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Using cycled water to start a new cube...beneficial or no?


dylan1464

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My 180g is 8 months old and Im setting up a 34g Solana so I decided to use the water from the 180g to fill up my Solana when I did the water change on the 180g. I added new sand and dry rock to the cube. I was also able to pull out about 5 pounds of live rock from my 180 to put in the cube and also a couple handfuls of rubble from the sump and I took about 2 solo cups full of sand from my 180.

 

Long story short is this even enough to start a cycle or should I just cycle it the long way lol?

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The bacteria are in the live rock and substrate not the water so used water is not the answer.A piece of cured live rock or a few cups of real live sand, not the bagged stuff, in the new system will give it a jump start so you did the right thing there.

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There are bacteria in the water... amongst other things. Adding water from the ocean or an established tank will help add bacteria to your tank.

 

It's just that it's not enough. You need to propagate the bacteria somehow. That comes from feeding the bacteria. Ammonia is not enough, that's just part of their metabolic pathway.

 

From my personal experience, you need substantially more organics than what is present initially.

 

Bringing over live rock will help though. :) I'm just thinking more so of heavily colonizing whatever other biological filter media you may have, beside the live rock.

 

Then again, if you are bringing both live rock and water from an established tank, I'd think you'd be set from the getgo. Won't need to worry too much about growing bacteria or dosing ammonia or adding shrimps or whatever.

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There's bacteria in the water just like there is bacteria in the air. I wouldn't call the air cycled. :) Rocks and sand are key, water will make no difference.

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There's nitrifying bacteria in the water for sure, just not much, like people said. It'll probably speed your cycle along by a couple days, I'd imagine.

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When you turn on the TAP there are nitrifiers in it, post chloramine etc

 

:)

 

I'll let you guys find the links. Unless your water is autoclaved it has plenty of mixed heterotrophics and of those, nitrifiers are there too

 

The scum in the piping is the larger source

 

AZ what is you guys avg aerobic colony counts post treatment? Mine here in lubbock would be considered mid to low level.

 

There are nitrifiers in the air as well, links will show association with aerosols in some regions and by flotsam in others

if you add water to any holding system, the cycle begins albeit much slower than if we cheat help

 

 

Any water you have that hasn't been accutely sterilized likely has nitrifiers in it

 

The mixed heterotrophic colonies that initially bloom and then die are fuel for the naturally imported bacteria. This is why a cup of pure water set on a windowsill self cycles in a few mos if you keep it topped off

 

 

Regarding usefulness of nitrifying bacteria from used reef water

 

Its a totally equal seed to live rock

 

Ok so one has six billion colonies and one has six million per ounce, doesn't matter they are filthy w nitrifiers either way

 

 

Adding tap water seeds a tank with nitrifiers, who'd have thunk

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