I moved almost a year ago, and want to re-establish my tank. It is a 32 gallon tank, and I have rock that was bleached, and sand that I don't believe was bleached. What is the best way to generate new live bacteria for my salt water tank?
Generating good/live bacteria
- Thread starter droidus
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Oh boy. Here we go.
I'll go first. If you plan/hope to keep SPS, find the oldest sump rock you can find from a big, old reef system that has a ton of stony corals growing in it.
If you are not going to do SPS, you can just begin with Dr Tim's One and Only. Or any one of a dozen bac in a bottle to get you up and processing ammonia. Don't forget to feed it with something.
Welcome back to the reef!
I'll go first. If you plan/hope to keep SPS, find the oldest sump rock you can find from a big, old reef system that has a ton of stony corals growing in it.
If you are not going to do SPS, you can just begin with Dr Tim's One and Only. Or any one of a dozen bac in a bottle to get you up and processing ammonia. Don't forget to feed it with something.
Welcome back to the reef!
2Wheelsonly
Valuable Member
This all makes sense and echos everything I read but then I see these LFS stores just pop up a brand new SPS tank and throw their prized $350+ frags in there like nothing the second it's cycled in 2 weeks.
I won't say it cannot be done but I sure would like to get to know the folks that can keep acropora alive 3-4 months in a fresh tank. Did you get a peek in their sumps by chance? Maybe they have lots of magic rock down there. That is the only way I would put my expensive SPS in a new tank -- and I still would not be able to sleep!
The Aquatic Arsenal
2500 Club Member
If the LFS is successfully do that, then they are most likely using plenty of established live rock or bio bricks. I have started new systems without much of a cycle by using bio bricks that I had placed in one of other sumps a month or two in advance.
I should add that o still didn't add SPS to a newly setup system.
I should add that o still didn't add SPS to a newly setup system.
2Wheelsonly
Valuable Member
I won't say it cannot be done but I sure would like to get to know the folks that can keep acropora alive 3-4 months in a fresh tank. Did you get a peek in their sumps by chance? Maybe they have lots of magic rock down there. That is the only way I would put my expensive SPS in a new tank -- and I still would not be able to sleep!
I didn't even think the account for the fact that most LFS that are selling high end frags probably have a universal plumbing system hooked up to a massive water volume filled with live rock so new SPS tanks are just added volume to them. I think I was just mentally daydreaming of a "trick" that makes this possible. I am only 1 month into a cured system on my stand alone frag tank I want to use for frags but I know it's going to take so much longer before I add SPS (esp with my small amount of rock).
Quietman
2500 Club Member
Misread....you meant adding to existing. If you have a tank up and running... nothing. It'll quickly have all the bacteria it needs as you add.
If it dry system, then just cycle it.
If it dry system, then just cycle it.
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2Wheelsonly
Valuable Member
I'm cycled and good to go, what little rock I had came from the sump of my 4 year old display (I had it curing in the sump for about 3 months) I also dumped a bottle of biospira along with several starter doses of mb7 and it cured in about 8 days. Now I feel I have a year before I start putting expensive frags in it for grow out. (it's a waterbox 60.3 frag tank not plumbed to display). I have 2 clowns in it now with some small LPS frags and some birdsnest corals as I wait for it to mature.
Quietman
2500 Club Member
Yeah, reread and edited original.
That sounds right. Only way I've heard about success with high end sps is adding fully matured, live rock. Try a couple cheaper "canary" sps frags. See if they thrive from the start. If so, add more.
BTW...I have doubts on the effectiveness of bottles once a tank/rock has been fully cycled. Others may disagree. But it won't hurt either.
Quietman
2500 Club Member
Also I added a pavona and yellow bird's nest to freshly cycled dry rock tank. Pavona still going strong after several months. Bird's nest lasted a month. Bought three more bird's nests 2 months ago including a yellow. Two if them are going great, branching and coloring nicley....dang yellow bleached again this past week. So...going to stay away from yellow bird's nest from now on. Must be my kryptonite coral.
