Using Aquarium Store Water to Cycle Tank

[hurricanefan1281]

Hey guys, I am starting up my 24 gallon nano cube again after a two year hiatus and I'm just wondering what your opinion is on using water from the aquarium store I go to, along with live rock from the same store. I am confident that the water and live rock is good (it is what I used to use for water changes) but do you think my tank would still need to cycle? At the store the water they sell is the water circulating around the live rocks which makes me think that it may not need to go through a cycle once I put it into my tank. What do you guys think? Thanks

[NorthGaHillbilly]

The water isnt really going to have any life in it, but if the live rock is already cured, then move it in a few buckets full of water and you can expect a very minor cycle if any.

[hurricanefan1281]

The water isnt really going to have any life in it, but if the live rock is already cured, then move it in a few buckets full of water and you can expect a very minor cycle if any.

Ok sounds good thanks for the response. I'm going to transfer the water and live rock into my tank hopefully within the next few days. I'll leave it for a couple weeks and test the water to see if it needs to cycle any further

[Benny314]

Generally a cycle is caused by the rock being out of water for a prolonged period of time or suffering a sudden water chemistry or temperature change and the bacteria populating it dying off/bristle worms and the like dying in it and then breaking down afterwards.

As stated if you can keep the rock wet on the way home and get it straight into the tank you should suffer very little die off and then be able to start uping the bio load slowly straight away.

I had a hard cycle I was hopping to avoid when I set up my new system as I had to leave some of the rock I had sat in a holding tank out of water over night while the putty set for my scape (I couldn't fit it back into the holding tank after rodding it and puttying on some branching stuff). I was really annoyed as I had already cycled the rock in the holding tank months before hand and was hoping to just be able to get everything set up and going. Never mind such is life.

[Azedenkae]

Hey guys, I am starting up my 24 gallon nano cube again after a two year hiatus and I'm just wondering what your opinion is on using water from the aquarium store I go to, along with live rock from the same store. I am confident that the water and live rock is good (it is what I used to use for water changes) but do you think my tank would still need to cycle? At the store the water they sell is the water circulating around the live rocks which makes me think that it may not need to go through a cycle once I put it into my tank. What do you guys think? Thanks

 

If it's been running at the store, chances are you won't really experience any sort of major cycle. But won't know for sure until you set it all up and test it. ;D

[CJJon]

I would never use old LFS water in my tank. The rock is where your filtration comes from, not the water.

 

So, they have no problem pulling out 25 gallons of water from their tank? What are they using to replace the water they give to you? Seems like they are getting paid to do a water change to me...maybe if the water was free. Maybe.

[hurricanefan1281]

Generally a cycle is caused by the rock being out of water for a prolonged period of time or suffering a sudden water chemistry or temperature change and the bacteria populating it dying off/bristle worms and the like dying in it and then breaking down afterwards.

As stated if you can keep the rock wet on the way home and get it straight into the tank you should suffer very little die off and then be able to start uping the bio load slowly straight away.

I had a hard cycle I was hopping to avoid when I set up my new system as I had to leave some of the rock I had sat in a holding tank out of water over night while the putty set for my scape (I couldn't fit it back into the holding tank after rodding it and puttying on some branching stuff). I was really annoyed as I had already cycled the rock in the holding tank months before hand and was hoping to just be able to get everything set up and going. Never mind such is life.

 

 

If it's been running at the store, chances are you won't really experience any sort of major cycle. But won't know for sure until you set it all up and test it. ;D

Thanks for the responses, I am going to transfer the rock and water tomorrow and will watch for changes in nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels to see if the tank cycles at all. Hoping it stays pretty stable so I can start adding more to the tank soon. I'll put another post here to let you know what happens after about a week or so

 

 

I would never use old LFS water in my tank. The rock is where your filtration comes from, not the water.

 

So, they have no problem pulling out 25 gallons of water from their tank? What are they using to replace the water they give to you? Seems like they are getting paid to do a water change to me...maybe if the water was free. Maybe.

I am not quite sure where the water they sell comes from but it is definitely good water. Used it for about 2 years for all my water changes and had no problems at all. I will ask them about their water tomorrow when I go to the store

[Benny314]

To set the system up it's not going to matter if it's slightly dirty water from their main tanks. Just when you start doing water changes you want fresh salt mixed water.

You'll want to keep the rock submerged in water from the system they came from ideally as plunging it into fresh mixed can cause die off too.

Anyway your clearly on top of things and fingers crossed to a unnoticeable cycle.