Cycling the Tank

[sarge]

Do you have to have the lighting in place and working before cycling a new tank?
I would like to go ahead and set up and test the plumbing on the new tank but was not sure.

 

[granny]

NOpe you do not. There are lots of ways to cycle a tank. Are you using live rock or do you just have your substrate in with water and your filter system in place?

 

[sarge]

I am migrating from my 75g tank. Should I take some sand and live rock from it for the cycling?
Of course I will use plain water to check for leaks and such, but then I want to start getting the tank ready with saltwater.

 

[granny]

My suggestion would be to go ahead and mix your saltwater, fill your new tank about halfway up with it. Turno n the heater, then bring some sand, live rock and as much water as you can over from the existing tank. Top off with fresh salt water mix, then turn your filter system on. Use your bare live rock, not anything with lots of life on it or it may die off. Go ahead and throw in a cube of frozen shrimp or krill and start monitering your water parameters. Are you upgrading to a larger tank and moving your existing livestock over?

 

[maxalmon]

Leave the lights off while cycling the tank, less diatoms to muck things up.

 

[sepulatian]

I would stick with your original plan of filling it with fresh to check for leaks first. If the tank is good then you can use your existing rock and sand. You will need to add an ammonia source if the rock is fully cured (a piece of raw shrimp works well) Wait untill the ammonia reaches 1ppm then take the shrimp out. Let the cycle finish. You do not need to have your lights on for a cycle.

 

[sarge]

Are you upgrading to a larger tank and moving your existing livestock over?
Yes I am upgrading and moving. Should I start with fresh sand and seed it from the old tank? My old sand bed is about 3 years old.

 

[granny]

You are going to want to use as much of your existing sand, water, rock etc as possible in order to retain your biological system. If you will need additional sand to cover the bottom of the new tank, I would put that in first as mentioned earlier, add about 1/2 tank of new salt mix with the heater now turned on. move as much of your water as you can over to the new tank and top off the old tank with fresh salt water as if you were doing a water change. I would go ahead and move all the live rock over once the water temperature is up in the new tank. You may not even go through a cycle this way at all and may be able to move your fish over as soon as the sediment settles down and all is running well in the tank. OH, y es and use all of your existing sand. There are all kinds of organisms there you want to preserve. If you want to clean it, siphon off some of the existing tank water (I do hope you have a few large rubber trash cans to do all this!)
and just rinse your sand briefly in this before placing it in the new tank. You want to disturb your existing tank as little as possible, but it is going to get cloudy once you start moving things. Have fun!

 

[hot883]

Turn your lights ON as in if you are already cycled. You need to get the diatom bloom overwith so start it now, not later. JMO.

 

[maxalmon]

From my experience if you cycle with lights off you will won't get a diatom bloom or it's minimal at best after the cycle has finished