Instacycle Challenge Thread Anyone?

LRT

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Don't know where. Don't know when.
Don't care with what. Let's figure out the details:D

Brs did one in 48 hrs fully stocked.
I've done one in 24 hrs.
Just putting the feelers out there to see if I can get a few players.
I dont care what tools you use.
Ill be using fully mature, cycled and cured gulf ocean rock and nothing else in regards to bottle bacteria etc.
You can use whatever tools you want. I'll be utilizing a UV sterilizer and chemicals to control nutrients and water parameters.
 

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I've been planning something like what you're suggesting for awhile so this might prompt me to get started on it sometime in before the end of the decade. :D Currently plan is a long term look at what's happening using Aquabiomics to test it monthly along with ICP. This paper is one motivator:

 
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I've been planning something like what you're suggesting for awhile so this might prompt me to get started on it sometime in before the end of the decade. :D Currently plan is a long term look at what's happening using Aquabiomics to test it monthly along with ICP. This paper is one motivator:

For science purposes this would be beyond awesome!
What is your method of madness as far as rock or seeding medium? Dry or Ocean or media from system?
Would love to see some diversity with all of the above here.
We could do as small a tank as needed to fit everyone's needs.
 

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I’m down. I have to tear down my 150 to move and would love a restart. I have live rock in there rn but will probably end up re-raining the sand.

what is you game plan to keep it balanced? I think I want to get a seneye to watch the parameters.

I am thinking of getting some pink/purple helix and also used microbactor7 to keep the cyano and other algae’s down.
I already have a fire fish and fox face. Couple nems. (Are we talking complete start over?
Are we trying to stabilize tank and stuff it full of animals/corals within a time limit?

I’m going for the harem tank build but how dope would it be to set it up and have 40 clownfish in it in under 48 hours?!
 

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Personally I wouldn't care what size tanks are used, I was thinking of 180 gallons myself. Guy who mentored me back in the early 90s was a big proponent of wild Florida live rock years before Delbeek and Sprung and Nielsen and Fossa were preaching it's benefits so I'll be doing the same as you since wild isn't available anymore. Just throwing this out there but maybe kinda like the "Articles" forum where the build thread wouldn't have any posts but the author's and a seperate discussion thread for Q&A (&Trolls :rolleyes:)
 
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I’m down. I have to tear down my 150 to move and would love a restart. I have live rock in there rn but will probably end up re-raining the sand.

what is you game plan to keep it balanced? I think I want to get a seneye to watch the parameters.

I am thinking of getting some pink/purple helix and also used microbactor7 to keep the cyano and other algae’s down.
I already have a fire fish and fox face. Couple nems. (Are we talking complete start over?
Are we trying to stabilize tank and stuff it full of animals/corals within a time limit?

I’m going for the harem tank build but how dope would it be to set it up and have 40 clownfish in it in under 48 hours?!
I'm with @Timfish as far as I dont care what size tank folks choose to use. If they choose to use dry rock with bottle bac that would be awesome as well.
I think we will see alot more diversity if peeps are trying different things.
I am basing my control off what I've learned from a couple tanks I've recently instacycled during an upgrade. Pretty much what your thinking about doing I did a few months ago.
One tank was stocked with 3 fish, bunch of critters and over 100 corals in 24 hrs.
20210909_165237.jpg
20210911_083717.jpg

The other I stocked with 2 fish, critters and handful of corals.
20210909_165225.jpg
20210911_083815.jpg

Both thriving now but had some issues letting tank 2 go natural and let nature take its course. But getting it back online with the quickness and due diligence.
I plan to do same thing all over again. Diligently keep all params locked in as tight as humanly possible so it doesn't miss a beat and acts as extention of mature tank.

Like I said though I'd like to see peeps try some different things. I've been following a few threads, journals here lately and almost convinced some of my finding could be found with people using different methods.
 
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LRT

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So would a 100% water change be the equivalent of what we are talking about here? Kinda like a copy paste?
On tank 1 I went with about 70% new water. On tank 2 I went with closer to 30% and had nothing but issues using majority of old system water. All the problems I had with old system came with tank 2!
Doing it all over again will be with 100% new salt mix.

Also thought I should add that I had 0 sand to move from old system as it was barebottom shallow tables with nothing but liverock.
I dont see anything wrong with using old sand if its cleaned up properly. Probably mostly beneficial to use it honestly.
 

agame2021

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On tank 1 I went with about 70% new water. On tank 2 I went with closer to 30% and had nothing but issues using majority of old system water. All the problems I had with old system came with tank 2!
Doing it all over again will be with 100% new salt mix.

