[Phayes]

Hey guys, just another question regarding cycling.

I have had my 75 gallon tank doing the cycle routine for the past 4 weeks +. I used a handful of crushed liverock from a previous existing saltwater aquarium. Also have about 2/3 of an inch of livesand at the bottom (will add more later once I complete my liverock setup). All my test parameters are within range... except.... Still 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 0 nitrates. I have had diatom algae for 2 weeks now (Using DI water however). I have numerous stomatella varia breeding like wildfire in the tank, yet, still no ammonia. Anyone have any idea how much longer I can expect before I start to see my tank cycle?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

If you only used a hand full of live rock and less than inch of sand you wont even notice the cycle.If your plan is to add live rock and sand after you put critters in the tank that would be a mistake.

[Phayes]

There are no other critters, aside from the numerous stomatella varia that all spawned from a possible two that hitchiked in on the handful of live rock rubble that was given to me to start the cycle. I was told by my LFS to wait until my tank has cycled before adding any large amounts of liverock to prevent the ammonia spike from killing most of the stuff off on the LR(which paradoxically makes me think that any amount of liverock added will cause a re-cycle, which incidently causes me to think that my LFS is full of dumb@$$es- but hey, hard feelings left aside, I'm no expert, and just want my tank to start cycling).

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Well Chad,that is why we are here,to keep you from making mistakes.In order tp properly cycle a tank you should put all the sand and live rock in and then a real cycle will start.If you add rock and sand a little at a time you will cause a recycle.You may lose a few critters,but the more important thing is to make the tank right for future critters.While you are at it you can lay this one squarely on the shoulders of the lfs.I am not saying go give them hell.I would say that paying any attention to them might be a mistake.By the way,is this the same lfs that told the guy micro bubbkes would eat hole all the way thru his live rock?lol.From now on you know where to come to get the truth.

[Phayes]

lol, No, but its the same LFS that sells liverock for 12 dollars/lb. Going to be a wee bit expensive.

[msbdiving]

Sounds like it would be cheaper getting lr through ebay or craigslist. Whenever you put something live in the tank you will get a cycle.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I am not a great fan of buying rock from an on line dealer who sends the rock to you via ups or fedx.The guy from this link actually meets the plane that comes from fiji and takes it to the airline that comes to your airport.Also you pay the freight directly to the airline(around a dollar a pound)so you dont get ripped off by the seller for a giant freight bill.By the time the rock gets to you it could be out of the water as little as 2 days and rarely more than 3 so its good and fresh.Whatever was on or in the rock on the reef (sans coral) will be in the box when you open it.That has been known to include live fish.Most of the pics of his rock were taken by customers when they opened the box at home.
Marine Aquarium Live Rock - Tonga Deepwater, Eva, Fusion, Uaniva, Branch, and Vanuatu

[NAS]

if you have "new live rock" that is properly cured you will not see too much ammoina/nitrite waste.

if it was not properly cured the reverse holds.

bottom line if there are no "critters" fish, leathers, messy inverts poopin and the like. no ammonia. no cycle.


Whe you actually get a bioload in the tank then start counting the weeks for your cycle.

As far as adding sand/live sand/crushed coral from existing tanks-----its an ok idea. but all you can expect from it is to seed your tank with the bacteria that processes the critters waste. not the waste it's self, at least to any extent.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I have to disagree with just about everything NAS just posted.First of all everyone who has ever put live rock and sand into a tank knows there is a cycle without any critters in the tank and that massive amounts of amonia are formed from the die off on the rock starting up the nitrate cycle.In my opinion there is no such thing as buying cycled live rock from an on line dealer because it aquires more die off when it is shipped which sometimes takes 5 days out of the water before it gets to someones house.The closest you can come to real cycled live rock would be to buy at an lfs and transport it home in water.
The addition of critters to a tank brings on another cycle slightly less devistating and generally much shorter than the original cycle.
Make no mistake about it there is a cycle and it takes place long before the addition of any critters.
.

