Seeding with skimmate

uhgster1 · Jul 24, 2018

I’m setting up a second aquarium. Would pouring the skimmate from my established aquarium work to introduce bacteria on the new tank and start the cycle? It makes sense to me but I want to make sure I’m not doing something without all the facts.

ZachH455 · Jul 24, 2018

uhgster1 said:
I’m setting up a second aquarium. Would pouring the skimmate from my established aquarium work to introduce bacteria on the new tank and start the cycle? It makes sense to me but I want to make sure I’m not doing something without all the facts.

It would introduce waste which would start the nitrogen cycle, sure. It wouldn't be much different from the shrimp method (feeding an empty tank to introduce ammonia). If you're looking to speed the cycle up nothing is going to be better than LR rubble from an existing tank, maybe some sand. (Not as much as you think you'd need)

tdileo · Jul 24, 2018

ZachH455 said:
It would introduce waste which would start the nitrogen cycle, sure. It wouldn't be much different from the shrimp method (feeding an empty tank to introduce ammonia). If you're looking to speed the cycle up nothing is going to be better than LR rubble from an existing tank, maybe some sand. (Not as much as you think you'd need)

Next step is combine the two ideas

Add in some rock rubble from the existing tank either to the dump or into your rockscope and a tiny bit of skimmate as a source of ammonia and I’d be willing to bet your cycle is done in 1-2 weeks.

WVNed · Jul 24, 2018

All of the above. In all seriousness I don't understand the idea that you start a new tank in any particular single way.
Add a little skimmate, add some live rock , add some live sand and add some Dr Tims, Biospira and other stuff.

Do it all. There are many micro environments created by differences of flow, light, density of rock and other factors. Getting as many strains of nitrifiers into your tank as possible to fit each one of those niches makes a tank viable in the quickest way.

I don't understand these people looking at bare rocks for months.

I only consider cycleing to be something that happens in the first few days. Protein or ammonia goes in, goes away, nitrites appear and go away and nitrates appear. You are done.
Do enough testing to see this happens. It can happen in a few days. If you miss it you never know where you are.
Then
The engine that drives you tank has started. Now you give it the gas and keep it going and speed it up. Bacteria do exponential growth. In a healthy environment they will grow to fill it quickly. Very quickly in fact.

3-29-2018 The rock goes in.

4-15-2018

4-21-2018

everything in that tank got moved to a 75
6-17-2018

6-29-2018

3 months.
5 fish, 12 corals, shrimp, rock nem, conchs, snails, emerald crab and hermits. I add a little every few weeks. Just like a light. Ramping it up. Giving the engine a little more gas all the time.

I didn't skip any steps.
The uglies came and went like they should.
The brown goo and algae. I had it. It is part of the process.

That rock is at the top of the tank now.

7-22-2018