Cycling

[Jrod381]

Have a question that maybe some of you can help with. When I started 75 I used Marco rock and I was able to mix the salt directly to the tank upon starting my cycle. I am currently in the process of a new build and found a deal on Caribsea life rock and sand. My question is if set up my aquascape with sand as well can i fill the tank up with RODI water then add the salt in after? It’s a 310 gallon tank so using a brute to mix water will require several of them them. I don’t want to kill the bacteria spores on both the rock and sand and slow down the cycling. Also is Dr. Tim’s One and only or biospira needed I already have a bottle made. Tim’s ammonia for fish less cycle

thanks in advance

 

[brandon429]

Nobody has ever tested that in reefing so if anyone posts it’s a guess

if someone starts and runs a thread on reef tank cycling, after a few years it becomes evident that when guessing about bacterial weakness or strength, it’s more accurate to err on the side of strength.

It becomes abundantly evident over time that mis testing for ammonia has caused totally false doubts in the masses about what bacteria can handle

That being said, wanna add new data to reefing? Run your setup as described. I say it will work and not kill them, you aren’t leaving freshwater in there for days.

Liferock itself is known and measured to be active within two weeks of saltwater submersion. No ammonia needed, no help, just saltwater

So, run your arrangement as described and then two weeks of waiting, don’t add any bottle bac it’s redundant and skews the knowledge, dose a bare amount of ammonia to your tank and see if it goes away in 24 hours. I’ll link your work to a giant cycling thread

Test what the life rock alone can handle + sand it’s ok for wet pack sand to be part of the test. We want to see if a brief period of fw prep harms the sand. Save your bottle bac for later use, this initial setup will be ok.

You do not have to dose two ppm, dose a bare amount of ammonia your tester can barely register in the tank. Check 24 hours later, I bet it passes. Either outcome we want this knowledge, to slowly begin to stop mass guessing in reef tank science.
B