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Cycling Tank with Dry Rock + Live Sand


jpcross17

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Posted

I am just about to start my first 24 gallon nano cube (so excited!=) and I have decided to cycle my tank with dry rock (BRS Reef Saver) and live sand (Nature's Ocean Live-Aragonite Sand) along with a piece of live rock from my LFS (to hopefully eventually get that absolutely stunning purple coraline=P).

I was primarily wondering what type of cycle should I be expecting. Will it be similar to if I started to live rock + live sand and be about a month? Will it be shorter or longer than that? Will there be a low ammonia spike b/c there is little live rock with dead organic matter? Will there be an ammonia or a nitrite spike at all since I'm using dry rock? Will the live sand have sufficient dead organic matter to help the cycle? Should I add anything else to make the cycle more effective for beneficial bacteria such as ammonia reagent or organic fish food?

Lots a questions>.< sorry! but thanks a ton! You guys da best=)

 

Also to specify the live sand I'm using. I'm using Nature's Ocean BIO-ACTIVE Live aragonite sand. It claims that you can add fish immediately so that's why I'm primarily skeptical of any sort of cycle appearing.

Link here: http://www.livesand.com/

Posted

You will definitely still have a cycle there is plenty of organic matter on the dry rock. that live sand claim is total BS. the cycle with dry rock is normally a little longer but not much. you are starting your tank the exact same way I did, it works very well however your coralline will take at least 9 months to take over the tank.

Posted

The reality of it, no one is going to be able to answer your question. Time will tell and you will only know by testing the water. With adding a piece of LR, you may or may not see a cycle. All depends on how much of a bacteria colonies came along with the LR. LS may or may not help in the process. Typically you should have enough organics in the LS to help with the process.

xerophyte_nyc
Posted

The tank that I just recently started began primarily with BRS Pukani rock and dry sand. I had a few cups of live sand from my prior tank that I used to seed the tank, and I also added bacteria from a bottle.

 

To speed up the process of bacterial proliferation (the "cycle") you have to simply provide them with food and good conditions so they can multiply quickly. Marine bacteria seem to have peak growth in the 88F range. The nitrogen reducing bacteria that you are looking to promote need ammonia for food. Some people around here like to add a shrimp. I just bought some household ammonia at the hardware store, and added a little every day. As you periodically test for ammonia, you will reach a point where the bacterial population's ability to consume ammonia is greater than the rate of ammonia addition. I was able to get to this stage in about 2 weeks. By then the cycle is close to finishing, and nitrates + diatoms/ algae will appear.

 

When you start to see gas bubbles within the sandbed, you are well on your way.

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