Help getting started...

blu11

blu11

Member
I am setting up my first tank. Its a 46G BF...I have all the equipment in & running...remora skimmer, 2 powerheads, emperor power filter, heater... & have salt in and the temp is stable. I am not getting my live rock until next WED (50lbs of cured Marshall Island). Would it be beneficially to throw a shrimp in there until next week to get the cycle going...or would the ammonia spike from the shrimp harm the rock since it is cured. I know the rock will have some die off which is good for my cycle I just don't want anything that is good growth on the rocks to die off as well.
 
toughguy80

toughguy80

Member
Is the rock being mailed to you? Or is it local pick up? If it's local(5-10mins) then the LR will stay "cured" and have very little dieoff. Make sure it gets wrapped in something moist for the drive home. If local is the case than yes, I'd add a shrimp to go ahead and start the cycle. If it's being shipped than you're going to have enough die off that when you add the LR to the tank it'll cause a cycle on it's own. If mailing is the case, I'd wait for the rock to arrive and just use it to start my cycle. Even "cured" LR when shipped has a lot of die off due to being out of the water so long. Basically you're going to add the rock during or to start a cycle. Some of the stuff on the LR will die just do to the water conditions regardless of when you add it or what you do before hand. Personally, if it's just a few more days, I'd wait for the rock, add it and see if that starts the cycle for me.
 
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