LR+LS from established tank- Do I need to cycle?

[JsL]

I am starting a 10 gallon nano and my freshwater knowledge is useless here. I found 20 lbs of LR and 10 lbs of LS locally from an established tank and getting sea water from LFS. The LR and LS are from different people. Will I need to cycle my tank?

 

To begin,

Pour sea water in

add LS

add LR

turn on two powerheads

and then...?

 

Do I need to run a protein skimmer while doing this or do I even need one at all for my 10 gal? Do I put a cocktail shrimp in there?

 

I have a regular flourecent 15w light, but I don't plan on keeping corals yet. I will upgrade in future. I just want a fish or two to learn. After adding the LS and LR, how long should I keep my light on? Do I start the 10 hour photo period right away or gradually get into it.

 

Thank You for reading this, help will be greatly appreciated!!!

[keljim's]

I am a newbie also, so I'm not sure how much help I can be. Do a lot of jumping to the different forums and you will learn a lot. Some of it is confusing because one person will say the near opposite of another. Lights should be run in 12 hour cycles. 12 on 12 off. You don't need a skimmer for a 10g, but I do have one in my 12g. You will want to go ahead and order lighting. Go to marinedepot.com, look for the CustomSeaLife SuperNova 32watt retro fit. It is on backorder and seems to be taking a LONG time to get. Don't put any critters in your tank, and test every day for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, specific gravity, temp. When all these readings are where they should be, the cycle has happened...they say 2-4 weeks. I have been told that you will have an ammonia spike when you cycle, although I used LR from the tank at my kid's LFS, along with 20lb live sand and never got any readings on ammonia, nitrite, and only very small amount of nitrate. pH should be between 7.8 and 8.4, with the higher end of that range being most desirable. Temp should be between 78 and 82 with very little fluctuation being desirable. Get some good books, don't be afraid to ask questions. Good luck, and welcome! Also, some folks here will seem unfriendly, but I think they're just crabby!

[kennerd]

Only your test kits will know for sure.

[SpYdeR468]

With LS and LR from an established tank you will probably see a very small cycle. I wouldn't add anything right away, i would maybe add a piece of the shrimp and let it sit for a couple weeks just to make sure you got a solid colony of bacteria growing in the tank. Testing each week to see where you are at in the cycle process. Then add a clean up crew to help with the upcoming algea blooms, almost everyone encounters them, so don't worry. Then sit back a while longer and ride it out for another week or two, then slowly stock it. In my 10 gallon i have a pair of small clowns. Other small fish such as gobies and blennies make nice nano inhabitants. I wouldn't add more than maybe 2 or 3 small fish, say around 2 inches each. As many will tell you, just take it slow, and enjoy the tank.