Cycling rock

geosReef

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My tank is 10months 200g and have about 50 lbs of rock rn will be getting 150lbs soon. Can I use water from main display to start the cycle?
 

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My tank is 10months 200g and have about 50 lbs of rock rn will be getting 150lbs soon. Can I use water from main display to start the cycle?

Yes you can. If you’re just cycling rock alone, you may need to get an ammonia source from somewhere like Dr Tim’s or add a fish.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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My tank is 10months 200g and have about 50 lbs of rock rn will be getting 150lbs soon. Can I use water from main display to start the cycle?
There is very little nitrifying bacteria in the water column. Using old tank water won't hurt anything but it won't add a significant amount of bacteria to the container with the new rock.

But I'm confused...

Is this new dry rock or ocean live rock? Is the reason you're not adding it directly to your 200 gallon tank because you need to CURE (not cycle) it?

The only reason to do anything with dry rock is if you think you'll have an ammonia spike due to a large amount of organic material that needs to be removed. If this is the case, you CURE the rock to make sure the organics are dealt with.

Same thing with live rock... You might need to cure it if you're worried about a lot of die off.

In either case, there is no need to add an ammonia source since the ammonia is what you're trying to mitigate.

If it's clean dry rock, then just rinse off any dust and add it to the tank. No need to do anything else...
 

brandon429

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Geos

rock added to an existing tank doesnt need to be cycled. It picks up the bacteria when added. Your tank isn’t dead now bc the rock it has is cycled

adding more rock doesn’t uncycle the current rock. Reef tank water has lots of cycling bac floating in it. It has millions of bac per drop. Lots of people continue that rumor without any proof but it’s untrue.

Dr. Tim even says it in a YouTube video, that reef water doesn’t have cycling bac (which prompts us to buy some)

It doesn’t matter though, if you are simply adding to your current setup. Adding inert materials doesn’t take away from your current rocks ability to handle things for ten months.

if you want the new rock cycled, it doesn’t give you any benefit, you simply add dr Tim’s and a pinch of fish food to a separate container of saltwater holding the rocks and let it sit ten days and they’re cycled. Additionally, because reef water has bacteria, if you set the new rock in your aquarium it’s cycled in ten days by contact.


curing of white rocks in your tank, phosphate changes, are your challenge, not bacteria. Cycling with a fish and bottle bac isn’t harmful. Lots of unfounded, unlinked fear is routine in cycle posts.
 
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There is very little nitrifying bacteria in the water column. Using old tank water won't hurt anything but it won't add a significant amount of bacteria to the container with the new rock.

But I'm confused...

Is this new dry rock or ocean live rock? Is the reason you're not adding it directly to your 200 gallon tank because you need to CURE (not cycle) it?

The only reason to do anything with dry rock is if you think you'll have an ammonia spike due to a large amount of organic material that needs to be removed. If this is the case, you CURE the rock to make sure the organics are dealt with.

Same thing with live rock... You might need to cure it if you're worried about a lot of die off.

In either case, there is no need to add an ammonia source since the ammonia is what you're trying to mitigate.

If it's clean dry rock, then just rinse off any dust and add it to the tank. No need to do anything else...
What I plan on doing a muriatic acid cure first since I got couple gallons left from a job site let dry outside for about a month and start the cycle or how would you approach if you were to cycle the rock?
 
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Geos

rock added to an existing tank doesnt need to be cycled. It picks up the bacteria when added. Your tank isn’t dead now bc the rock it has is cycled

adding more rock doesn’t uncycle the current rock. Erin is making up the statement about reef water not having filter bacteria. It has millions of bac per drop.
Did not know that. So once it’s cured and dry it’s good to go on the tank?
 

brandon429

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youll have to forgive but what you are writing isn’t clear. Dryness was never mentioned

I had said you can add dry rock into your reef and it self cycles


or you can prepare it in a separate container, then add it, which has no benefit.


where did drying come into play
 

brandon429

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Simply post a picture of your current tank pls


and post a picture of the rock you want to add.



