filter cycling method

kaceyo · Jun 9, 2018

I'm starting my first reef tank in 30+yrs and would like to get some feedback on my plan for going about it. I'm going to use 25lbs of Reef Saver rock from BRS and add about 30 to 40 lbs more from Tampa Bay to a 50g tall, which actually only holds about 45g filled to the brink of spillage.. My tanks in the 80's had live rock from Hawaii, which was amazing, and cultured live rock seems to be the closest thing to it available now. I'm on a budget now and can't afford 100% live rock so a mix of dry/live is the plan. I'm planning on cycling the filter, a trickle filter (it's all I have) by circulating the water through the filter only, not through the tank, using ammonia and Dr Tims. I'll have an Xport Bio plate and as much dry rock as will fit in the trickle filter. No bio-balls or trickle media of course. When the filter is cycled I'll have the live rock sent, set the tank up and connect the filter to the tank. This way I won't have to dump a tank full of water when the cycle is done, just the filter. I also hope to avoid any die off on the live rock and skip the diatom and assorted algae period of the startup. I should be able to add other life to the tank right away, but slowly of course, mainly a cuc and a few corals.
Any suggestions and opinions on how you think this will (or won't) work or how I might improve on the plan will be appreciated greatly.
Thanks,

Kacey

chipmunkofdoom2 · Jun 9, 2018

I would personally start out with just the live rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater. I don't have any personally, but I have some aquacultured rock from another vendor, and it's a lot lighter than you'd expect. The rock takes up a lot of space. If you think the tank could use some more rock later on, then you can certainly add some dry rock at that time. But, the TBS rock might be enough for you.

I'm not sure what you mean by cycling the filter though. The live rock is really the filter, especially if you don't plan to have any bioballs in the trickle filter.

Ranjib · Jun 9, 2018

Sounds like a decent plan. You'll have refugium as well ?

kaceyo · Jun 9, 2018

chipmunkofdoom2 said:
I would personally start out with just the live rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater. I don't have any personally, but I have some aquacultured rock from another vendor, and it's a lot lighter than you'd expect. The rock takes up a lot of space. If you think the tank could use some more rock later on, then you can certainly add some dry rock at that time. But, the TBS rock might be enough for you.

I'm not sure what you mean by cycling the filter though. The live rock is really the filter, especially if you don't plan to have any bioballs in the trickle filter.

That would be great if it turns out that 40 lbs is enough but I've read that aquacultured rock tends to be heavier than wild LR, hence the addition of dry rock. If I don't need it, great.
As for the cycle, while live rock will be the filter, I don't believe it will have enough nitrifying bacteria straight from the sea to avoid an ammonia/nitrite spike right away. Eventually I should be able to remove the Xport plate, if I want to, once the rock has caught up with the ammonia produced in the tank.
I had considered using bioballs for the cycle and then slowly removing them once the tanks bacteria caught up with the bioballs, but this way I can just leave the Xport in the filter for some extra surface area for the bacteria.
Thanks for the input,

Kacey