what is the minimum needed to make a tank cycle?
- Thread starter peckhead
- Start date
thanks!
garnet13aj
Active Member
The best way to cycle your tank is to add live rock. Before you add live rock you need to add water and salt in the right ratios to get a specific gravity reading of around 1.024. Then add the LR and if your adding live sand you can add it after the live rock. Live rock needs to be added before the sand so it is resting on the bottom. If you have more questions you should ask them. A good book to read is the New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner.
Other people will tell you that it is better to cycle with a dead shrimp from the grocery store. Add it until it looks really gross (in a few days to a week) and then tak it out and wait for the levels to go down. It's not really necessary but some people like to do it anyway.
Don't use live fish to cycle, it's not healthy or nice to the fish, even if they do survive.
Other people will tell you that it is better to cycle with a dead shrimp from the grocery store. Add it until it looks really gross (in a few days to a week) and then tak it out and wait for the levels to go down. It's not really necessary but some people like to do it anyway.
Don't use live fish to cycle, it's not healthy or nice to the fish, even if they do survive.
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by peckhead
will a tank cycle with just water or will it need salt. and will it need sand and rock to make it cycle? or just water and filter or something..idk
Pet stores try to make a "cycle" over complicated sometimes.
Here's briefly what happens: Fish waste and rottong food produces ammonia. Ammonia is highly toxic. Bacteria feeds on the ammonia and breaks it down metabolically into nitrite. Different bacteria feeds on nitrite and produces nitrate. Anearobic bacteria (found in deep sand beds and deep, deep in the fissures in your rock) breaks nitrate down into oxygen and nitrogen gases.
So, to properly start a cycle you need a couple of things: Salt water and a source of ammonia. Uncured live rock works great because it produces a steady amount of ammonia that allows your bacteria to build up. Some people believe in removing the source of ammonia (such as taking the shrimp out) but in my opinion that doesn't make since as then you only end up starving the ammonia feeding bacteria you've been trying to build up.
will a tank cycle with just water or will it need salt. and will it need sand and rock to make it cycle? or just water and filter or something..idk
Pet stores try to make a "cycle" over complicated sometimes.
Here's briefly what happens: Fish waste and rottong food produces ammonia. Ammonia is highly toxic. Bacteria feeds on the ammonia and breaks it down metabolically into nitrite. Different bacteria feeds on nitrite and produces nitrate. Anearobic bacteria (found in deep sand beds and deep, deep in the fissures in your rock) breaks nitrate down into oxygen and nitrogen gases.
So, to properly start a cycle you need a couple of things: Salt water and a source of ammonia. Uncured live rock works great because it produces a steady amount of ammonia that allows your bacteria to build up. Some people believe in removing the source of ammonia (such as taking the shrimp out) but in my opinion that doesn't make since as then you only end up starving the ammonia feeding bacteria you've been trying to build up.
royal gang
Active Member
you need a fish j/k :hilarious :hilarious