Cycling a NEW reef tank with Bio Pellets running at the same time

[fedeuma]

Hello,

I will be starting the slow process of making about 150 Gallons of RO/DI water soon. This is a 120 gallon reef tank (2'x2'x4') with dual-overflows and a 40 gallon sump. The plan is to run the tank at least for a month before any coral / fish are added to the tank. At this time I would like to add some sort of bacterial strains such as ZeoBak / BioDigest / MB7. Any suggestions on what brand or mixture of brands to use? I also would like to run my pellet reactor and hopefully this will not only speed up the cycling process but at the same time be able to culture the different kinds of bacterial strains needed for maintaining a low-nutrient system.

Does anyone have any previous experience with a similar setup? Can pellets be ran during the cycling process?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Fedeuma

 

[Luisra]

I did cycle my tank with np biopellets and MB7, but it would be better if you wait at leats 6 weeks before introducing any fish. Try to get some copepods from a friend before adding any fish or corals. You will have some nasty algae blooms in the first weeks, cyano, dyno, etc...

A friend's 1 month old live rock, cured with bio pellets and MB7.


Hope this helps.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

I wouldnt do it. The whole point of a cycle is that you go through the whole process, and colonize your tank with bacteria. Seems to me if you do it with a reactor you are just going to colonize the pellets, and then when they are gone your tank will crash.

 

[Luisra]

i wouldnt do it. The whole point of a cycle is that you go through the whole process, and colonize your tank with bacteria. Seems to me if you do it with a reactor you are just going to colonize the pellets, and then when they are gone your tank will crash.

lol

 

[fedeuma]

Interesting point Kingfisherfleshy. So what you are saying is wait out the introduction of pellets until the tank goes through the cycling period and then run the reactor? Doesn't bacteria attach to pretty much anything? or what you are saying is that they will be more attracted to the pellets? I'm also planning on skimming as dry as possible to keep the bacteria in the tank instead of skimming them out. Also, pellets should last about six months before they run out and I can always replenish them if they are running low.

Have anyone experience a TANK crash when running a reator during the cycling period?

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

lol

Please explain how you think this is funny? He is creating an artificially high level of nitrifying bacteria before he ever establishes a colony in his own tank?

Interesting point Kingfisherfleshy. So what you are saying is wait out the introduction of pellets until the tank goes through the cycling period and then run the reactor? Doesn't bacteria attach to pretty much anything? or what you are saying is that they will be more attracted to the pellets? I'm also planning on skimming as dry as possible to keep the bacteria in the tank instead of skimming them out. Also, pellets should last about six months before they run out and I can always replenish them if they are running low.

Have anyone experience a TANK crash when running a reator during the cycling period?

Most of the time people run the outflow of their reactor into their skimmer because they dont want big chunks and strands of bacteria floating around in their tanks. The big chunks will also die off, and where they do, you will end up with cyano and other issues because the nutrients they contained have just been returned back into your system.

I would just wait until your tank is cycled, I cant see how it would hurt, but I can see how doing the opposite might become an issue.

 

[fedeuma]

Luis, thanks for the advise on holding on before adding any fish. Most likely I won't introduce any fish or coral for at leat 2 months, specially if I want to propagate copepods on the rock.

 

[jledon4]

the best way for you to colonize your tank is by having the pellets. the pellets are a place for the bacteria to colonize and will also be a food for bacteria. the bacteria won't concentrate on the pellets, it will spread through the whole tank. for me, the best way to do it is by having the reactor running from day 1.

 

[jledon4]

Please explain how you think this is funny? He is creating an artificially high level of nitrifying bacteria before he ever establishes a colony in his own tank?



Most of the time people run the outflow of their reactor into their skimmer because they dont want big chunks and strands of bacteria floating around in their tanks. The big chunks will also die off, and where they do, you will end up with cyano and other issues because the nutrients they contained have just been returned back into your system.

I would just wait until your tank is cycled, I cant see how it would hurt, but I can see how doing the opposite might become an issue.

do you run pellets?

