fixed by just pulling it off the rock and doing a water change) But things could be different now I could be rusty.

 

[brandon429]

liferock is already painted in bac, the bottle bac was extra/not harmful but not helpful just to paint an accurate picture. in our cycling thread, we always simply submerge liferock for 12 days then its ready. no feed, nothing other than saltwater and time for em to become active. they may be done before 12 days but we've found at that time no testing is needed, they've been stewing long enough.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

liferock is already painted in bac, the bottle bac was extra/not harmful but not helpful just to paint an accurate picture. in our cycling thread, we always simply submerge liferock for 12 days then its ready. no feed, nothing other than saltwater and time for em to become active. they may be done before 12 days but we've found at that time no testing is needed, they've been stewing long enough.

That's good to know thanks. I was in no quick rush as was going on holiday during the 7 weeks so I just waited until I got back to put fish in. I had hammer frags that were out of my main tank and just used it as a frag tank to begin with until it was mature enough to put nems in it. I only wanted 2 clowns and bubble tips as it's in my bedroom and just love the relationship between them. It's taken 7 months and only 1 clown goes in the nem now.

 

[brandon429]

great tank!

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

great tank!

Thanks the hammer corals are back in my main tank now, as the nems started having a wander around.