Planning for the future: Extra Long cycling dry rock in Brute

[Muskogeee]

Hi R2R,

I know a similar question to this has been asked many times, but the threads I have found seem to be more related to a relatively short term cycle, just until the cycle is done, but what I'm thinking of is much longer term.

I'm in the planning stages of building a new addition onto my house, which will basically be my office/den. I'd like to eventually get something in the 125 gallon range to compliment my new space.

My question is:

Could I start cycling dry rock in a brute can now, knowing it might be a year or longer before it ever makes it into a tank, and would there be any added benefit to doing it for so long?

Could I get a huge jump start on creating a diverse microbiome by adding things like MB7, AF Lifesource, pods & phyto?

Also, since dry rock absorbs phosphates, my thought was to dose to a max of .03ppm and test regularly until it stops absorbing. I've been battling dinos and 0 phosphate in my current tank because I didn't know about the absorption :-/

Lastly, when cycling rock like this, what is an acceptable level of nitrates before a water change is necessary?

Let me know your thoughts.

Thank You!

 

[brandon429]

the best way to do that cycle is to buy a couple pounds of real live rock cured from a pet store, the skip cycle kind with coralline

don't buy bottle bac it's a waste here

those aren't the long term strains that select for reef tanks, they're temporary ones. the live rock you buy and add to the tank to sit in circulation with the rock-to-be-cycled is fully all you need

treat the system as a mini tank as it sits there, keep it decently topped off/doesn't have to be exact like a stocked system and relatively in temp ranges, doesn't have to be exact. do provide motion/current

add the refreshment pods only and do water change occasionally once a month to a small degree. don't measure or react to, or dose phosphate/strong recommendation-- simply let this contact cycle build up the whole time. light the system with cheap lighting don't keep it in the dark, photosynthetics are a big portion of the completed biome and you won't have uglies if the lighting is muted but still available. even daily indirect sunlight could work.

every few months put in a very small pinch of fish food ground into powder, do not over do, it doesn't need fed often at all. keep a clean contact cycle going for sure. no bottle bac is needed or handy here, the 1-2 lbs of live rock + months time in decently clean water is the ideal curing assistant. make no reaction to nitrate or phosphate is the strong recommend.

 

[brandon429]

the reason people use the bottle bac/mismatched for long term reefing is because they instantly/quickly carry fish legit without burning them then as we stock frags and animals the reef-selected strains win out, over time.

to make your effort worth it you want reef-selected filter bacteria and benthic creatures, time + contact with live rock / a small portion will do just that. don't feed too much, just a little for the win. time is more important than constant feeding. add in bagged pods for sure.

 

[Joshua Jordan]

Hi R2R,

I know a similar question to this has been asked many times, but the threads I have found seem to be more related to a relatively short term cycle, just until the cycle is done, but what I'm thinking of is much longer term.

I'm in the planning stages of building a new addition onto my house, which will basically be my office/den. I'd like to eventually get something in the 125 gallon range to compliment my new space.

My question is:

Could I start cycling dry rock in a brute can now, knowing it might be a year or longer before it ever makes it into a tank, and would there be any added benefit to doing it for so long?

Could I get a huge jump start on creating a diverse microbiome by adding things like MB7, AF Lifesource, pods & phyto?

Also, since dry rock absorbs phosphates, my thought was to dose to a max of .03ppm and test regularly until it stops absorbing. I've been battling dinos and 0 phosphate in my current tank because I didn't know about the absorption :-/

Lastly, when cycling rock like this, what is an acceptable level of nitrates before a water change is necessary?

Let me know your thoughts.

Thank You!

Hello,

It's great to see that other people think like I do!! I have been storing live rock for around 15 months. The only thing I do is check it about once every month or two for salinity and nitrates. I have done two water changes in the entire 15 months and both were about 10 gallons. (they are in a 36 gallon BRUTE trashcan with a lid. Inside I keep the smallest wave maker that Jebao makes....I think it is the Jebao SW-2.....I also keep a heater in it set to 79F. The reason I decided to start it so long before I set up my tank is because I had finally had it with starting my reef tanks off with live rock from other people's tanks. I wanted an "instant tank" where I didn't have to wait long for the tank to be seeded with beneficial bacteria and be cycled. I started out with dry rock.....here is how I went about it:

First, I cured or "cooked" my dry rock...I did this by soaking my live rock in 1 part bleach and 2 part tap water for about a week. This guarantees that every bit of life that was in and on those rocks were completely dead. After that I neutralized the bleach by purchasing some Sodium Thiosulfate Pentahydrate, otherwise known as Swimming Pool Dechlorinator. (it is the exact same stuff that people use in freshwater tanks to remove the chlorine in tap water, only MUCH MUCH stronger). I soak the live rocks in water with a couple of tablespoons of the dechlorinator crystals. This ensures that all of the bleach is completely gone and neutralized.

It was at this point that I put the cured rock in the BRUTE trashcan with some freshly made from RODI saltwater. (salinity = 1.026 or 35ppt) I then proceeded to follow the steps in Dr. Tim's fishless cycle. (using Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride and Bacteria) but instead of using Dr. Tim's One and Only, I used Brightwell MicroBacter7 as the source of beneficial bacteria. I followed the exact steps in Dr. Tim's method and it worked perfectly. All of my tests that I have done over the past 15 months have been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and a tiny tiny bit of nitrates. Every now and then I will feed it a tiny bit of flake fish food and a small amount of MB7.

I am planning on supplementing my live rocks by using some plastic bioballs in a media bag in my sump so I have them soaking in my BRUTE container, too. The whole reason I am going to all of this trouble is because the last two tanks I have started with actual live rock from another person's tank and each time I have gotten a terrible hitchhiker. Aiptasia in both and Vermetid Snails in one. I now understand why most new tanks these days are started using dry rock....it is the only way to avoid pests and hitchhikers from the beginning. I will also be dipping everything that I put in this new tank, as well. I am also going to be starting the tank with a healthy colony of copepods. I am hoping to avoid the ugly phase all together...fingers crossed.

Keep us up to date on your build.....Hope this was helpful.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

the best way to do that cycle is to buy a couple pounds of real live rock cured from a pet store, the skip cycle kind with coralline

don't buy bottle bac it's a waste here

those aren't the long term strains that select for reef tanks, they're temporary ones. the live rock you buy and add to the tank to sit in circulation with the rock-to-be-cycled is fully all you need

treat the system as a mini tank as it sits there, keep it decently topped off/doesn't have to be exact like a stocked system and relatively in temp ranges, doesn't have to be exact. do provide motion/current

add the refreshment pods only and do water change occasionally once a month to a small degree. don't measure or react to, or dose phosphate/strong recommendation-- simply let this contact cycle build up the whole time. light the system with cheap lighting don't keep it in the dark, photosynthetics are a big portion of the completed biome and you won't have uglies if the lighting is muted but still available. even daily indirect sunlight could work.

every few months put in a very small pinch of fish food ground into powder, do not over do, it doesn't need fed often at all. keep a clean contact cycle going for sure. no bottle bac is needed or handy here, the 1-2 lbs of live rock + months time in decently clean water is the ideal curing assistant. make no reaction to nitrate or phosphate is the strong recommend.

First time I have ever understood the point Brandon was trying to get across and I agree "mostly"...
Couple pounds of live rock "yes". Treat it as a tank, yes. Circulation, yes. Light.... That is a matter of individual opinion. You can light it, and let the uglies work itself out in the brute, "No harm No foul" or you can go dark and hope all the photo synthetics die off. I would feed based off of what my nitrate level is, so that may be more than once a month.