LR dieoff to cycle?

[coachb]

Starting a new 54 Gal reef tank. If I start with nice live rock will the cycling process kill off all the critters in and on the rocks? Also should I use water from my existing established tank to start the new tank. Any opinions and suggestions would help. Thanks

 

[dirtybilge]

If you are starting a new tank with live rock don't use old tank water mix up a new batch of salt water and throw it in. Add a live sand bed also!

 

[dirtybilge]

The live rock will complete the cycle in a week or two and then slowly add fish after you test.

 

[salty guy]

any thing living on the LR shoud make it thourgh a cycle. Think about it, they are sitting there in the ocian then on a plane to the US, shipped by UPS to LFS. They are put in a huge tank with other LR to "cure". You come along and buy it and they wrap it in a wet news paper for you to cart home and throw it into a tank.
I think the cycle is the least of your wories when it comes to die off. During the cycle its sheading its die off from the flight and UPS truck and getting back to being LIVE.

 

[coachb]

thanks for the help. so new water is best for a new tank, don't use old water is that right?

 

[karlas]

its best to cycle with lr. some of the stuff may die but most of it will either survive or grow back over time. as far as cycling it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month and a half there is no set time. my 75 took a little over a month. the best way to tell when it is done is amm, nitrites are at 0. just curious you have an existing tank what kind? size?