Also thought I should add that I had 0 sand to move from old system as it was barebottom shallow tables with nothing but liverock.
I dont see anything wrong with using old sand if its cleaned up properly. Probably mostly beneficial to use it honestly.
So what I am hearing is the water becomes most of the problem of the tank. Thus by starting with live surface area bacteria with new water it has enough to start the water cycle but we still need to ever change the water because it gets super polluted?

So if you can follow this, idk if it will make sense…
If the saltwater is like our blood. We have organs to clean and keep it circulating in our systems and to replenish what we use. Just as we have a return pump and power heads pushing the water around in the tank. We need to keep the salt as a certain ppt just like we need to keep the iron, calcium magnesium and all that other stuff in our bodies cycling and even.
Basically the blood is the problem with our bodies like water then becomes for our tank? There have been a ton of studies on transfusing and a few on why our bodies are mortal. I just wonder if it could help me understand the reefing cycle better better.
 
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So what I am hearing is the water becomes most of the problem of the tank. Thus by starting with live surface area bacteria with new water it has enough to start the water cycle but we still need to ever change the water because it gets super polluted?

So if you can follow this, idk if it will make sense…
If the saltwater is like our blood. We have organs to clean and keep it circulating in our systems and to replenish what we use. Just as we have a return pump and power heads pushing the water around in the tank. We need to keep the salt as a certain ppt just like we need to keep the iron, calcium magnesium and all that other stuff in our bodies cycling and even.
Basically the blood is the problem with our bodies like water then becomes for our tank? There have been a ton of studies on transfusing and a few on why our bodies are mortal. I just wonder if it could help me understand the reefing cycle better better.
So for me and my old system I made every mistake imaginable in it and paid the price on lots of levels. Was still working out a few things but had its well balanced and dialed before the upgrade.
I've seen some people make the same kinda statement like yours in comparing using old engine oil in a new car. For me thats how I felt as I didn't feel my old system was as healthy as it could be. And sure enough brought over all the nasties that I had to deal with in old system over to tank 2.
There is a flip side to this that alot of reefers here have amazing success with never doing water changes at all
Just maintaining proper params and nutrient levels and a healthy system.
I feel like I could take tank 1 and mimmick that right now in new system. Full system swap with 0 issues. Couldn't do that with tank 2.
Depends on the health of system for me. It would be best judgement really only we know our systems and what we would be bringing over. Starting 100% fresh may be best option for some. Starting with same healthy dialed water may be better for some idk.
 

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Just putting the feelers out there to see if I can get a few players.
Does this count? There is a Asterina star fish and some Xenia cuttings. It’s a 5 gallon tank. Half the water came from another system. Rock had Been in a bucket of salt water for awhile. Going to add some hermit crabs soon. Set it up in a day pretty much.
25487AB6-C73C-4C5F-A63B-2BDD0465C6CD.jpeg

POOF!!! Salt water tank! Lol just for hermit crabs is the plan at the moment.
 

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I may be in this boat with the soon to be office tank. Not sure if you would call it insta cycle. Would involve sump rock, tank and then setup in matter of hours. Would be fully stocked the same day with corals and then fish when done with qt, a few days later. I can record what was what while doing it.
 
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LRT

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Does this count? There is a Asterina star fish and some Xenia cuttings. It’s a 5 gallon tank. Half the water came from another system. Rock had Been in a bucket of salt water for awhile. Going to add some hermit crabs soon. Set it up in a day pretty much.
25487AB6-C73C-4C5F-A63B-2BDD0465C6CD.jpeg

POOF!!! Salt water tank! Lol just for hermit crabs is the plan at the moment.
Did you record any kind of params setting it up? How fast did you get critters in and feeding?
 
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I may be in this boat with the soon to be office tank. Not sure if you would call it insta cycle. Would involve sump rock, tank and then setup in matter of hours. Would be fully stocked the same day with corals and then fish when done with qt, a few days later. I can record what was what while doing it.
Yes man please do. I'm going to get new slide to track ammonia on new one. I never seen more than .006 bump that never lasted more than cpl hrs the first few days.
Super interested in ph swings and alk usage as well. I seen alot of ph swings first cpl weeks until I got magnesium and cal dialed in after I realized what kind of usage I had and dosed mag and cal back up. Alk and Ph pretty much stabilized.
 