 

[Paul_N]

I helped set up my friends new tank with MB7 and biopellets and all it did was shorten his initial cycle. When you use MB7 or any bacteria source it jump starts your tank. He still got an initial cycle but was like a mini cycle.

 

[arotbart]

Cycle w Pellets

for what its worth. I just set up my 180..running warner marine bio pellets...output is right near input of skimmer...I transferred some of my rock from my 90, and purchased some new FULLY CURED rock as well. Using new live sand, and my water was a combo of natural sea water, tropic marin bio activ, and carib sea. Also running a Royal Alpha Exlcusiv 250 protein skimmer.

My tank cycled in about 10 days. Had a very small diatom bloom. I am also using zeobak twice a week.

I run two part (ESV) and dose Brightwells Kalk +2 24 hrs a day (very slow drip).

Tank cycle start 12/28. I have significant coraline algea growth all over the back of tank and on overflows....corals never looked better....

 

[fedeuma]

the best way for you to colonize your tank is by having the pellets. the pellets are a place for the bacteria to colonize and will also be a food for bacteria. the bacteria won't concentrate on the pellets, it will spread through the whole tank. for me, the best way to do it is by having the reactor running from day 1.

I was under that impression that once bacteria colonize it will be everywhere. Thanks for the feedback Jledon!!!

 

[Paul_N]

I was under that impression that once bacteria colonize it will be everywhere. Thanks for the feedback Jledon!!!

This is why some people put their output of the reactor exiting right next to the skimmer pump. The concept with pellets is that the water passes through the reactor, nutrients gets consumed by the bacteria on the reactor and then when the bacteria exit the reactor they are immediately skimmed out of the tank. Some people complained they had issues when vodka dosing with all the bacteria in the DT. I never had an issues when I dosed vodka. I actually run the output of my reactor next to my return pump. The mulm from the rector is good food for the coral.

 

[fedeuma]

for what its worth. I just set up my 180..running warner marine bio pellets...output is right near input of skimmer...I transferred some of my rock from my 90, and purchased some new FULLY CURED rock as well. Using new live sand, and my water was a combo of natural sea water, tropic marin bio activ, and carib sea. Also running a Royal Alpha Exlcusiv 250 protein skimmer.

My tank cycled in about 10 days. Had a very small diatom bloom. I am also using zeobak twice a week.

I run two part (ESV) and dose Brightwells Kalk +2 24 hrs a day (very slow drip).

Tank cycle start 12/28. I have significant coraline algea growth all over the back of tank and on overflows....corals never looked better....

Arotbart, I will be setting up my tank very similar. I will be transfering some live rock from a previous 75 gallon tank and buying extra cured rock to finished the rock work. I will be using reef crystals and planning on dosing ZeoBak about twice a week. :wink:

I like the fact that the tank will be cycling so fast although I'm not planning on putting fish right away. I'm also planning on running two part solution for CAL and ALK.

If you don't mind asking, what reactor are you running for the pellets?

Again, thank you for the reassurance!
Fedeuma

 

[fedeuma]

This is why some people put their output of the reactor exiting right next to the skimmer pump. The concept with pellets is that the water passes through the reactor, nutrients gets consumed by the bacteria on the reactor and then when the bacteria exit the reactor they are immediately skimmed out of the tank. Some people complained they had issues when vodka dosing with all the bacteria in the DT. I never had an issues when I dosed vodka. I actually run the output of my reactor next to my return pump. The mulm from the rector is good food for the coral.

I'm planning on running the output of the pellet reactor on the skimmer section but I'm pretty sure that some of the "mulm" will make its way to the DT. Is funny because at first I was going to dose Vodka, but it took me so long to setup my new tank and now I see everyone using the bio pellets so now I will be using the bio pellet too.

Thanks again!

