A couple things over the next week or two and cycle help....

[Bellamy803]

I've read 100 different ways to do things - some clear and precise others hard to follow. I was hoping to get a short breakdown of what I should do in these first few weeks with the options I have chose. (I know this topic is one that is discussed a million times over - I've read the threads. Just want a more precise idea based off of what I am starting this system with)

1 - 74 gallon display tank w/30 gallon sump (this is all setup and ready)

Live Sand - Carib Sea Bimini Pink
Marco Rock - Dry Rock
First fill with NutriSea Pacific Ocean Water

So my thoughts were.....

Dry Rock - skip the issues that more advanced Reefers are willing to tinker with. Keep it simple and know whats in the system from the start.

Live Sand - This was obviously a must for me - hoping I get better cycle having bacteria etc from Live Sand.

And finally the NutriSea water - Stupid Expensive - was hoping to figure out if it is worth it
Has all the living organism and bacteria already in it........

Going this route should I expect the tank to cycle quicker? Should I do MORE or LESS. Where do I go from here?!

Should I be looking into other things like Fritz 9 etc.........

 

[Cell]

Just buy yourself some Bio-Spira and call it a day. I've never heard of Nutrisea but am inclined to think you wasted your money there. I believe most of your beneficial bacteria will be on hard surfac2es, not in the water column. I'm not sure how much live sand will contribute to a quick cycle either but it doesn't hurt. Instead of the water, you should have spent the money on live rock. Live rock is hands down the best method for a skip cycle.

 

[daybreaksky]

great answer.

Tank may cycle faster with live sand vs bottled bacteria cause it's dormant. but only by a couple of days.
initial cycled tank (couple of weeks) isn't the same as established tank (couple of months - years) so regardless of what you add just add critters slowly , let the bacteria build up deep in the rock.

 

[daybreaksky]

P.S i see you didn't mention ammonia, you will need to dose some until its safe to add fish and clean up crew for a few weeks. follow instructions on the bottle

 

[Bellamy803]

Just buy yourself some Bio-Spira and call it a day. I've never heard of Nutrisea but am inclined to think you wasted your money there. I believe most of your beneficial bacteria will be on hard surfac2es, not in the water column. I'm not sure how much live sand will contribute to a quick cycle either but it doesn't hurt. Instead of the water, you should have spent the money on live rock. Live rock is hands down the best method for a skip cycle.

The dry rock vs live rock research has been brutal. For every person that tells me live is the way to go I can find one that says dry is the only way to do it. From forums, to blogs to people I have had discussions with - it's been 50/50. I've ready all the horror stories with Live Rock.....I can still buy live rock - I havent picked up the Marco yet. Just thought that skipping the potential hazards would be better....

 

[Bellamy803]

P.S i see you didn't mention ammonia, you will need to dose some until its safe to add fish and clean up crew for a few weeks. follow instructions on the bottle

Got it, Thank you!!

 

[daybreaksky]

This might sound complex but it's very easy. Dry rock is fine. The only thing you can screw up is adding fish too early

 

[brandon429]

one of the reasons its hard to gain direction is we take cues from a series of first person reports

1 yay
1 nay on and on regarding live rock vs dry rock

for skip cycling hands down live rock wins

for ongoing use, dry vs live has stark divisions when we search out dinos invasion threads to the tune of live rock= unlikely to get them and dry rock= 95% likely to get them, even if a given report didnt include dinos from the dry rock assessment.

you have to get into work threads for mistakes to find patterns of what kind of rock is best, easiest. live rock wins

the reason people fear it, is anemones can best them. but if you employ a system that no tiny anemone can overcome, then live rock will never be a problem for you or scary. same for gha

live rock with coralline rejects all invasions 100% better than white rock + grazers


white rock will certainly give you all control over initial mantids and aiptasia for sure.

I would not own a reef with dry rock if someone gave it to me free. I would throw out the rock in back, then pay four hundred dollars for a load of this:

 

[Bellamy803]

This might sound complex but it's very easy. Dry rock is fine. The only thing you can screw up is adding fish too early

I personally do not care if there are no fish in there for months. I'm will to do this as slowly or as quickly as it needs to take. At what point is it necessary for fish to be added. From what I understand they play a role in the cycle as well.....albeit at the right time.

 

[brandon429]

they are independent to the cycle, no effect in outcome. same amount of bacteria with, or without fish because your surface area will max out regardless of bioloading

we advise not cycling w fish due to disease issues

we input fish when the selected disease protocol allows for it.

if doing fallow/qt, then 80 days after your last stocked item. if there is no disease prep in the works, then in a dry rock system you can input fish when the directions say on the bottle bac chosen, thousands do fish-in cycles that work fine and great and are no harm.

if using that purple rock above, fish can go in instantly those are skip cycle rocks.

have a disease protocol, dont take one off reports.

see the disease forum, and what they toil with there before you choose when to add


regarding fish above:

cycling with fish and bottled bac is a bad option due to disease imports. bottle bac w carry the fish, without harm, but ich is then certain.

cycle without fish so that you have search time to choose a disease protocol from reading disease help threads

 