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Yes man please do. I'm going to get new slide to track ammonia on new one. I never seen more than .006 bump that never lasted more than cpl hrs the first few days.
Super interested in ph swings and alk usage as well. I seen alot of ph swings first cpl weeks until I got magnesium and cal dialed in after I realized what kind of usage I had and dosed mag and cal back up. Alk and Ph pretty much stabilized.
Ammonia would be a test kit, but it will have an apex el on it for other stuff. So I can for sure log everything in Fusion and then be able to pull it from there when needed.

Still debating on a 32 biocube or some other all in one. But it is going to happen lol. Everyone at office is already super excited.
 

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So for me and my old system I made every mistake imaginable in it and paid the price on lots of levels. Was still working out a few things but had its well balanced and dialed before the upgrade.
I've seen some people make the same kinda statement like yours in comparing using old engine oil in a new car. For me thats how I felt as I didn't feel my old system was as healthy as it could be. And sure enough brought over all the nasties that I had to deal with in old system over to tank 2.
There is a flip side to this that alot of reefers here have amazing success with never doing water changes at all
Just maintaining proper params and nutrient levels and a healthy system.
I feel like I could take tank 1 and mimmick that right now in new system. Full system swap with 0 issues. Couldn't do that with tank 2.
Depends on the health of system for me. It would be best judgement really only we know our systems and what we would be bringing over. Starting 100% fresh may be best option for some. Starting with same healthy dialed water may be better for some idk.
Fair enough! And well said:)
 
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I may be in this boat with the soon to be office tank. Not sure if you would call it insta cycle. Would involve sump rock, tank and then setup in matter of hours. Would be fully stocked the same day with corals and then fish when done with qt, a few days later. I can record what was what while doing it.
Was just thinking about this when I posted in other thread.
I know you have done alot of transfers same way without missing a beat.
I think I may be in same thought of mind here now. I'm not really sure id classify my upgrade tanks as Instacycle.
Never experienced your typical cycle in either tank. Had a few .006 bumps in ammonia but that was it.

I wonder if we can call these full system transfers-
Instant Stock Non Cycle Tanks.
 

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Was just thinking about this when I posted in other thread.
I know you have done alot of transfers same way without missing a beat.
I think I may be in same thought of mind here now. I'm not really sure id classify my upgrade tanks as Instacycle.
Never experienced your typical cycle in either tank. Had a few .006 bumps in ammonia but that was it.

I wonder if we can call these full system transfers-
Instant Stock Non Cycle Tanks.
I agree and then do not in a way. When I move my stuff, I rinse the crap out of the sand after seining some critter out to seed with. Plus I always add more than what was in the previous tank, as I am usually going bigger, but I see what you mean though.
 
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I agree and then do not in a way. When I move my stuff, I rinse the crap out of the sand after seining some critter out to seed with. Plus I always add more than what was in the previous tank, as I am usually going bigger, but I see what you mean though.
How would you classify a tank upgrade done this way?
The only real thing I seen that i can really classify as cycle. Was maybe getting alk and ph stabilized first few weeks but I'm not 100% sure I would have seen any of that if I didn't slip and allow mag and cal to deplete and throw alk off. From everything I read to before tank transfer it was "why would you be dosing a new tank" so I wasn't prepared for rock and corals to hit tank and use these things from day 1. Makes total sense now but wasn't thinking about it then.
 

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How would you classify a tank upgrade done this way?
The only real thing I seen that i can really classify as cycle. Was maybe getting alk and ph stabilized first few weeks but I'm not 100% sure I would have seen any of that if I didn't slip and allow mag and cal to deplete and throw alk off. From everything I read to before tank transfer it was "why would you be dosing a new tank" so I wasn't prepared for rock and corals to hit tank and use these things from day 1. Makes total sense now but wasn't thinking about it then.
I have no idea lol. One would think going from a 29 biocube to a 180 and adding a ton of things all at once would be considered an insta cycle, but it was all done with KP rock and the old Fiji rock I have had wet forever. I did have big 3 consumption from day 1, but tested it often. Even added tons of fish right out of qt the same day it was full.

Now my brain is going to work non stop on what to call this lol.

Then you take my nieces tank I setup. Live rock from the macro grow out sump. Thrown into a 10 gallon with new water and a hob filter/small powerhead combo. It did fine since day 1. Fully stocked on day 1 as well. 2 clowns, rbta, gsp, pulsing Xenia and tons of zoas. All is still doing well. It was also 100% new water. Would that even be called an insta cycle, as the rock was already cycled and the macro grow out get doses pure ammonia hourly?

See now my brain hurts lol.
 
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