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Running pellets won't hurt anything. A cycle mean things are dead or dying off from the LR. Isn't the whole point to save as much "life" on the rock as you can? Pellets will keep nitrates and such in check to keep ammonia at a lower level until everything balances out. Sure bacteria will colonize on the pellets, but it's not the only place in the system where bacteria will be.

 

[Luisra]

Please explain how you think this is funny? He is creating an artificially high level of nitrifying bacteria before he ever establishes a colony in his own tank?

Do you know how the cycle starts? The Nitrogen Cycle - How Ammonia and Nitrite are Controlled in Wastewater and Aquatic Environmentsetc. I hate chemistry!!!
Sorry for being rude, but it doesn't even makes sense. That's why I use pellets, to shorten the cycle, from personal experience.

Most of the time people run the outflow of their reactor into their skimmer because they dont want big chunks and strands of bacteria floating around in their tanks. The big chunks will also die off, and where they do, you will end up with cyano and other issues because the nutrients they contained have just been returned back into your system.

Oxygen levels will go down, that's why they put it next to the skimmer intake, the outflow from my reactor is in the filter sock.

Luis, thanks for the advise on holding on before adding any fish. Most likely I won't introduce any fish or coral for at leat 2 months, specially if I want to propagate copepods on the rock.

You're welcome, my tank it's almost a year old, and it hasn't crashed form the bacteria suddenly disappearing. I don't like to stress fish, if they are unhappy I'm unhappy. You are on track, plz keep us posted.

for what its worth. I just set up my 180..running warner marine bio pellets...output is right near input of skimmer...I transferred some of my rock from my 90, and purchased some new FULLY CURED rock as well. Using new live sand, and my water was a combo of natural sea water, tropic marin bio activ, and carib sea. Also running a Royal Alpha Exlcusiv 250 protein skimmer.

My tank cycled in about 10 days. Had a very small diatom bloom. I am also using zeobak twice a week.

I run two part (ESV) and dose Brightwells Kalk +2 24 hrs a day (very slow drip).

Tank cycle start 12/28. I have significant coraline algea growth all over the back of tank and on overflows....corals never looked better....

Another successful story! I just started with kalk, I may pm you for some advice. Nice set up!

Everyone running pellets should read this,
Probiotics Demystified | Coral Magazine

 

[celebrityovernight]

I started my tank about 7 months ago with marco rocks, mb7, and biopellets. I had some algae at first, but I think that was due to a lack of clean up crew. My nutrient levels had always stayed extremely low even with what I consider moderately high bioload. Here are some pictures of the corals.



IMG_1152 by vdnguyen87, on Flickr


IMG_1160 by vdnguyen87, on Flickr

 

[nixer]

where do people come up with these random jibberish. im growing really tire of ppl that cannot or refuse to read and understand actual facts and not just spew stuff as fact.
while i waited for my water to cycle i then did pellets.

either way if you think that little pellet reactor will house all of your bacteria you seriously need help.
the reason why they want the output is due to the bacteria bloom. excess bacteria will come out the reactor. this could also perhaps lower the oxygen levels in the water also. then you have to figure the waste (byproducts) of the bacteria in the reactor.

not to mention that your entire water column contains bacteria not just the surfaces, just not in as great of numbers.

 

[arotbart]

Reactor

Arotbart, I will be setting up my tank very similar. I will be transfering some live rock from a previous 75 gallon tank and buying extra cured rock to finished the rock work. I will be using reef crystals and planning on dosing ZeoBak about twice a week. :wink:

I like the fact that the tank will be cycling so fast although I'm not planning on putting fish right away. I'm also planning on running two part solution for CAL and ALK.

If you don't mind asking, what reactor are you running for the pellets?

Again, thank you for the reassurance!
Fedeuma

I am running the NextReef SMR1 - its the smaller of the two they make, and the make one specifically with the mesh built in so that the bio pellets tumble properly. I run a maxi jet 1200 pump on it and tumbles real nice...I bought a ball valve so I can adjust the flow, but frankly, its tumbling so gently through and through, i am not using the ball valve....