Question about cycle?

[zsalinas]

Ok, I've currently got a 72g tank been running for a year and a half or so. I'm currently setting up a 20g for somebody else. The 20g is set up right now sand, rock, filter, etc. No water yet. Here's the question. I usually do 20g water change on my tank every two weeks. Can I use the water from the water change and put it in the 20g to make it cycle faster? Thanks for any and all help!

 

[beatlesfan]

you have live rock and no water!>?!?!!?!?!? And no probly not because the water column contains little if no bacteria. And you may be transfering un wanted things.

 

[mopar9012]

the rock wont even be cured, so the rock will cause another cycle.

 

[reefkprz]

its just base rock if there is no water.
but using old water wont do much most of the bacteria lives on surfaces not in the water column. so seeding with some live sand and live rock will help. but where you have all base rock your going to have to cycle for the dead rock to colonize with bacteria. there is no quikie method when using mostly dead rock and sand.

 

[zsalinas]

Ok thats cool I was just curious. I didn't say I had live rock in there. It's all dead. It's old rock i had laying around that I got from somebody and just let all the stuff die off of it cause it's had some hair algae and stuff. No biggie though lol. I have crushed coral in mine, unfortunately, but if I did the whole nylon method (put some cc in the nylon) and lay it on the sand bed will this help to get it going? Or am I best off just letting it cycle all from scratch with the whole cocktail shrimp thing? I could also pull some LR out of my tank right now and put it in there if it'll help the cycle?! Thanks again!

 

[reefkprz]

the nylon method would help because it'll bring the needed bacteria into the tank.

 

[aztec reef]

i would restarted from scratch again. you won't regret it.. you can add a little of sand and a shimp to cycle, after cycle you can add live sand.. the nylon sounds ok but then your tank is going to start depending on the cc.

 

[aztec reef]

also that base rock is going to take a while to become live, if you want to speed it up you can add a detrivor kit(live fauna)or some live rock. if you are adding the lr then do that first before you put any live animals.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
but then your tank is going to start depending on the cc.
I have to disaggree there Aztec it just introduces the bacteria to the aquarium after a while you take it out and the bacteria that has spread beyond the CC to the main tank finishes colonization, there is no dependance created, just an introduction or source rather for the bacteria, its a method I use when conditioning dead sand to go into established aquariums I just start up a cycle tub of dead sand throw in a hand full of live sand and ghost feed. the dead sand does not depend on that little bit forever it just colonizes a little quicker due to having bacteria introduced.

 

[zsalinas]

Yeah, the pods will come out of teh cc onto the sand and reproduce which is the point of doing that. I just wanted to help it along the best way possible. If that'll do it then that'll work. If not then I'll just start from scratch. I know all about being patient with it. I just wanted to check my other options since I already have an established tank this time around!

 

[saltfreak4]

I agree with Reef, it's just to seed the tank.

 

[zsalinas]

so is this the ideal way to go. Seed the tank with some of my own lr and some crushed coral with the nylon method? Or would ya'll say its best to just start from scratch? There's nothing bad in my tank so I'm not worried about introducing anything unwanted.

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
I have to disaggree there Aztec it just introduces the bacteria to the aquarium after a while you take it out and the bacteria that has spread beyond the CC to the main tank finishes colonization, there is no dependance created, just an introduction or source rather for the bacteria, its a method I use when conditioning dead sand to go into established aquariums I just start up a cycle tub of dead sand throw in a hand full of live sand and ghost feed. the dead sand does not depend on that little bit forever it just colonizes a little quicker due to having bacteria introduced.

I stand corrected, cuz of the way you just explained it! Lol i was thinking of a bigger scale. Let's say he puts water in tank with deadrock/deadsand and the nylon.
I know about bacteria introducing too, you can also put a little bit of liverock and other things even a sponge that has been colonize by bacteria.
But let's go back to the point, lets say he puts water in tank with deadsand/deadrock & cc in nylon. Is the tank going to be cycle sooner? most likely, so when should he take the cc out? right after cycle? will he's deadrock/deadsand have enuf bacteria colonies to handle bioload?
i understand the concept of bacteria introducing. but other than that.

 

[reefkprz]

IMO seeding is faster and more benificial, just by introducing more stuff if you use all dead rock and sand its just going to be bacterialy active over time if you use LR to seed it other forms of life on the live rock (some not all) will spread to the dead rock, making it more biologically active, though without the biodiversity that would come from using all live rock.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
I stand corrected, cuz of the way you just explained it! Lol i was thinking of a bigger scale. Let's say he puts water in tank with deadrock/deadsand and the nylon.
I know about bacteria introducing too, you can also put a little bit of liverock and other things even a sponge that has been colonize by bacteria.
But let's go back to the point, lets say he puts water in tank with deadsand/deadrock & cc in nylon. Is the tank going to be cycle sooner? most likely, so when should he take the cc out? right after cycle? will he's deadrock/deadsand have enuf bacteria colonies to handle bioload?
i understand the concept of bacteria introducing. but other than that.
I would take it out half way or so once the ammonia peaked and starts showing decline that way the tank has to establish enough bio capacity to handle the tank without the CC sock

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
IMO seeding is faster and more benificial, just by introducing more stuff if you use all dead rock and sand its just going to be bacterialy active over time if you use LR to seed it other forms of life on the live rock (some not all) will spread to the dead rock, making it more biologically active, though without the biodiversity that would come from using all live rock.
True, but he's talking about using dead everything. then yeah that cc will be beneficial. IMO i wouldn't seed my tank with anything live. Until cycle has passed..

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
I would take it out half way or so once the ammonia peaked and starts showing decline that way the tank has to establish enough bio capacity to handle the tank without the CC sock
that's what i was trying to point out. Now how will you get the beneficial infauna in the rock if not introduced?
IMO i'm not sure if that bacteria will be enuff to handle bioload since there is deadsand/deadrock...

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
True, but he's talking about using dead everything. then yeah that cc will be beneficial. IMO i wouldn't seed my tank with anything live. Until cycle has passed..

the crushed coral is just for bacteria (there really isnt squat for biodiversity in CC) I should have clarified the staement you quoted me on, seeding with live rock will introduce biodiversity, seeding with the CC will introduce bacteria. the LR can wait untill after the cycle, the CC is to help along the cycle by introducing bacteria nothing more.

 

[zsalinas]

ok, so it'd be cool if I did the cc in the tank just to introduce some bacteria to give it a little kick start? I appreciate all the comments it helps me a lot.

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
the crushed coral is just for bacteria (there really isnt squat for biodiversity in CC) I should have clarified the staement you quoted me on, seeding with live rock will introduce biodiversity, seeding with the CC will introduce bacteria. the LR can wait untill after the cycle, the CC is to help along the cycle by introducing bacteria nothing more.
Reefkprz, i get that part..when i said don't use anything live to start a tank i meant live sand or liverock. If he uses a small amount of live rock then yeah that will eventually make the rest of of the rock "live". but if he uses alot of liverock then that cc is not needed. Even with a little cured live rock the cc is not needed..