[daybreaksky]

when you ammonia and nitrites are converted from about 2ppm to 0 overnight, you can add fish. the role fish plays is poop and ammonia from gills. you used to cycle with fish, but not a humane practice. once your added ammonia is easily converted then its safe for fish

 

[Bellamy803]

they are independent to the cycle, no effect in outcome. same amount of bacteria with, or without fish because your surface area will max out regardless of bioloading

we advise not cycling w fish due to disease issues

we input fish when the selected disease protocol allows for it.

if doing fallow/qt, then 80 days after your last stocked item. if there is no disease prep in the works, then in a dry rock system you can input fish when the directions say on the bottle bac chosen, thousands do fish-in cycles that work fine and great and are no harm.

if using that purple rock above, fish can go in instantly those are skip cycle rocks.

have a disease protocol, dont take one off reports.

see the disease forum, and what they toil with there before you choose when to add


regarding fish above:

cycling with fish and bottled bac is a bad option due to disease imports. bottle bac w carry the fish, without harm, but ich is then certain.

cycle without fish so that you have search time to choose a disease protocol from reading disease help threads

Thank you again! Very helpful information......

While we are on the subject of live rock and I am now once again contemplating my rock decision. Have you looked at KP Aquatics live rock before? Would cost me over $1,000 for what I need - shipped in water to my doorstep overnight.

 

[Jeffcb]

I used Carib sea live sand and Carib sea Life Rock Dry Live Rock. Started Brightwell Micro Bacter 7. After 1 week added 6 small Hermit crabs and 2 Clown fish. Started feeding. Tank cycled in a little over 3 weeks. No hitch hikers. I have cycled with real Florida live rock in the past. Its fun to see all the stuff on the rocks but man there sure is some bad stuff that cones with it.

 

[Bellamy803]

I used Carib sea live sand and Carib sea Life Rock Dry Live Rock. Started Brightwell Micro Bacter 7. After 1 week added 6 small Hermit crabs and 2 Clown fish. Started feeding. Tank cycled in a little over 3 weeks. No hitch hikers. I have cycled with real Florida live rock in the past. Its fun to see all the stuff on the rocks but man there sure is some bad stuff that cones with it.

Yes, as I have heard many times. I was actually getting ready to place a $1,000+ order from KP Aquatics who farms theirs in the Florida Keys. Seems like it's the best of the best. Straight from the bottom of the ocean after 2 years of maturing. The rock cycling process and "getting rid of unwanted pest" was a but daunting however.

 

[Jeffcb]

Yes, as I have heard many times. I was actually getting ready to place a $1,000+ order from KP Aquatics who farms theirs in the Florida Keys. Seems like it's the best of the best. Straight from the bottom of the ocean after 2 years of maturing. The rock cycling process and "getting rid of unwanted pest" was a but daunting however.

It doesn't get rid of them all and smells like rotten eggs for about a month. lol

 

[Cell]

Keep in mind you dont need to do 100% dry or live. If I was starting a large tank, I'd do some live rock with mostly dry to save money. The biggest drawback to live rock is unwanted pests, so a lengthy QT is necessary if you dont want any undesirable critters.

 

[brandon429]

hey nice call

I forgot about that, they'd stack the nice stuff over 80% base rocks way back when. make it look like it was all purple stack

big savings. and what was truly live/true coralline like above really helps bigtime. Id sign off on a blend lol

 

[Bellamy803]

hey nice call

I forgot about that, they'd stack the nice stuff over 80% base rocks way back when. make it look like it was all purple stack

big savings. and what was truly live/true coralline like above really helps bigtime. Id sign off on a blend lol

Brandon... Thought on KP Aquatics live rock vs local fish store live rock?!?!

 

[brandon429]

Id choose the fish store above bc its already cured down to just pure coralline and literally nothing bad save for a few hidden anemones, of which when they emerge you take a flathead screwdriver and shove up under them, chip it out like a bad tooth, now its gone (universal anti aiptasia method lol 100% effective, you do this outside the tank and rinse off)

kp aquatics is likely the most diverse bacteria set you could ever have as its maricultured in the ocean (initially, then it cures down to what your particulars will support but it starts off strongest bacterial mix)

kp is probably the strongest anti-dinos rock you can have in the hobby, its diverse array of riders on literally eat flagellates and ciliates

kp can have some minor curing from sponges etc, sort of a reverse cycle where depending on shipping variables a few higher-order things die, but this is minimal and cures fast.

pet store purple rock wouldnt cost so much, but that's hard to find nowadays. that pic is from 2009 lol

my guy can still get it but doesnt carry two hundred ready pounds anymore

 

[daybreaksky]

hey nice call

I forgot about that, they'd stack the nice stuff over 80% base rocks way back when. make it look like it was all purple stack

big savings. and what was truly live/true coralline like above really helps bigtime. Id sign off on a blend lol

My wife and I were just reminiscing about back in the day live rock. You would find new stuff for years like sponges and little feather dusters. My last tank in about 2007 was a 55 with 1/2 established rock and 1/2 with dry rock when BRS just started carying it. There was basically no cycle. I ended up getting some flatworms, aptasia, mojanos, and red bugs. But that was about it. Yesterday I found an interceptor tablet among all plumbing parts