The Perfect New Tank Cycle

[Gator0930]

I am trying to plan every detail of my tank build. This is my last tank. I am trying to incorporate everything I have learned from experience and research. I think I have finally developed a way to cycle my tank to ensure coral success and low nutrient levels. I want to know everyone’s opinions on my thoughts as well as any changes or how you have differed or found success.

STEP 1

Get the tank, stand, and sump ordered delivered and set up.



STEP 2 (3 months)

Start rocks cycling.



I am going to use reef saver rock in the tank and blocks of marine pure in the sump



Use this time to plumb the tank, let it dry, set up my APEX system and water test the tank and plumbing



STEP 3

Aquascape

Add water

Set up refugium

Seed pods

Sand



STEP 4 (6 months)

Allow time for pods to germinate

Ghost feed

Begin skimmer

Start GFO / Carbon



STEP 5

Introduce first fish

Introduce all fish slowly while monitoring nutrient levels



STEP 6

After all levels stabilize and I am happy with fitration

Add corals slowly and begin dosing Calcium, Magnessium, Alkalinity, and Amino Acids



Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who is helping on this journey

 

[Ron Reefman]

After close to 20 years in the hobby and now at 70 years young, I too am setting up my last tank. Here is what I'm doing.

I built it myself. So it's exactly the size I want and is very secure and safe (I've had 1 big company tank failure). I had rocks, corals, anemones and other critters in holding tanks while tearing down the old tank, up dating the stand (2 re-enforced kitchen cabinets) and setting up and plumbing the new tank. I used my old sand that I cleaned and added a few rocks to be sure all was OK.

Now I'm in the process of moving everybody into the new tank. Never saw any ammonia. Never test for nitrite. Nitrate only started to climb a tiny bit (only 3 fish to start) and new Chaeto arrived. I'm building my rockscape in the tank with rocks already with corals on them. Some big, some small, some covered with corals and some with just a few polyps. At just 15 days now I'm getting just a tiny bit of diatoms developing on the sand and glass. The clean up crew is fairly robust and will be getting bigger on Tuesday when 25 astraea snail, an algae eating blenny and a supply of pods arrive.

 

[Gator0930]

After close to 20 years in the hobby and now at 70 years young, I too am setting up my last tank. Here is what I'm doing.

I built it myself. So it's exactly the size I want and is very secure and safe (I've had 1 big company tank failure). I had rocks, corals, anemones and other critters in holding tanks while tearing down the old tank, up dating the stand (2 re-enforced kitchen cabinets) and setting up and plumbing the new tank. I used my old sand that I cleaned and added a few rocks to be sure all was OK.

Now I'm in the process of moving everybody into the new tank. Never saw any ammonia. Never test for nitrite. Nitrate only started to climb a tiny bit (only 3 fish to start) and new Chaeto arrived. I'm building my rockscape in the tank with rocks already with corals on them. Some big, some small, some covered with corals and some with just a few polyps. At just 15 days now I'm getting just a tiny bit of diatoms developing on the sand and glass. The clean up crew is fairly robust and will be getting bigger on Tuesday when 25 astraea snail, an algae eating blenny and a supply of pods arrive.

keep me updated on how it goes please. I am not talented enough to build my own tank. My hat is off to you

 

[Ron Reefman]

Here is a link to my build thread. I'll be updating it later as I have some new photos of the start to my rockscape.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ron-reefmans-new-90g-build.636706/#post-6344998

This is what it looks like right now. The DT at the left, a 16g tank for holding rocks and corals as I'm moving things around in the DT. And the tank at the right is for rocks that need algae removed or aiptasia killed. Both problems that got out of hand during the 6 weeks in my back room tanks. ;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious There is a sump/fuge in the left cabinet and a 20g ATO tank in the right cabinet. The upper level of the egg crate rack is kind of rockscaped, but nothing is considered perminent until it's all done! And it's a LONG way from done, but it's going together better than I had hoped for after seeing how bad the holding tanks got!