Cycling Tank

[Piscean_Introvert]

Hey everyone,

Quick question I’m starting the cycling process for my tank with reef saver rock and dry sand (not live) using the MacroBacter cycling kit. I’m using a Magniflow® Canister Filter 220 as my filter for 55g tank. Should I remove the filters during the cycling process, it has filter floss, carbon, bio balls and a sponge?

Thanks in advance,
PisceanIntrovert

 

[plc001]

I would remove at least the carbon. Good luck. I’m on week 2 but used Microbacker7.

 

[Reef.]

I would remove the carbon, the floss and sponge will not have anything to remove so I would remove them too, the balls I would leave in as they will need cycling too.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

I would remove the carbon, the floss and sponge will not have anything to remove so I would remove them too, the balls I would leave in as they will need cycling too.

When would you recommend adding these back into the system and thanks for your quick response!

 

[Rijodan]

i personally ran carbon in my cycling tanks, whether you do or dont wont matter much, sponge and floss wont be doing much so again up to you but id remove, leave bioballs as thats where your bac is designed to grow

 

[Rijodan]

When would you recommend adding these back into the system and thanks for your quick response!

carbon when water starts to get colored or smelly, add sponge and filter floss with livestock

 

[Reef.]

When would you recommend adding these back into the system and thanks for your quick response!

When you start feeding the tank, they are mainly used to remove food and floating matter such as fish poo before it breaks down, so until you have floating matter in the water, no need to have them in there.

And the carbon when you add fish.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

i personally ran carbon in my cycling tanks, whether you do or dont wont matter much, sponge and floss wont be doing much so again up to you but id remove, leave bioballs as thats where your bac is designed to grow

It also has ceramic rings, Can those stay in?

 

[KingTideCorals]

The carbon can go! Other than that let all the beneficial bacteria and cycle run through the rest of the system/filter! Get that baby wet and running!

Looking forward to updates

 

[FreakPrism]

It also has ceramic rings, Can those stay in?

Yes. You want to keep anything that is part of your bio filter.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Yes. You want to keep anything that is part of your bio filter.

Awesome thank you all sooooo much!

 

[Fakegolfnews]

it doesnt really matter if youre using microbacter, it will cycle quick

 

[FreakPrism]

Are you planning to cycle with fish? If not, what is your ammonia source?

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Are you planning to cycle with fish? If not, what is your ammonia source?

No fish, using MacroBacter Cycling kit which includes ammonia.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Keep all of it, it will seed and help you more down the line. You will not have to worry about adding a bunch of new filters to the tank later on, and possibly start another algae outbreak, after just going over one. Also you can use the foam/bioballs later on for QT tanks and not have to cycle them.
By keeping the canister as it's supposed to be, you will see what needs to be maintained more than others, whether it be foam, figuring out the best way to place your filtering media inside the canister, checking the impeller, draining and filling.
I use a Fluval FX4 on my 75 gallon, it's great.

Have a great time, happy reefing

 

[Reef.]

Sponges and filter floss need cleaning and replacing every few days to be affective, leaving it in place will do no harm when cycling but when it’s removed/replaced so is any useful bacteria on it, the tank should have enough biological media in that any that is on the filters is over and above what is needed, so having it or not should not affect the biological capacity of the tank, my suggestion to remove it whilst cycling was for two reasons, first the tank needs to build enough biological capacity to cope without something that is going to be removed every few days, and adding when needed saves on floss and cleaning for the op, either way it is likely to matter little.
The carbon again serves little use when cycling a tank, it removes organic matter, again why adding something that is not useful for the cycling process, it’s just something else the op to replace and clean, again probably matters little but probably has the possibility of doing more harm than good when cycling a tank to leave it in.
After the tank is cycled a big water change is done, adding carbon then with fish would be my preference as it is then doing a useful job, removing organic matter and keeping the new water clear.

 

[FreakPrism]

Also I think the instructions say on Day 1 to stop skimmer and remove filtration and UV also. Only once cycle is done to start them up. I would follow the directions from the manufacturer.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Sponges and filter floss need cleaning and replacing every few days to be affective, leaving it in place will do no harm when cycling but when it’s removed/replaced so is any useful bacteria on it, the tank should have enough biological media in that any that is on the filters is over and above what is needed, so having it or not should not affect the biological capacity of the tank, my suggestion to remove it whilst cycling was for two reasons, first the tank needs to build enough biological capacity to cope without something that is going to be removed every few days, and adding when needed saves on floss and cleaning for the op, either way it is likely to matter little.
The carbon again serves little use when cycling a tank, it removes organic matter, again why adding something that is not useful for the cycling process, it’s just something else the op to replace and clean, again probably matters little but probably has the possibility of doing more harm than good when cycling a tank to leave it in.
After the tank is cycled a big water change is done, adding carbon then with fish would be my preference as it is then doing a useful job, removing organic matter and keeping the new water clear.

Not sure why you would clean and replace filters daily, that's obsurd. They can last at least a month, and you would never change more than 1 at a time...ever.

 

[brandon429]

This fact also factors in the cycling thread here: any poster in this thread can remove their entire sandbed all at once, any canister filters all at once, any sump media all at once down to bare glass and live rocks, and their system will not cycle or mini cycle even with the same fish loading all the original surface area was adapted to

removed all at once, no slow ramp down. The opposite of what the masses advise works very well due to the inherent power of live rock after the cycle

we have been doing this for 36 straight pages in the sand rinse thread, not a guess. The takeaway is that extra surface area beyond live rocks simply doesn’t matter though we’d like it to. Cycle with eight bags of floss in place, or just live rocks, the outcome is the same tank to tank. Turning off uv makes sense. Skimming won’t matter or affect the outcome in a cycling tank. Piscean cannot go wrong in any method chosen, cycles can’t stall or fail they just cycle in about ten days (usually a few days max) regardless of what brand of bottle bac is used.

just so that above doesn’t seem totally insane

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

Not only do I love that job, I did it in my vase :) so it’s been modeled already/ done your job is just bigger. I’m going to link a thread where nobody listens regarding aiptasia removal, apply this to your mushroom tank. the sand cleaning is already covered here / ridding newly cleaned rocks...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

You all are great thank you so much, I’m glad I joined this thread!