How to keep biological filtration alive with no fish?

[LogicalReefs]

I have a new tank I’ve set up with new sand and rock I’ve washed from a old cycled tank to get any algae off it before transferring over to to this tank so I don’t know if there is still any bacteria left on it. I literally took it out my old tank, washed it with the water hose outside and let it sit outside for maybe 10-15 minutes then it went directly into my new tank.  I used a lot of old water from previous tank tank with about 2 gallons of freshly made salt water. I do not have anymore fish since my last one died and just wanted to start over new because I was not happy with my last tank. I have a emerald crab, 1 Mexican turbo, 1 nassarius snail and a somatella snail for clean up crew and some zoas. Can I just feed pe mysis pellet food to help up keep the biological filtration? I know I can’t dose ammonia because of the inverts in my tank. I want to be patient before adding another fish and keep this tank cycled (with inverts in tank). Or do I have to get something like biospira? Will adding more biospira create a ammonia spike?

[Floundering_Around]

If you used tap water with chlorine/bleach to clean the rocks, the bacteria is dead. Were you saying that you hosed the tank down?

Why wouldn't you be able to add ammonia? Adding food and even just having the CUC in your tank is adding ammonia that will feed any bacteria.

[el_ote]

if you are worried that you washed away the biofilter, why not go grab a bottle of the dr. tims, add it, and test for ammonia regularly? you can also get some prime to dose if you spike on ammonia. make some water to have on hand for waterchanges. the small bio load should help.

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/One_Only_Live_Nitrifying_Bacteria_2oz_Reef_Pure_Dr._Tim_s_Aquatics_Saltwater_Aquarium_Additives_Supplements_Bacteria_Supplements-Dr._Tim_s_Aquatics-DQ4009-FIADBS-DQ4009-vi.html 

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/Seachem_Laboratories_Prime_250mL_Tap_Water_Chlorine_Chloramine_Removers-Seachem-SC4435-FIADWTTCDC-SC4435-vi.html 

 

 

[LogicalReefs]

44 minutes ago, Floundering_Around said:

If you used tap water with chlorine/bleach to clean the rocks, the bacteria is dead. Were you saying that you hosed the tank down?

Why wouldn't you be able to add ammonia? Adding food and even just having the CUC in your tank is adding ammonia that will feed any bacteria.

Now I just washed the rocks off with the hose outside. Did want to add pure ammonia since I have inverts in the tank. I’d feel bad even if one snail died. Lol. I’m trying to keep everything alive until I find fish really like.

[LogicalReefs]

18 minutes ago, el_ote said:

if you are worried that you washed away the biofilter, why not go grab a bottle of the dr. tims, add it, and test for ammonia regularly? you can also get some prime to dose if you spike on ammonia. make some water to have on hand for waterchanges. the small bio load should help.

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/One_Only_Live_Nitrifying_Bacteria_2oz_Reef_Pure_Dr._Tim_s_Aquatics_Saltwater_Aquarium_Additives_Supplements_Bacteria_Supplements-Dr._Tim_s_Aquatics-DQ4009-FIADBS-DQ4009-vi.html 

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/Seachem_Laboratories_Prime_250mL_Tap_Water_Chlorine_Chloramine_Removers-Seachem-SC4435-FIADWTTCDC-SC4435-vi.html 

 

 

That makes sense. Is Dr Tim’s good? Feeding the pellets should be enough to feed the bacteria right?

[Friendly]

anything living will put in a biological load...but if the tank is starting up, you need to cycle it and to do that  you need to put in some ammonia or use a bacteria supplement like Dr. Tim's. some bypass all that and just drop a piece of raw shrimp into the tank and let it's decomposition start/boost the cycle. however, adding the supplement is smart as then your cycle progresses and you'll be able to put in at least a few coral and CUC while you figure out the fish.  🙂 

[LogicalReefs]

14 minutes ago, Friendly said:

anything living will put in a biological load...but if the tank is starting up, you need to cycle it and to do that  you need to put in some ammonia or use a bacteria supplement like Dr. Tim's. some bypass all that and just drop a piece of raw shrimp into the tank and let it's decomposition start/boost the cycle. however, adding the supplement is smart as then your cycle progresses and you'll be able to put in at least a few coral and CUC while you figure out the fish.  🙂 

I already have clean up crew and corals in the tank. I just moved them from the old tank over to this one. I guess I’ll just cycle like normal and see how it goes.

[Friendly]

there ya go, problem solved!

 

dose with bacteria to help accelerate though, or you could lose a snail...  😞

[Floundering_Around]

if you have no bacteria to break down the ammonia, you are very quickly going to have a problem as ammonia is highly toxic. You'll need to do small water changes daily to keep ammonia down and look into getting a bacteria source like Dr. Tims 

[Newstead]

Biospira or Dr. Tim's will help keep the CUC alive while any cycling goes on. I used Biospira when I transferred tanks and though I lost corals due to changes, I didn't lose any fish or cuc. 

[LogicalReefs]

6 hours ago, Newstead said:

Biospira or Dr. Tim's will help keep the CUC alive while any cycling goes on. I used Biospira when I transferred tanks and though I lost corals due to changes, I didn't lose any fish or cuc. 

Thanks. I just have the two zoa frags that seem to be ok for now. I won’t be getting anymore coral until later on down the road. I also inscreased my flow in my tank to help get detritus and everything out the way and out of my tank. Helpfully everything goes smoothly in this tank. 

[Sosa]

You will be ok. I just did the same on a fluval flex 9g.  Its my quarantine tank. Today i just added snails 3 astrea and 5 blue legged hetmits. I will be waiting 7 weeks before i use it as a quarantine for fish and corals. 

[hotdrop]

19 minutes ago, Sosa said:

You will be ok. I just did the same on a fluval flex 9g.  Its my quarantine tank. Today i just added snails 3 astrea and 5 blue legged hetmits. I will be waiting 7 weeks before i use it as a quarantine for fish and corals. 

Why would you quarantine with invertebrates in the tank. You can’t dose copper without killing everything 

[Sosa]

3 minutes ago, hotdrop said:

Why would you quarantine with invertebrates in the tank. You can’t dose copper without killing everything 

Im not using copper   You will be ok. I just did the same on a fluval flex 9g.  Its my quarantine tank. Today i just added snails 3 astrea and 5 blue legged hetmits. I will be waiting 7 weeks before i use it as a quarantine for fish and corals.