Simple Cycling Question

[bonebrake]

When setting up a new tank:
Should I add live rock and live sand simultaneously at the beginning of the cycle?
Or should I cycle with the live rock, wait for the cycle to be over, then purchase and add live sand?
I would like to preserve as much of the microfauna as possible contained in the live sand and fear that some if not most of the microfauna may die off in the extremes of the cycle.
Or is live sand a waste and the live rock will eventually seed the Southdown sand with all necessary bacteria and microfauna?
:notsure:

 

[bonebrake]

I want the worms and all the good stuff like Bang Guy has in his sand!

 

[r22wink]

i had a 30 gal, that i cycled w/ live rock and crushed coral, few months after cycle, i had critters in the CC, so u may beable to doo that.. its much easier to put the LS or CC in before u ahve the water...

 

[bonebrake]

Thanks r22wink!
Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[dexter]

I just set my 100gal up 2 weeks ago and I followed these steps. they seemed to work real well, 1/2 day of cloudy water and my amonia and trites are starting to spike. I'd suggest a search of "cycling" and read up here. Also, invest in some books. The conscious Marine Aquarist is a great book.
1. bought tank - LOL just kidding..

1. added 110 gallons of water RO/DI, and distilled from Walmart 25 cents a gallon
2. started everythinig and let pumps run overnight
3. turned off all pumps and skimmers and added LS and "dead" sand. Left pumps off for 12 hours for sand to settle.
4. turned on pumps and added 30lbs of LR and Raw shrimp to start cycling.
5. 2 weeks gone by now, added another 37lbs of LR and will be ordering another 50lbs and cleaning crew next week (if levels are right)
Hope that helps a bit, however, best advice I can give is to do searches here and read, read, rinse, read, repeat.

Good Luck! - Dxtr -

 

[bonebrake]

Sounds like a good plan Dexter! Is the raw shrimp really necessary? Did it make your house stinky?

 

[mujtba]

listen, the quick and easy way is this...
1. put your saltwater in the tank (RO/DI or RO or DISTILLED).
A. put the sand in.
B. put the live rock in (UNCURED).
2. sit and wait for 4 weeks.
3. do a 5% water change.
4. add some fish..
cloudyness goes in a few days..
thats all!

 

[jer4916]

Originally Posted by Dexter
I just set my 100gal up 2 weeks ago and I followed these steps. they seemed to work real well, 1/2 day of cloudy water and my amonia and trites are starting to spike. I'd suggest a search of "cycling" and read up here. Also, invest in some books. The conscious Marine Aquarist is a great book.
1. bought tank - LOL just kidding..

1. added 110 gallons of water RO/DI, and distilled from Walmart 25 cents a gallon
2. started everythinig and let pumps run overnight
3. turned off all pumps and skimmers and added LS and "dead" sand. Left pumps off for 12 hours for sand to settle.
4. turned on pumps and added 30lbs of LR and Raw shrimp to start cycling.
5. 2 weeks gone by now, added another 37lbs of LR and will be ordering another 50lbs and cleaning crew next week (if levels are right)
Hope that helps a bit, however, best advice I can give is to do searches here and read, read, rinse, read, repeat.

Good Luck! - Dxtr -

dex, do NOT add a clean up crew for like 6 months, your tank isn't ready for it...all your crabs...etc will die off, plus they'll kill your pod population. add a few corals (hardy ones) ..and a fish about a month later...and after you have about 7 fish and a few sand stars...add your clean up crew.
~Chris
i mean there called a clean up crew for a reason, give them something to clean up after

 

[mythrenody]

Originally Posted by mujtba
listen, the quick and easy way is this...
1. put your saltwater in the tank (RO/DI or RO or DISTILLED).
A. put the sand in.
B. put the live rock in (UNCURED).

Live Rock first,Makes it more stable just in case a fish or something decides to borrow underneath and it won't topple over and kill something

 

[bang guy]

My thoughts on how to cycle a tank

 

[bonebrake]

Bang, where would you recommend purchasing quality uncured live rock?
stevenbonebrake@gmail.com
Also, you find no need for buying live sand when you use uncured live rock? I assume it seeds the sand with all necessary and beneficial microfauna?
Thanks for the advice!

 

[sgdeb]

My suggestion... I cured my 45 gal with fish (never again!), and my 20gal reef with LR... I suggest you put your UNCURED LR in your tank, then your sand, then your water... Putting the sand in after the rock stabilizes the rock more...
When I cured with LR, my tank cycled in about 3.5 weeks, compared to 5-6 with my 45 gal. But, should you wish to use LR (cured), then add a shrimp or 2 (table shrimp, from the deli - raw); however, cycling with cured LR (which costs considerably more than uncured LR) will kill off much of the existing "good stuff" during your amonia spikes. Watch your parameters - do your tests. You will know when your tank is cured. (Details will take too long to enter, but if you need them...)
Good luck.
Deb

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Bonebrake
Bang, where would you recommend purchasing quality uncured live rock?
stevenbonebrake@gmail.com
Also, you find no need for buying live sand when you use uncured live rock? I assume it seeds the sand with all necessary and beneficial microfauna?
Thanks for the advice!
I like aquacultured rock from the Gulf or Key West. This site used to sell it. The Figi they sell here is good but it's cured.
I believe it's important to add live sand after the cycle. The rock will populate the sand a little but to get a really good diversity of sand bed critters "wild caught" live sand can't be beat. The Premium live sand sold on this site is perfect.
I've never been a fan of the shrimp method. I believe it spikes the ammonia too fast and too high and it kills off the critters in the live rock. Just my opinion but I've seen and heard of countless hobbiests turning their premium rock into base rock because the ammonia level was allowed to climb too high.

 

[bonebrake]

Thanks for the tips everyone. Here is what I think I will do:
Fill the tank half way with saltwater.
Add uncured live rock.
Fill tank up and turn lights on eight hours for every twenty four hour period and start water circulation.
Allow the cycle to proceed and check ammonia levels.
Do a 25% water change if ammonia exceeds 0.5 ppm to get it below that mark. If this does not lower it sufficiently I will do a 50% water change and dose AmQuel only if absolutely necessary.
When ammonia is consistently 0.0 ppm I will start to feed the tank a small amount of food. If ammonia respikes I will reduce or stop, then resume feeding when consistently 0.0 ppm.
When cycle completes I will then buy a bag of Premium live sand and dump it in.
Then wait a month or two and make sure I can maintain stable levels before purchasing any fish.
Any inputs or other suggestions?
P.S. - In order to save as much biodiversity as possible during the cycle should you also watch the nitrite levels as well and do a water change if they reach a certain number?

 

[bang guy]

Nitrite is fairly harmless in a saltwater tank. It indicates an unstable system but that's expected with a tank that's immature or cycling. Just keep the Ammonia low.

 

[bonebrake]

Awesome Bang Guy! Thanks for all of the help!
You are a gentleman and a scholar!