Should I cycle my rock in a bucket?

[seaofbytes]

Hey Reef!

I recently got all my gear to set up my first tank 25g tank, and am excited to start the journey. Since I will be moving in about a month, I decided to wait and set up my tank at the new place. I was wondering if I could/should cycle my rock in a bucket in the meantime, in order to build up as much beneficial bacteria as I can, and then just continue the process in the tank if needed.

Would this be a good idea? And is adding a few pieces of live rock to the bucket with my dry rock from my LFS something I want to do?

Last question, what would the alternative to a cycling product like Turbo start/Dr. Tim's be for someone like me located in Europe? It seems like those are the most popular options here, but they are not available where I live.

P.S. when I say dry rock, I mean man made dry rock.

Thanks!!!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Sure, thats what I would do, and its what I do sometimes when I get new pieces of dry rock or rubble that I eventually want to add.

 

[Garf]

Hey Reef!

I recently got all my gear to set up my first tank 25g tank, and am excited to start the journey. Since I will be moving in about a month, I decided to wait and set up my tank at the new place. I was wondering if I could/should cycle my rock in a bucket in the meantime, in order to build up as much beneficial bacteria as I can, and then just continue the process in the tank if needed.

Would this be a good idea? And is adding a few pieces of live rock to the bucket with my dry rock from my LFS something I want to do?

Last question, what would the alternative to a cycling product like Turbo start/Dr. Tim's be for someone like me located in Europe? It seems like those are the most popular options here, but they are not available where I live.

P.S. when I say dry rock, I mean man made dry rock.

Thanks!!!

If you can pre cycle your dry rock with a bit of live that would be great. Make sure you keep the rock wet during your move. I guess most folks would just wait till they’ve moved though

 

[seaofbytes]

If you can pre cycle your dry rock with a bit of live that would be great. Make sure you keep the rock wet during your move. I guess most folks would just wait till they’ve moved though

Great, thank you!

Haha might as well use the time to have some fun until the move


Would you have any recommendations on a cycle product available in EU?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Using a brute type garbage can, you can run a cheap flow pump with saltwater and add Liquid bacteria such as MicroBacter XLM to preseed and culture the rock.

 

[Garf]

Great, thank you!

Haha might as well use the time to have some fun until the move


Would you have any recommendations on a cycle product available in EU?

If your using a bit of live rock in the mix, just add a pinch of flake food, circulation, heat, sorted

 

[seaofbytes]

If your using a bit of live rock in the mix, just add a pinch of flake food, circulation, heat, sorted

Awesome, that sounds like what I'll do.

One final question, I promise. Does size of the bucket I'm cycling in matter?

Thanks!!!

 

[Garf]

Awesome, that sounds like what I'll do.

One final question, I promise. Does size of the bucket I'm cycling in matter?

Thanks!!!

Yeah, it does. You’ve gotta be able to fit the rocks in, lol

 

[seaofbytes]

Yeah, it does. You’ve gotta be able to fit the rocks in, lol

Good one

Thanks and have a great day!

 

[Garf]

Good one

Thanks and have a great day!

Happy reefin

 

[ariellemermaid]

I actually have a similar question I hope will add to the discussion. I currently have 4 tanks (2x QT’s, obs, DT) but I’m going to be gone the majority of June for our wedding/honeymoon. I’d like to get down to 2 tanks for ATO reasons.

If I just drop my live rocks in a saltwater bucket, will it stay alive? Ambient temp will probably be around 70-73.

 

[nano reef]

Sure, thats what I would do, and its what I do sometimes when I get new pieces of dry rock or rubble that I eventually want to add.

If your using a bit of live rock in the mix, just add a pinch of flake food, circulation, heat, sorted

Good one

Thanks and have a great day!

Using a brute type garbage can, you can run a cheap flow pump with saltwater and add Liquid bacteria such as MicroBacter XLM to preseed and culture the rock.

Hate to high jack this thread but I dont get many responses when I make my own!

I am setting up a frag tank and have some questions. I bought some live rock rubble from lfs but just left it in a cooler in garage that she gave me. The cooler has kept it from getting to warm but that was about a month ago. My son was hospitalized right after for 3 weeks o its just kind of sat here with no circulation or anything but is covered in saltwater from her tanks. It has probably lost its cycle right? I could it have spoiled somehow and leach bad nutrients into my tank now? How would i know and what should I do?

I was going to start filling tank tomorrow and I am also wondering if taking live rock from display will throw off the balance in my display! I have a lot of live and mb7 soaked bioballs I can use and have been adding rubble for about a month little by little plus frag mounts in sump big montipora skeltons and other dead coral skeletons. I also kept ,my sponges from last wc in back of my aio tank and was going to use some of that. I have some rubble soaking in tank water with mb7. So do I just start adding new rubble cyclized with mb 7 and some live rock from my display. I also have fritz turbo start. Not sure which is better! Should I add mb7/fritz and maybe a damsel or would that be to rough on damsel? I read somewhere if using mb7 it shouldnt hurt to add damsel at same time. Do i also add ammonia drops I have by dr tim or fish food.

