tank cycleing...

[reefstar]

well i was woundering about how to cycle my tank
i was going to add the water, lr, and ls to the tank at the same time. will that cycle it or should i add a raw shrimp?
and do i run the heater, powerheads, filter/skimmer, lights while i cycle the tank?
thank you

 

[spanko]

yes adding it all at the same time is the best way to get the tank to start the cycling process. Don't forget to mis the salt into the water outside of the tank first. Do you have or are you getting cured or uncured live rock? You can run everything during the cycle, but you will get the best results by leaving the skimme off in my opinion. Lights are not needed at all during the cycle or at most 4 hours per day.
JMO FWIW