LFS = "What are you talking about?"

[pontius]

Bang Guy, from all the books I have read, this is the way to set up a tank, read over it and let me know what's right or wrong. thanks.
1. fill the tank, mix the salt, do equipment check.
2. when the water has reached the correct temperature, salinity and specific gravity, live rock and substrate can be added.
3. when the rock and substrate are added, the ammonia will spike, then gradually level off. when it begins to level, cleaning crew can be added at one week intervals.
4. when ammonia and nitrite consistently check out at zero, and other parameters are normal, tank is cycled and fish can be added, after being quarantined for 2-4 weeks.
This is what I have gathered. I have never heard of cycling the tank BEFORE adding live rock. If what I listed is not correct, I would like to know before wasting $200-$300 on live rock. thanks.

 

[bang guy]

The proceedure you outlined will work. It's just different from what I do. Not wrong, just different

 

[jlem]

Originally posted by Pontius
3. when the rock and substrate are added, the ammonia will spike, then gradually level off., I would like to know before wasting $200-$300 on live rock. thanks.
It depends on the rock. If you drove 10 miles to my house and grabbed 50lbs of rock and put it in your tank you probably would not experience a cycle because the rock would go from one stable enviroment to another. But if you ordered rock from online that was in a box for a couple days then you would have a cycle because of the die off. Add your sand and rock once you r temp, PH, and salinity are good and see if the rock will cause a cycle within a week or so. Live rock is always experiencing die off so if you don't add fish or food for a couple weeks you are not going to kill off all of the beneficial bacteria because the rock itself will sustain it. If the rock does not cause a cycle then it is because it is already cycled and you can start to add live stock very slowly.

 

[robn]

I used 18% ammonia to cycle my freshwater tanks and just used the live rock for my saltwater tanks......I don't believe in using any fish to cycle a tank....true, they may live thru it, but they still suffer....just my .02 .......you can pick up the ammonia at a cleaning supplies store.....just make sure you don't get the kind with surficants in it.....if you shake the ammonia and it foams alot, don't use it.
The 18% will really kick your cycle into high gear....just be careful to not use too much!