Hi, we have recently got our first marine aquarium (Red Sea Reefer XL 300) and its currently sitting empty in our dining room until we have decorated the room. It will probably be a few months until the room gets decorated, and then we are (hopefully) going on our honeymoon for 3 weeks a couple of months after that.
It seems like going away for 3 weeks only a couple of months after starting the tank up is a bad idea, but what would you guys say about possibly cycling the tank (dry rock, live sand) after the decorating is finished, and then leaving it empty of life until we get back from our honeymoon? In theory in that time it would make the dry rock into live rock and we wouldn't have to necessarily go through the cycling process when we get back. We have a LFS that can do tank care whilst we are away (although if all it needs an RO top up, my parents can probably do that anyway)
It seems like going away for 3 weeks only a couple of months after starting the tank up is a bad idea, but what would you guys say about possibly cycling the tank (dry rock, live sand) after the decorating is finished, and then leaving it empty of life until we get back from our honeymoon? In theory in that time it would make the dry rock into live rock and we wouldn't have to necessarily go through the cycling process when we get back. We have a LFS that can do tank care whilst we are away (although if all it needs an RO top up, my parents can probably do that anyway)