Regarding reef water having cycling bacteria-Here’s us cycling a 200 g dry tank with only reef water.



Cycling with fish isn’t bad, bottle bac protects them just fine we can see in all searchable threads. Using fish and bottle bac to cycle does not harm fish, it presents a disease risk to your tank by adding a non qt wet it‘em into the setup. Ammonia burning isn’t a factor.
 
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Unless this is porous rock then it's going to add little value to biological filtration other than what it's surface will provide. At that point, cleaning to prepare it for tank use all I'd do.
 
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Simply post a picture of your current tank pls


and post a picture of the rock you want to add.



Regarding reef water having cycling bacteria-Here’s us cycling a 200 g dry tank with only reef water.



Cycling with fish isn’t bad, bottle bac protects them just fine we can see in all searchable threads. Using fish and bottle bac to cycle does not harm fish, it presents a disease risk to your tank by adding a non qt wet it‘em into the setup. Ammonia burning isn’t a factor.
Simply post a picture of your current tank pls


and post a picture of the rock you want to add.



Regarding reef water having cycling bacteria-Here’s us cycling a 200 g dry tank with only reef water.



Cycling with fish isn’t bad, bottle bac protects them just fine we can see in all searchable threads. Using fish and bottle bac to cycle does not harm fish, it presents a disease risk to your tank by adding a non qt wet it‘em into the setup. Ammonia burning isn’t a factor.
 

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brandon429

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It will not hurt a thing to simply add that rock. I know people typically cure but it's not like it's covered in growths etc, the sandbed in the current tank has more organics comparatively. It's OK to acid or bleach and dry then add. It's OK to add the rock to the tank and the link above shows the expected uglies too.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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What I plan on doing a muriatic acid cure first since I got couple gallons left from a job site let dry outside for about a month and start the cycle or how would you approach if you were to cycle the rock?
Again, you don't cycle rock. You cycle a tank to make sure the biological filter can handle the bioload. Adding new (clean) rock to an established tank doesn't unbalance the bacteria -to- bioload equation...

If you're asking how to clean the rock then bleach, acid, pressure washing, etc are all options.

If you're unsure, put the rock in a container of fresh saltwater and a small powerhead for a day, and then test the water for ammonia. If it's less than 0.25 on an API test, then it's fine... If it has higher ammonia, then you need to cure it. There is already a ton of info on R2R and other sites about curing rock.

But regardless, don't add any ammonia to this new rock... That will completely defeat the purpose of making it safe for your existing tank.
 
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There is very little nitrifying bacteria in the water column. Using old tank water won't hurt anything but it won't add a significant amount of bacteria to the container with the new rock.

But I'm confused...

Is this new dry rock or ocean live rock? Is the reason you're not adding it directly to your 200 gallon tank because you need to CURE (not cycle) it?

The only reason to do anything with dry rock is if you think you'll have an ammonia spike due to a large amount of organic material that needs to be removed. If this is the case, you CURE the rock to make sure the organics are dealt with.

Same thing with live rock... You might need to cure it if you're worried about a lot of die off.

In either case, there is no need to add an ammonia source since the ammonia is what you're trying to mitigate.

If it's clean dry rock, then just rinse off any dust and add it to the tank. No need to do anything else...
Once it’s cured and started the cycle how long should I keep it in the brute container ? And if I add all the rock at once will effect my main display tank?
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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Once it’s cured and started the cycle how long should I keep it in the brute container ? And if I add all the rock at once will effect my main display tank?
New Girl Facepalm GIF by HULU


I'm out.
 

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Once it’s cured and started the cycle how long should I keep it in the brute container ? And if I add all the rock at once will effect my main display tank?
From your pictures, it looks like you have dry rock.

Feel free to "clean" it however you see fit, but it does not require a "cure" step.

You can add it directly to your tank, and the existing rock you have in that tank will "seed" this rock better than any curing you would be doing in a brute barrel. Doing the barrel cure buys you nothing but wasted time.
 

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