Tank cycling

[kevin]

Hi all,
I recently watched a you tube bod stating that you can greatly speed up cycling by squeezing dirty filter juice from an established tank into a cup of salt water then dumping it into the new tank. Would the bacteria from this method provide enough to kick start the cycle? Would it latch on the live rock and filter media? Anyone ever try this? Found it interesting and it kind of makes sense.

[Dakotamay]

Welcome Kevin,
First off can you tell us more about your set up?  tank size? substrate or bare bottom? How many pounds of live rock are you starting with?
Normally when setting up a salt tank you start with your substrate and try to start with at least 1lb of live rock per gallon of water.
You then throw in a piece of raw uncooked shrimp that you let decay and that will start your cycle. The bacteria in the live rock need to multiply to handle the bio load of the decaying shrimp piece.
You'll see first that ammonia spikes, then nitrites and finally nitrates. They all need to settle back down to 0 respectively in the same order I just listed. Then stay there for about a month. This whole process generally takes 4-8 weeks. It all depends on your tank. You'll know when you see the readings spike then return to 0's.
During the initial spike it's recommended not to have any livestock. Though a good many people do choose to use chromis, damsels or clownfish.
There's lots of knowledgeable people on here that I'm sure will also chime in with great suggestions to get you going.

[Feivel]

sounds about right. too add: You may also want to purchase/borrow a piece of liverock from an established tank or/and some cheatos (seeing you have a sump). beware this may bring in different htchhikers like bristleworms and brittlestars copepods and other little buggers. most are beneficial some are controversial. too many of one could lead to a problem. but not to worry about that yet. i havent worried about it and ive been setup for about 1 1/2 years.

keep an eye on the for sale section as some great deals are always found for the quick talking cash in hand people 
a fair price on used live rock is 3$/lb (new at store 6-9) any used equipment is about 1/2 to 1/3 of what it is new.... then again thats why its used lol.

whats your setup?
(i.e sump, reactors, lights, return pumps,test kits, etc...)

[Hookup]

it works.  Many have tried this.

[Greatwhite]

Be sure to take a big whiff of that dirty skimmer juice before pouring it in!!  It helps!!   

[kevin]

Big wiff, yea, nasty stuff but good nasty. I have a 125 drilled at the bottom with a 30 gallon sump, mag 18 with two returns and t'd off back to the sump to keep proper levels to the skimmer pump. I have 120lbs of argonite and so far 50lbs live rock (uncured) stinks still, picking up another 40lbs Wednesday and another  50 two weeks after. I am going to seed the dead rock to not have to re mortgage my house to buy 120lbs live in 1 shot. I don't have water in it yet. Just received my impellar for the may drive today and it works!!! ( 60$ gamble). I'm not even talking lights yet, man they are not cheap! Should be good to go pick them up in 4 to 6 weeks. It's best to keep to tank unlit while cycling right?

[Greatwhite]

It's best to keep to tank unlit while cycling right?

Right!

[dpatte]

I've never heard this before. Whats the theory about no light?

Right!

[Greatwhite]

Oh, wait. I misread. While cycling, the tank should be running as if it was stocked.  Lights on schedule, skimmer running...  It even helps to throw a little food in every now and then..

[kevin]

I'm about 6 months away from corals, why run lights on a schedule?

[Greatwhite]

Light gives you algae...  Algae will spread to the "dead" rock you are adding. 

Without light, all your live rock will turn white.  When you finally add lights, you will have a massive algae boom, which is undesirable.

Honestly, I want to write a whole bunch of cool facts here about why you should do it. Everything I wrote sounded like a guess.  I read on another forum that it's how it "must" be done when I started my tank.  I just Googled to find out WHY it must be done this way, and came up with nothing more than "turn on your lights".  They did mention to start with a short photo period of 6hrs a day, and gradually increase.  Not sure what that buys you over just starting 'er up...

[kevin]

Thanks  I think I read to cure the rock it is better to have no lights. Guess I will be having to shell out another chuck of cash for lights.  The lights that came with the tank (bought used) had three Metal Halide mogul bulbs with magnetic ballasts and two Actinics. When I fired them up the ballast blew up, sparks everywhere and a blown plug and dimmer switch later I scapped it, don't need a fire at 2am. I rewired it but the previous owner had it two close to the tank and the salt killed the wiring, now there are too many shorts to safely use it, ever.

[Dakotamay]

Yes, you want to run your lights on a schedule.  SW tanks require as much stability and routine as possible.

[Hookup]

Thanks  I think I read to cure the rock it is better to have no lights. Guess I will be having to shell out another chuck of cash for lights.  The lights that came with the tank (bought used) had three Metal Halide mogul bulbs with magnetic ballasts and two Actinics. When I fired them up the ballast blew up, sparks everywhere and a blown plug and dimmer switch later I scapped it, don't need a fire at 2am. I rewired it but the previous owner had it two close to the tank and the salt killed the wiring, now there are too many shorts to safely use it, ever.

There are both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria that are part of your system... you can read up on cryptic zones within sw systems and get an idea about what grows with lights off (cryptic zones are dark 100% of the time) and lights on..

There is going to be a benefit in terms of stable bio-diversity with a lights on/off cycle while cycling your tank.

T

[Djokher]

With the Lights on you will also have some Coraline Growth....it will eventually take over the Algae that will initially cover your live rock. It's also preferable to have that algae bloom now....when no fish and no corals in.

[kevin]

Thanks for the replies guys, guess i will get my lights before adding water.

[Peekay]

You have live rock but no water? 
I'm not a salty, but does this work?  Seems like a fast track to more dead rock?

[Greatwhite]

You have live rock but no water? 
I'm not a salty, but does this work?  Seems like a fast track to more dead rock?

Geez... Shows what you know.. Saltwater tanks don't actually use water.  They are Saltwater in name only.  Our fish LEVITATE!!!! MOUAHA HAHAAHAH!!!!

Yeah, he mentioned a while back that he has "dead rock" currently, getting some live rock soon, and more live rock later.  I assume everything is sitting there dry atm, and is not actually cycling yet.

Definitely get lights and all the equipment that you will need first.  You want the water moving to help remove the death and decay from the dead rock!!

[Feivel]

How goes that battle?

[kevin]

It goes with unbearable patience. Lol, water paramaters are not to bad. Chucked in some food almost a week ago, protein skimmer is pulling out gross black stinking gunk. Everything is running beautifully. Water is crystal clear, temp fluctuates less than a degree steady at 77.5 to 78.3. Salinity at 1.026. Picked up a test kit, man those colours are hard to match. I built my canopy this weekend and pick up my led lights tomorrow. They where a dyi cree 3 watt setup with dimmable drivers, being an electronics tech I'm gonna re wire them bad boys perfect. Realty anxious to get my clowns, I love those fish. My kids are driving me nuts.... Daddy? Where the fishies?? Lol