[Phayes]

Okay Dale, I listened to what you said, and just added 65 lbs of liverock to my tank... some really nice stuff.. Orange/red/purple corraline algae... bought it from a LFS that wasn't so local.... located 3.5 hours away.. just added it all to my tank, and also bought a coralife protein skimmer, rated for a 125gallon tank... Will be posting pics of the tank very soon. Also, anyway to decrease the amount of microbubbles from the protein skimmer? It took me 2 hours to figure out how to hook it up, but still seems to be doing alot of doublybubbling.

Thanks again Dale, and everyone else who contributed their thoughts.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

The skimmer may slow down the bubble making in a week or two.You may want to add an over under baffle to your tank(filled with some live rock rubble).There is one in the enclosed drawing to give you an idea of what they look like.

[Phayes]

Forgot to mention that at the current moment, the skimmer (so embarassed to say), is HOB style. (No sump at the moment) But it's my next project!!! (I know i'm working backwards!)

Btw, Pics!..err... says the files are too big to upload... I'll work on it!

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Well then you know what your next addition should be?I could get used to spending your money lol.

[Phayes]

Pictures!


The new liverock


Side shot (built it evenly so I can see it from both sides)

IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj235/Phayes1234/PDR_1769.jpg[/IMG]
Some close ups.


Another close up (Actually orange corraline in this picture- hard to make it out in the picture).


The ugly gas chamber. Can't wait to get this thing into a sump where it will never see the light of day again.

[NAS]

Nativevaman We are actually saying the same thing!

kinda funny Actually

the original thred was with nothing in the tank not live rock just sand and added crushed coral.

The live rock will produce a ton of waste if it is not cured properly. I have 2-100 gal reef tanks and 3-nanno's. I for one would never put live rock in any of the until i have cured it my self. I have an established junker tank that I use to cure rock in after I recieve it. Regardless of where it came from. (usually direct trans shipmets).

Bottom line is that if you do not have any thing producing nitrogenous wast in the aquarium you can not have a sustaned cycle. Bacteria will crunch out the waste and die out with in 4 hours give or take. So if there is nothing dumping the nitrogenous waste into the tank that's that. No cycles.

[NAS]

phyaes,

by the way, the stucture looks great.

Can you see the from both sides?

[NAS]

Nativevaman We are actually saying the same thing!

kinda funny Actually

the original thred was with nothing in the tank not live rock just sand and added crushed coral.

The live rock will produce a ton of waste if it is not cured properly. I have 2-100 gal reef tanks and 3-nanno's. I for one would never put live rock in any of the until i have cured it my self. I have an established junker tank that I use to cure rock in after I recieve it. Regardless of where it came from. (usually direct trans shipmets).

Bottom line is that if you do not have any thing producing nitrogenous wast in the aquarium you can not have a sustaned cycle. Bacteria will crunch out the waste and die out with in 4 hours give or take. So if there is nothing dumping the nitrogenous waste into the tank that's that. No cycles.

[pawallace]

just from the pictures it looks like you don't have enough light to grow corals, so i hope you are planning a FOWLR. You might get some mushrooms to grow and some zoo's but not much else. what is in that hood?

[Phayes]

I know the lighting is sub-par for growing most corals... it's only 2 65w PC's, with 2 480nm actinics. (one of those combo type lights made by Satellite I do believe). It will have to do however, until after I'm done with all my other projects.

[Phayes]

Found the lighting fixture: here it is... http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/...pw2lunarlights

[bnhaus]

Tank looks good.

Can't go wrong with more lighting especially if you are going to add more corals.

[icu-travis]

you might want to check this guy out he will save you a ton of money on your lighting. i bought 2 powercompact 260W each thats 520w of power for 178.00 that included shipping. they are execellent lights i am very happy


Items for Sale by fishneedit