Need help on cycling idea

[Ming36]

Last year I started with a 17g nano system (first reef tank ), It's been a year, and the tank is thriving with a pair of clownfish, a cleaning shrimp, a BTA, some hammer corals, and a few soft corals happily residing in it. Now, I believe it's time for me to step up to a larger system, and I've just placed an order for a reefer 425 system (120g in total)

When I cycled the nano tank last time, I used 15 lbs of KPA live rock, and it took about two weeks for the system to fully cycle. Everything went smoothly, and it was a great learning experience.

For the new 120g system, I'm planning to create a stunning aquascape using dry rock and eventually transfer everything from the nano tank to the larger one. I have a few options in mind

1. Option 1: start with dry rock + bacteria( Fritz/ Dr tim/etc.); migration after fully cycled
2. Option 2: start with dry rock + 30 lbs new KPA live rock; migration after fully cycled
3. Option 3: start with dry rock + everything in nano system (15 lbs live rock)
4. Option 4: start with dry rock + 1 piece of live rock (3 lbs) from nano system; migration after fully cycled

Looking for any input / advice on these options.

 

[sesbalders]

Last year I started with a 17g nano system (first reef tank ), It's been a year, and the tank is thriving with a pair of clownfish, a cleaning shrimp, a BTA, some hammer corals, and a few soft corals happily residing in it. Now, I believe it's time for me to step up to a larger system, and I've just placed an order for a reefer 425 system (120g in total)

When I cycled the nano tank last time, I used 15 lbs of KPA live rock, and it took about two weeks for the system to fully cycle. Everything went smoothly, and it was a great learning experience.

For the new 120g system, I'm planning to create a stunning aquascape using dry rock and eventually transfer everything from the nano tank to the larger one. I have a few options in mind

1. Option 1: start with dry rock + bacteria( Fritz/ Dr tim/etc.); migration after fully cycled
2. Option 2: start with dry rock + 30 lbs new KPA live rock; migration after fully cycled
3. Option 3: start with dry rock + everything in nano system (15 lbs live rock)
4. Option 4: start with dry rock + 1 piece of live rock (3 lbs) from nano system; migration after fully cycled

Looking for any input / advice on these options.

I just did something very similar.

Option 3 clearly won’t work imo.

I’ve never stared a tank with bottle bac so I can’t comment on option 1

My tank was started with option 2 method and worked fine.

I was going to do option 4 but decided against in in case disturbing the sand bed caused a crash in the donor tank. I just left a spot in the new tank for the rock on moving day

 

[sc50964]

FritzZyme® 9 Saltwater

Fritz Aquatics' FritzZyme® 9 Saltwater is a live, nitrifying bacteria used to rapidly eliminate toxic and nitrites in saltwater systems.

fritzaquatics.com

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Marine Substrates - CaribSea

ARAG-ALIVE!™ ARAGONITE CORALINE™ OCEAN DIRECT™ AQUACULTURE GRAVEL ARAG-ALIVE!™You can now bring the world’s most exotic reefs into your home with CaribSea’s Arag-Alive!™ substrates. Eight environmentally accurate ecoscapes, developed through CaribSea’s cooperation with public aquariums and...

caribsea.com

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Salt water

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Flow or Aeration

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1 to 2 weeks.

 

[Stevorino]

If it were me, I’d go buy a brute trash can and dry rock now… add dry rock to trash can, with a heater and pump, and then put your existing rock and clowns in there with it.

By the time the tank gets in, everything will be well on its way and you’ll effectively skip a cycling.

The downside to this is that scaping the tank will be more difficult, but I personally think it’s worth it.

Also, I’d consider some caribsea life trees (1 or 2). Have 4 in my 280 and they look amazing and were super easy to install

 

[Bruttall]

What I did for my 300g. Dry rock, Live Sand, add water, add 5 cubes frozen what ever food. Wait 1 week start testing for nitrates. Took roughly 10days for ammonia to bottom out and nitrates to appear. Started adding fish and coral that week.