Does it need to be completly cycled to add some zoas and shrooms? Thats why I am getting a frag is because I have gone crazy buying them! LOL. I just dont want an ugly phase turning lights on to soon. I always waited 3 months with my other tanks and never had an ugly phase!

Do I need to buy a nitrites kit? I have ammonia and nitrates kit! If I remember correctly its cycled when ammonia is at 0 and nitrites are 0 and some nitrates then you do a wc and ready to go. Its been t o many years since I cycled a tank...lol

Also since its just zoas and shrooms would a skimmer and sump less tank be ok? Do I add a cleanup crew, fish? I plan to feed corals 2 xs a week so is that enough?

Appreciate any advise!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hate to high jack this thread but I dont get many responses when I make my own!

I am setting up a frag tank and have some questions. I bought some live rock rubble from lfs but just left it in a cooler in garage that she gave me. The cooler has kept it from getting to warm but that was about a month ago. My son was hospitalized right after for 3 weeks o its just kind of sat here with no circulation or anything but is covered in saltwater from her tanks. It has probably lost its cycle right? I could it have spoiled somehow and leach bad nutrients into my tank now? How would i know and what should I do?

I was going to start filling tank tomorrow and I am also wondering if taking live rock from display will throw off the balance in my display! I have a lot of live and mb7 soaked bioballs I can use and have been adding rubble for about a month little by little plus frag mounts in sump big montipora skeltons and other dead coral skeletons. I also kept ,my sponges from last wc in back of my aio tank and was going to use some of that. I have some rubble soaking in tank water with mb7. So do I just start adding new rubble cyclized with mb 7 and some live rock from my display. I also have fritz turbo start. Not sure which is better! Should I add mb7/fritz and maybe a damsel or would that be to rough on damsel? I read somewhere if using mb7 it shouldnt hurt to add damsel at same time. Do i also add ammonia drops I have by dr tim or fish food.

Does it need to be completly cycled to add some zoas and shrooms? Thats why I am getting a frag is because I have gone crazy buying them! LOL. I just dont want an ugly phase turning lights on to soon. I always waited 3 months with my other tanks and never had an ugly phase!

Do I need to buy a nitrites kit? I have ammonia and nitrates kit! If I remember correctly its cycled when ammonia is at 0 and nitrites are 0 and some nitrates then you do a wc and ready to go. Its been t o many years since I cycled a tank...lol

Also since its just zoas and shrooms would a skimmer and sump less tank be ok? Do I add a cleanup crew, fish? I plan to feed corals 2 xs a week so is that enough?

Appreciate any advise!

Add bacteria such as MicroBacter XLM to the cooler and aerate a week or two with fresh mixed saltwater. Should be god to go thereafter

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Hate to high jack this thread but I dont get many responses when I make my own!

I am setting up a frag tank and have some questions. I bought some live rock rubble from lfs but just left it in a cooler in garage that she gave me. The cooler has kept it from getting to warm but that was about a month ago. My son was hospitalized right after for 3 weeks o its just kind of sat here with no circulation or anything but is covered in saltwater from her tanks. It has probably lost its cycle right? I could it have spoiled somehow and leach bad nutrients into my tank now? How would i know and what should I do?

I was going to start filling tank tomorrow and I am also wondering if taking live rock from display will throw off the balance in my display! I have a lot of live and mb7 soaked bioballs I can use and have been adding rubble for about a month little by little plus frag mounts in sump big montipora skeltons and other dead coral skeletons. I also kept ,my sponges from last wc in back of my aio tank and was going to use some of that. I have some rubble soaking in tank water with mb7. So do I just start adding new rubble cyclized with mb 7 and some live rock from my display. I also have fritz turbo start. Not sure which is better! Should I add mb7/fritz and maybe a damsel or would that be to rough on damsel? I read somewhere if using mb7 it shouldnt hurt to add damsel at same time. Do i also add ammonia drops I have by dr tim or fish food.

Does it need to be completly cycled to add some zoas and shrooms? Thats why I am getting a frag is because I have gone crazy buying them! LOL. I just dont want an ugly phase turning lights on to soon. I always waited 3 months with my other tanks and never had an ugly phase!

Do I need to buy a nitrites kit? I have ammonia and nitrates kit! If I remember correctly its cycled when ammonia is at 0 and nitrites are 0 and some nitrates then you do a wc and ready to go. Its been t o many years since I cycled a tank...lol

Also since its just zoas and shrooms would a skimmer and sump less tank be ok? Do I add a cleanup crew, fish? I plan to feed corals 2 xs a week so is that enough?

Appreciate any advise!

There's a lot of info there. Probably better to start a thread as there's going to be follow up steps/questions and such. That will help ensure you get more tailored solutions to your situation .

Stagnant water isn't great for cycled rock and you should expect some die off. It didn't Restart to nothing, but isn't as fresh as it once was.

I would give that cooler rubble a Good scrub with a brush and blow out all of the pores, then do a few full water changes on the (hopefully now circulating) water over a week or so

You can add additional bac in a bottle if you choose.

Removing live rock from an established system isn't an immediate crash sentence. So long as you maintain an appropriate level of biological filtration for the biological load you have, You should be fine but this should not be done in large percentages. Ie. Don't pull out half of your live rock and replace with newly wet uncycled rock.