Cycle With A grouper

fastlane13

Member
Hey everybody....I just wanted to let you know that cycling with groupers are the best. Go to your lfs (local fish store) and ask if you can borrow a grouper to cycle.....and if it doesnt die than you can return it...i got that deal and you know that it does take a lot to kill a grouper..either that or buy a panther grouper off this site, and when your done cycling sell it to your fish store for more money.
 

tru conch

Active Member
well that is one method, but there are other ways to cycle w/o a grouper, esp in a smaller tank.
1) use a dead cocktail shrimp
2) put fish food in as if you are feeding your imaginary fish
3) use a product called "special blend" which is bacteria in a bottle
4) use uncured lr
5) use live fish, which is harmful to the fish and may cause death.
if you have a lfs nice enough to lend you a grouper for cycling purposes, they might be a little out of their coconuts.
 

ophiura

Active Member

Originally posted by Fastlane13
Hey everybody....I just wanted to let you know that cycling with groupers are the best. Go to your lfs (local fish store) and ask if you can borrow a grouper to cycle.....and if it doesnt die than you can return it...i got that deal and you know that it does take a lot to kill a grouper..either that or buy a panther grouper off this site, and when your done cycling sell it to your fish store for more money.

I'll ignore the humane aspects of cycling with live animals. Just because they can survive doesn't mean it is good. But cycling with damsels is an alternate and equally effective means of cycling a tank, whether I agree with it or not. Let's look at the financial aspects though of this.
:notsure: Few fish stores "loan" fish especially if they might die. So you might have to buy the grouper. Then, if it does die, you are out the money, which would frankly be stupid...if you cycle with fish at least cycle with cheap fish. And since the odds of death are good anyway, you might as well cycle with something even cheaper and already dead (grocery store shrimp). There is no gain in using fish.
If it does survive, you are left with a big messy fish you may not want or be able to keep. At least if you can't catch damsels, they'll still work in a reef or with community fish. If the LFS takes it back, and many don't do high trade in groupers to take them back (perhaps an example is that your LFS could "loan" you one with probably little care on its survival), you definitely won't get your full $$ back...and panther groupers (if they are any larger than they are sold at) are often not desirable and may not be taken back at all. As for an LFS buying it back for more than they sell it at SWF - I would reckon that LFS and some online suppliers use similar wholesalers and get similar prices before mark up. Mark up at an LFS is higher because of the physical store and overhead, but their original price from the wholesaler may be the same (and way cheaper than we buy it at). So again, you've lost money on something totally unnecessary.
 

fastlane13

Member
They said that they would take it back and these guys have had huge tanks for years and thats what they did and it didnt die...o and by the way my tank is a 75 not a 55 so if i do cycle with it ill be able to bring it back
 

reefeel

Member
Do you have any idea how big groupers get? My lfs has one that is 2 feet long in a 600 gallon. So the grouper may fit only for a year or two.
 

ophiura

Active Member
Your situation with the grouper is unique, however, please do not generalize and suggest that this be used in other cases. It really is not a responsible thing to do. Very few LFS will, in my experience, offer (or suggest) anything like this. You are free to do what you would like...have they mentioned, BTW, what they wanted if the grouper did die?
 

turbotsi

Member
I dont think it is cruel but I would not use a grouper.. I ued a pair of Green Cromies.. and they still after all this time have lived and live well eat well and grow well.. they are tough buggers and I like them
Dave
 

julius

Member
that's new to me cycling a tank with a grouper,that's crazy. If some wants to cycle a tank using fish I say use feeders they are exspendable and cheap,they should work as well as shrimp once they die off.
 

sw65galma

Active Member

Originally posted by turboTSI
I dont think it is cruel but I would not use a grouper.. I ued a pair of Green Cromies.. and they still after all this time have lived and live well eat well and grow well.. they are tough buggers and I like them
Dave

Do you have any idea what a cycle is?
It'd be like tossing you into a sealed outhouse for a month until your waste started breaking down naturally?
That's not cruel?
 
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