Cycling my aquarium.

[RyanRe1n8olt]

Hello i have a 20 gallon high aquarium that i am turning into a reef tank. My plans for the tank is to get a aquaclear 50 with carbon and filter floss on it. As well im gonna get a al prime for my lighting. Currently i will not be able to get these items until february. For now i have the substrate, the tank, the heater, a 425GPH wave maker, the live rock/base rock, and the saltwater. Would i be able to set this all up without the filter running and the lights on and have it cycle. Then when february comes around put the filter in regardless if the cycle is complete or not. Would this work or no.

[Clown79]

Yes it will work. You don't need lights to cycle.

[RyanRe1n8olt]

Yes it will work. You don't need lights to cycle.

Great. How should i start the cycle. What should i do to get ammonia in the tank.

[aibocyrus]

I would order Dr Tim's Ammonia and Beneficial Bacteria. Dosing instructions are included with the bottles. This is a great way to begin your cycle. You don't have to ghost feed or put anything raw into your tank. Just follow the instructions when you receive these and you'll be golden.

[Clown79]

Ammonia dosing would be the best choice with dry reef rock.

 

Another option is adding a piece of liverock to start the cycle and seed the dry rock.

 

Ghost feeding and raw shrimp will lead to high nutrient issues

[Canadianeh]

I agree with using no light and Dr Timms fishless cycling products. I used it on mine too. I cycled mine without light. The positive side of it you don't have to worry about algae developing since light boost algae growth.

 

Check out my build thread if you want. I am a newbie too. I started in October this year.

 

Good luck and ask lot of questions

[burtbollinger]

I agree with using no light and Dr Timms fishless cycling products. I used it on mine too. I cycled mine without light. The positive side of it you don't have to worry about algae developing since light boost algae growth.

 

Check out my build thread if you want. I am a newbie too. I started in October this year.

 

Good luck and ask lot of questions

where is your build thread? I've been wanting to see a FTS for a while

[Canadianeh]

where is your build thread? I've been wanting to see a FTS for a while

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/377484-newbies-new-fusion-40-build/

[RyanRe1n8olt]

I am unable to get dr timms products. Is there any other way to start my cycle?

[Canadianeh]

I am unable to get dr timms products. Is there any other way to start my cycle?

why not? It's on Amazon, and many other website.

 

Some people buy pure ammonia from home depot, but never tried it

[RyanRe1n8olt]

Neither me or my mom trusts or uses amazon. Dont want to. I could try pure ammonia from home deopt but dont really want to. I can see if my lfs has pure ammonia but if not then what else could i do

[ajmckay]

If you're not going to start anything for another month you might as well take your time with it. Buy an ammonia test kit and some ammonia with no additives (usually found at smaller local hw stores).

 

Do you have dry rock or live rock? If you have dry rock dose ammonia to about 3ppm. Test daily and dose to keep it at that level. Once you're ready to add livestock stop dosing and by then you should have a robust enough biofilter to add anything you want. This also works if you have a small amount of live rock but may be harmful to certain hitch hikers.

 

If you have live rock and want to keep it alive then I would just slowly add animals until it's stocked. Add your clean up crew and feed them. This will keep things going until you're ready to get the light and other inhabitants.

 

Good luck. There are lots of ways to do this but this is what I would probably do in your situation. Keep researching in the meantime ?

[Canadianeh]

Neither me or my mom trusts or uses amazon. Dont want to. I could try pure ammonia from home deopt but dont really want to. I can see if my lfs has pure ammonia but if not then what else could i do

ok........well you can buy it directly from Dr tims's website...if you don't trust them as well.....then you can try to use raw shrimp and cut it to pieces. It will take a while using shrimp and many reported cloudy water and awful smell.

 

If you don't want shrimp, you can cycle using "ghost feeding" method. Feed the tank with fish food a bit at a time.

[ajmckay]

No ammonia? Then just leave it. Bacteria is everywhere and eventually the tank will establish a population of the necessary bacteria on its own. This method isn't very scientific though so you should have a pretty solid understanding of the nitrogen cycle, bacterial reproduction/ cell division, and the anticipated load that the inhabitants you are adding will have on the bio filter.

[Clown79]

If you don't trust amazon(i've had no issues and the best customer service ever) then buy pure ammonia at the hardware store.

 

If you don't want to dose ammonia(i don't) just buy a piece of liverock at your lfs and add that. Start testing for cycle.

 

The shrimp, ghost feeding, and live fish are the worst methods

[RyanRe1n8olt]

If you don't trust amazon(i've had no issues and the best customer service ever) then buy pure ammonia at the hardware store.

If you don't want to dose ammonia(i don't) just buy a piece of liverock at your lfs and add that. Start testing for cycle.

The shrimp, ghost feeding, and live fish are the worst methods

Out of 20 pounds of rock would about 3lb of liverock be good enough or no

[reefone]

what kind of rock do u have. was it once live and now its dry?

[Clown79]

What kind of rock do you have. That will determine the best option for cycling

[RyanRe1n8olt]

Idk the name of the live rock. I havent bought the live rock yet however im gonna buy it when i set it up. But i have 16lb or so of base rock. Idk the name of it. Its white rock with a bunch of holes in it.

[reefone]

if you had rock that was once live then dried out you could just throw it in the tank and it will cycle from all the dead stuff inside the rock.

 

with what you got id set the tank up. put the rock in and a little bit of live rock (pound or two). then throw in a small pinch of fish food once a week to keep the bacteria alive. then once you get the light and have it all set up start stocking slowly. and at the very least get a ammoia test kit.

[RyanRe1n8olt]

Well i could get the live rock and let it dry

[reefone]

Don't do that.

Put the sand, saltwater, base rock, wave maker and heater in the tank. Bring the water up to temp then go get a small piece of live rock and add that. The piece of live rock will bring in the nitrifying bacteria and when u add a pinch of fish food this will add the ammonia the bacteria needs to live and colonize the tank. Wait a few days and start checking ammonia once it spikes and starts to go down the tank is cycling. Once alll ammonia is gone the tank is done cycling and you can do a water change. Keep feeding the tank a small pinch of food after the tank is done cycling to keep the bacteria alive.

[Clown79]

You don't buy liverock to dry it out.

 

What reefone was saying is some dry rock available for purchase was once liverock just dried out. Then there is dry reef rock- never been live. Thats most likely what you purchased.

 

Just buy a few pounds of liverock.

 

Add the dry rock to tank, add liverock to the tank, then add live sand, fill with saltwater, turn on powerheads, heater, pump/hob filter.

 

Ghost feed lightly every other day.

 

Start testing at least ammonia and nitrates. Ammonia should be tested daily.

 

The liverock will cause a cycle.

[Okinawa_Reefer]

Follow Clown's advice. He hit the nail on the head with how you should do it. Best of luck!