Dry start and bare bottom cycling time?

[JynParker]

Cannot keep SPS not LPS alive … Have a 300 dry start and bare bottom that has been cycling for almost a year now… fish are happy, rocks and bottom where the sand would be, are covered in coralline… have used a PAR meter for the tank and light settings… we cannot keep LPS nor SPS in this tank… SPS and LPS bleach out within a couple of hours of being added to the tank.
Set up is ATO with RO system, Carib Sea dry rock, BB tank, refugium, plus skimmer, Triton water test, Apex system… cycled with Micro Bacter 7 at star… have been adding Doc Tim’s bacteria every couple of months. 10% water change weekly. tons of copepods…
Ive been tanking for 20 years, this is setup dry start/bare bottom and QT/Dip everything to avoid the nasties…. All the other thanks flourished with corals, SPS, LPS, softies, leathers ect… nope, this tank is still not ready.
Any 411 would be AMAZING! TIA

 

[Saltyreef]

Ever added any liverock or seed packages from somewhere like ipsf?
Unfortunately, dry rock with bottled bacteria doesnt give the biodiversity found in mature tanks with diverse microfauna that coral needs to really thrive.

 

[brmc1985]

What are your parameters in this tank? NO3 and PO4 specifically. Also, looks like you have just 2 MPs on there. That’s not a lot of flow for a 300

 

[Aquajan]

I would add something in to seed it.

U can add some rock from a esteblisd reef tank of some one u know and trust and does not have pests.
U can add some live sand in the refugium.

I have quarantined some live rock for my tank.

I first cycled 8 kg of dry rock with bottled bacteria and than added 3 Kg of live rock In a 20g quarantaine tank
I observed this for 2 months an than added it to my main tank.

Never found any pests on it.

I did this after a 12 month cycle and it still wasn't going well with sps.
After I added the live rock things really started to grow.

 

[Siberwulf]

Feels like there's some weird water parameter in there. Ever do an ICP test to see a full analysis?

 

[Doctorgori]

Ever added any liverock or seed packages from somewhere like ipsf?
Unfortunately, dry rock with bottled bacteria doesnt give the biodiversity found in mature tanks with diverse microfauna that coral needs to really thrive.

yeah I got 3 tanks, and the one that used dry rook just weird acting. Maybe try some of that semi-wild Tampa Bay rock

 

[Saltyreef]

yeah I got 3 tanks, and the one that used dry rook just weird acting. Maybe try some of that semi-wild Tampa Bay rock

I mean countless people having the same issue with dry rock. Mines been cooking for 13 months in the dark and it will be added to the display with all my 10 year old diverse rock in the sump.

 

[arking_mark]

I have been having issues with SPS and polyp extension and also started with dry rock and a DSB. My tank is just 9 months old.

Here are my thoughts...
Many use the rapid growth of coralline algae as a sign that the tank is mature enough and ready for coral.

Corals need stable parameters, light, flow, major/minor elements/ions, and nutrients.

So to troubleshoot, you need to explore each of these areas.

So for my tank, let me walk through my troubleshooting:

1. My parameters are stable and maintained through automated dosing and tank maintenance (roller mat, AWC, and ATO).
2. My light may be an issue due to my intensity and schedule. However, my PAR meter confirms that the corals are getting enough light and my light schedule seems to align with many successful reefers (AB schedule).
3. My flow may be an issue due to powerheads, placement, intensity, and flow patterns.
4. My major/minor elements/ions should be good as I have an incremental 1% daily AWC, Kalkwasser dosing, and AFR dosing. ICP tests have been clean.
5. My nutrients are running ULN and I do struggle to keep my NO3/PO4 at target levels. I may also have a biodiversity issue as I started with bottle bacteria and competition for nutrients may be an issue.

Based on this, I've taken the following steps targeting 3 & 5 where I think my issues may lie.

• Added a Tunze WaveBox to eliminate dead spots in the tank and hit 50x tank volume flow
• Increased feeding to elevate nutrients (NO3/PO4)
• Added LR from a fellow reefer with a mature tank to my sump to increase biodiversity
• Increased carbon dosing (reef Actif) to increase bacteria which helps absorb PO4 that the corals consume

I hope this gives you some insights on how to identify what's preventing you from achieving coral success.