Frag tank questions

[justmee]

I just started a 20 gallon frag tank, it's not actually a frag tank, it's a holding tank where I have extra corals from my main tank that I want to sell. I have the following equipment: 1 powerhead (Koralia), heater (100 watt), ATO, and LED light (Kessil 160). I grabbed 15 gallons of water from my main tank, and 2 live rocks.

With the above setup, I have the following questions:
1. Do I have to cycle the tank? I'm thinking no since it's water from my main tank, and my main tank is 10 years old, but I've read that people still cycle their frag tanks, why?

2. Do I need to run a filter with carbon? I've read some people don't and some people do, and since corals do produce waste, a filter is required. I'm thinking a weekly water change will suffice since the tank is small.

Appreciate in advance for anyone's expertise with this.

 

[Cell]

Ask Reef Builders #3: How Long Should I Cycle A Reef Tank Before Putting Corals In? | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

You don’t. The short answer is that technically, there is no evidence that you need to cycle an aquarium before putting corals in. Now before you start pulling out your proverbial pitchforks and burn…

reefbuilders.com

Just found this article doing a little research on your question.

 

[homer1475]

While some of the bacteria that "cycles" a tank is present in the water column, most are present on hard surfaces within the tank.

If the rocks are truly live rock, you should be fine as bio load from coral is very small.

 

[justmee]

Thanks for the the help.

Anyone else have any other advice would be appreciated.

 

[justmee]

Another question, what will happen if I decide to put 1 or 2 fish in the tank? Will I need to then add a filter?

 

[justmee]

Bump