Do frag tanks need cycling?

[mike22cha]

https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/303103/some-nano-questions/20#post_2453492
^There's why I'm thinking about this and what I'm thinking about.
But my question is, since cycling is to prepare the tank for the bio-load of fish, what if you don't have any fish in there? What if it's just corals? Would a frag tank need cycling? Would it need filtration? Would a powerhead and light work?

 

[reefmate75]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha http:///forum/post/2453502
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/303103/some-nano-questions/20#post_2453492
^There's why I'm thinking about this and what I'm thinking about.
But my question is, since cycling is to prepare the tank for the bio-load of fish, what if you don't have any fish in there? What if it's just corals? Would a frag tank need cycling? Would it need filtration? Would a powerhead and light work?

yes you have to cycle it

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by reefmate75
http:///forum/post/2453505
yes you have to cycle it
Ok I was just thinking of somethings. But would you mind explaining why? Corals don't have a bio-load do they?

 

[mike22cha]

Bump, I'm anxious to here why.

 

[viper_930]

Anything alive adds to the bioload.

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
http:///forum/post/2453639
Anything alive adds to the bioload.
Ok I thought so. So why don't reefs need heavy filtration if they have all that bio-load?
I'm just curious on the subject. Don't worry, I'm forcing myself to wait another week.

 

[nycbob]

u need to keep ur frag tanks parameters as closed to ur dt as possible.

 

[paintballer768]

Reefs dont need as intense filtration as your FOWLR because corals may add a bioload, but they arent very messy, and some dont even require supplemental feedings. All most corals do is expell waste every now and then. Someone had this guideline like 5 corals = 1 fish in bioload. I dont think thats very accurate, but gives you an idea.
I would cycle the frag tank for sure. I talked to you about it already, but just cycle it the right way the first time, and hopefully you wont need to take it down in the future

 

[yosemite sam]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
http:///forum/post/2453883
Ok I thought so. So why don't reefs need heavy filtration if they have all that bio-load?
I'm just curious on the subject. Don't worry, I'm forcing myself to wait another week.
Most reefs have lots of live rock, which is a type of filtration, and actually the main type of biological filter in most of our tanks. So, in fact, most reefs have lots of filtration, just not mechanical filtration like a HOB filter.

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam
http:///forum/post/2453949
Most reefs have lots of live rock, which is a type of filtration, and actually the main type of biological filter in most of our tanks. So, in fact, most reefs have lots of filtration, just not mechanical filtration like a HOB filter.
Ok that makes sense.
Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just have to wait a week before going coral shopping.