first tank, eclispe12? cycle?

[burrito]

ok so i think i've decided on getting the eclispe12 and since its just 12 gallons im going to use all livesand, and fiji lr, also i was going to use the real ocean water that they sell in stores since i would only need less then 3 boxes of it to fill the tank and still have leftover for whatever i need.

 

will this prove for a quick cycle? is there anything else i am forgetting to start my tank cycle. i want to have a clown or 2 and some corals. thanks in advance

[CU_Reefer]

Your cycle will depend on the quality of your live rock. If it is well cured you will have a short cycle if it is uncured it will be longer. It is hard to say how long a cycle is going to be, every tank is different. The key is to go slow.

[stan]

I started with the same setup last month. Eclipse12, 10lb livesand, 12lb cured liverock. Only difference is i mixed my own saltwater.

 

It was a fast cycle. My ammonia/nitrite was down to zero in 10 days and nitrate has been steady at 5-10ppm.

[jaguilar]

i see you decided to go with the system12. good choice my friend. now it's time to play the waiting game, which is the hardest part of this whole hobby. just make sure that you get cured liverock so that your tank won't take about a month or so to completely cycle. but during this period, it will give you a chance to do some serious research into where you want to go with this project.(livestock,equip., and lighting) i will be borrowing a camera in the next couple of days, so if you want, i will be able to show you all the mods i've made to my system to get me where i am today. just remember to be patient, cause it will all pay off in the end.

[gabbeyshell]

i've had an 12g eclipse since aug. it is a good start up tank. i have live sand and 25lbs of figi. i ran the stock biowheel for three mo until my nitrates spiked. then i tossed it i first ditched the stock lighting and got a 32supernova. now i have a corallife 96 pwr quad. good luck!!

[yoshiod9]

the eclipse is a good choice but what most people do, myself included, is ditch the stock lighting and ditch the stock filtration. I love how much brighter my tank is after i removed the stock filtration. i have the supernova now but if i were you i would go straight for the csl or coralife powerquad retrofit...or you can just ditch the eclipse hood and get the coralife powerquad hood. your choice, as they both work well enough. =) take care!!

 

oh yeah, if you do choose to get rid of the stock filtration, don't forget to buy a small hob filter just in case you need to run mechanical stuff like carbon, chemipure, rowaphos, etc. see ya!