Cali Kid Corals

tank cycling.......

Kmooresf

Kmooresf

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Hi there,

I haven't cycled a new tank in about 7 years and am wondering how you all recommend doing it. Is there a good bacteria suppliment out there to get it going?? I know they are very controversial, and just wondering if there is a trusted brand that people are comfortable with. Any other advice on cycling is appreciated. Thanks.

Kris.
 
Cycling schmycling!
You are going to take live sand and rock from an existing tank and put it into a larger system.
If you do regular water changes (7-14 days)
Assuming your new water is ideal: the solution to pollution is dilution.
 
Thanks Erin,

I am however pretty much starting over with new sand and mostly new rock. I plan on putting down some new sand and then adding a layer of my sand on top. I have 150 lbs of new rock that was DRY and has been curing for a couple weeks. About another 150 lbs of live rock in my 110 that will be moving over as well. I just assumed I would need to let the tank cycle a bit before moving my fish from the 110 over. You think I could do it all at once? I can wait on the small tanks as they are doing fine on there own. I am not using the rock or sand from those yet because they are covered in aptasia. NOT putting that in the new tank.

I have about a 4" Juvinile Vlamingi tang, 3" Purple tang, 2.5" Lemonpeel angel, 2" baby lion fish (eventually going back to the store so it doesn't eat all my shrimp when larger) and a 4" Maroon clown. There are also two anemone's and some mushroom corals and a 28" (ish) snowflake Eel.

You think I could move them all at once to the new tank.......with the rock and sand? Would I need to keep the water from the 110 as well, or could they handle all new?
 
Dr Tim's seems like the way to go to help kick start things. You still have to take it slow but I've read about many people who tested daily to monitor for spikes that may be harmful to fish and the results are pretty awesome. So far Tropical Fish World in El Cerrito is the only place that stocks it. hth
 
No need to jump start...it's already started!
If possible:
put fragile live stock (fish corals nems...) into another tank or bin.
Add new dead sand to new tank
Add half old water
Add old sand and existing live rock to new system
Fill new system
Let system run over night
Acclimate and add fragile live stock
30% water change in 5 days
Continue with normal regular maintenance
 
Kensington Reefer said:
No need to jump start...it's already started!
If possible:
put fragile live stock (fish corals nems...) into another tank or bin.
Add new dead sand to new tank
Add half old water
Add old sand and existing live rock to new system
Fill new system
Let system run over night
Acclimate and add fragile live stock
30% water change in 5 days
Continue with normal regular maintenance
Click to expand...

+1 I have done this type of tank break-down a couple of times. It works fine if done right.

When your starting with 100% new sand, rock, water etc. Its a little different story.

Good Luck!
 
I used the dead shrimp method. After it looked like it was about to dissolve, I removed it and put in bio-spira. Took about couple more days and all my ammonia, nitrate, nitrite was 0. Put in a pair of clowns the next day and they live til this day with no heavy breathing or any side effects.
 
hmm interesting.

I'm planning a tank breakdown/ move and restart the same day.

I'm currently cycling the acid washed base rock from BRS in a brute bin, after a couple weeks ( using bacterial supplement ) I'll start emptying the tank, taking out all the old rock and live sand. Then once I move the empty tank to new location in condo, I'll place the new live sand, new cycled base rock ( from brute container ) then fill the tank back up, then move the old inhabitants back in.

I'm getting rid of all the old rock due to some hydroids I've been battling. I want to start brand new slate after the tank move, new live rock and sand. None of the old items going back to tank. Corals on frag disks will be removed and placed on new frag disks cycling in the brute with new rocks. I'm also be using a new skimmer as well ( planning to break that in the cycling brute tank ). I want to start the tank fresh and clean.

BTW- the rocks I'm replacing in the tank, I have them in the brute container, when I place the bacterial additives in to cycle it, do I have to have the saltwater in the container heated with a tank heater? or can I just keep it running outside condo without a heater during weeks of cycling?
 
I used bio-spira for both my old tank and current tank. In both cases I used base rock and live sand (bagged) for a complete clean start. All equipment was soaked in vinegar for at least 6 hours.
During the entire cycling process including when I dumped a dead shrimp (which you can get from a grocery store), I had a heater on at around 82° F.
I didn't start testing for ammonia until the shrimp was at a decomposed state.

Not sure if this will help, but the first time I bought bio-spira was from a LFS which was kept not refrigerated. The 2nd time and most recent time was from Amazon, also came without packing to keep cold. I've read somewhere that it doesn't need to be kept cold... However, the bacteria does go bad after sometime..
 
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