Is there a nitrogen cycle when using pure ocean sea water?

Andrew Beattie · May 23, 2017

Hi everyone, I'm new to saltwater and I just started a 10 gallon tank. I understand smaller tanks can be harder to care for and are more unstable. My question is, I used pure Pacific Ocean sea water from petco, and live sand as well, when using these products does this eliminate the nitrogen cycle or will there still be a period where the nitrogen cycle is occurring? On the box for the water it says "just pour water and add fish". Now that sounds extremely easy as it is, but my concern is that I know using both live sand and pure ocean sea water they both already have the beneficial bacteria needed in them. But does that eliminate the nitrogen cycle or no? Any help you all can provide would be great. Thanks!

Mele__Reef · May 23, 2017

Essentially they claim it to be fill and stock. I would test Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate just to play it safe. Last thing you want is to spend money on fish and coral for them to last a day. I'm old school I like starting from scratch. The process is fun. Enjoy your tank!

Rjramos · May 23, 2017

I would let it fallow for a month. There is just a higher rate of mortality when placing fish or inverts in earlier than this. My .02.[emoji106]

tj w · May 23, 2017

I would see how fast it can process 2ppm ammonia and go from there. Once you can process that in 24 hours and you're showing nitrates you should be good to go.

hatrix11 · May 23, 2017

The bacteria colonizes in substrate (such as your sand and rocks), and it takes a while to build a sufficient quantity. Having "cycled water" is almost pointless, as far as cycling your tank faster goes.
*edit* also there is no "live sand" on the market that carries the well populated bacteria of "cycled" levels.

AcroNem · May 23, 2017

You cannot effectively fight the biology of a reef system, the nitrogen cycle will exist whether you want it to or not seeing as it's an ongoing cycle, it's not done once your system is established. So you'll still need to give your new system time to stabilize before adding anything. It takes time but it's well worth it.

Breadman03 · May 23, 2017

Look into Tampa Bay Saltwater for a nearly instant cycle. They culture their rock in the ocean at a leased site, then direct ship them to you, submerged in water, as air cargo so you get it a few hours after it ships.

Pasty Moose · May 23, 2017

I used the same petco water and live sand as you in a 5 gallon micro reef tank, I put a handful of hermits in there along with live rock and cycling bacteria from the LFS to cycle it. Took 2 weeks to cycle and the tests have been reading zero ever since

A Toadstool Leather · May 23, 2017

All the beneficial bacteria are in rocks and filter media hence why switching water is ok. Water alone does not provide enough bacteria if any at all for the nitrogen cycle.

Dr. Reef · May 23, 2017

there is no such thing as cycled water or instant cycle by just using water from sea or from established tank or bacteria in bottle.
they only way you can get almost instant cycle is by using extremely well established live rock with minimum to no die off in transporting.
Second way to achieve instant cycle or close to it would be to setup a tank with rocks and sand etc then add well established filter/floss from established tank and test next few days to make sure.

nano reef · Dec 17, 2019

Breadman03 said:
Look into Tampa Bay Saltwater for a nearly instant cycle. They culture their rock in the ocean at a leased site, then direct ship them to you, submerged in water, as air cargo so you get it a few hours after it ships.

Wow! i live in tampa nd have some corals coming from an auction, I shouldnt have bought them. I am awaiting live sand, believe it or not, no pet store I know of,like petsmart or petco has it now. xmas time so mail running slow but should get in a few days. I thought of driving to the gulf for some water! About 1/2 hour away. Its not the water they are selling though but live rock? I need to google thm. I think I know aguy I can get a piece from. Do I Need all rock to be live or just one? If I use live sand, one love rock and bacteria starter like biospira, shouldnt I be okay? Is there a such thing as to much abteria? I used safe start for my betta and he was fine! LOL. I Need it cycled in a weeks time. Should I odose with ammonia too? I Know the rule of thumb, is something like dosing a cap a day let nitrates fall to zero then dose agin or something like that. Just Not sure what to do. My corals are probably going to die, from this stupid action and I didnt even like what I got. After I placed one bid they had me! 30 bucks on shipping so I just went with it without researching the way corals grow. Like acan, and zoa and blasto,s are all supposed to be in sand bed!

tuesdayd · Dec 17, 2019

tj w said:
I would see how fast it can process 2ppm ammonia and go from there. Once you can process that in 24 hours and you're showing nitrates you should be good to go.

All good advice above, but tj w is thinking about the end game. Regardless of whatever else you do to your tank in the future, test to make sure it's processing the ammonia.