Skipping new tank cycle using existing live rock?

dirtyxducks19

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So I have an existing 30 gallon that’s being upgraded to a 70 gallon. I got new live sand in the 70 galtank and new never used dry rock I place many live rock chucks from my existing tank in my sump and DT to seed the new dry rock. I have yet to see any change in my parameters. I’ve also used about 10 gallons of water from the 30 gallon. Is it possible that I could be skipping a cycle? I placed a little bit of food in the tank with two hermits and a turbo snail and my readings are still good.
I looked around but couldn’t find an answer for this. Thanks!
 

Heatherhigg

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So I have an existing 30 gallon that’s being upgraded to a 70 gallon. I got new live sand in the 70 galtank and new never used dry rock I place many live rock chucks from my existing tank in my sump and DT to seed the new dry rock. I have yet to see any change in my parameters. I’ve also used about 10 gallons of water from the 30 gallon. Is it possible that I could be skipping a cycle? I placed a little bit of food in the tank with two hermits and a turbo snail and my readings are still good.
I looked around but couldn’t find an answer for this. Thanks!
I always use older liverock and that way I don’t have to cycle my tank. My tank is only 3 weeks old!!
 

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DarthChaos

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Rock cycles....water doesn't ;)

I've done upgrades a few times - if you are using live rock, there's nothing TO cycle.

In an established system...adding in some dead rock, won't cause you much grief. I do this often - add in dead rock, to my sump.....to seed it for other projects.
 
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dirtyxducks19

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Okay. I do have some what of a cycle. My ammonia is at 0 and my nitrite raised slightly from the last test from 0 to .25 It’s most dead new rock 50 lbs. and about 10–15 lbs of live rock. I’m guessing I’ll be having a mini cycle.
 

DarthChaos

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Okay. I do have some what of a cycle. My ammonia is at 0 and my nitrite raised slightly from the last test from 0 to .25 It’s most dead new rock 50 lbs. and about 10–15 lbs of live rock. I’m guessing I’ll be having a mini cycle.
At those ratios...yes, you are gonna see a cycle.
Reversed.....you'd be ok. If it was me....I wouldn't add any livestock, till the system balanced itself.
 

Mr.Ed

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Hey guys,

I was reading this thread and seemed my question was appropriate to ask here as I didn't want to create a new thread. I was hit really hard by the Texas snow storm in February which caused me to lose power and my previously established 32g biocube crashed with the sub 30 degrees temp. Needless to say, everything in the tank died, duncans, zoas, cleaner shrimp, clown fish, pistol shrimp and watchman goby. Only thing I was able to salvage was GSP, a hermit and some snails. I did some water changes after the outage and continued to run the tank as normal for 4 months, but the damage was already done and I had a bunch of GHA covering the tank.

12 days ago, I moved into a new apartment and decided to get rid of everything except anything that survived and I set up the tank about 7 days ago, with some pre-existing LR to help kickstart the cycle, the rest is just dry rock.

My question is, since ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are undetectable, the tank is obviously not fully cycled, but there is some old LR in the system that I kept so I at least expect to see some levels of nitrate. What is the best way to feed the nitrifying bacteria without damaging the pre-existing GSP, hermit and snails? Would ghost feeding be the best route to take until I start getting detectable nitrate reading? I expect a mini cycle from this, but i'll continue to monitor until everything balances itself out.

Thanks,
Ed
 
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brandon429

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you made a skip cycle reef its not going to starve, the new rock doesnt need bottle bac its already done.

the inert surfaces w be ready by association in a week. post tank pics, this cycle is done, it cant starve. no cycle can starve. all wet boxes of water in a home non sealed take on bacteria by the minute, always refreshed, never starved. we dont even need to feed a totally dry start system to cycle it, merely add water and wait 30 days ish, cycled.

the degree of live rock you moved sounds like enough to carry all starting bioload you could want, post pics we can see ratios.
 

LRT

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Hey guys,

I was reading this thread and seemed my question was appropriate to ask here as I didn't want to create a new thread. I was hit really hard by the Texas snow storm in February which caused me to lose power and my previously established 32g biocube crashed with the sub 30 degrees temp. Needless to say, everything in the tank died, duncans, zoas, cleaner shrimp, clown fish, pistol shrimp and watchman goby. Only thing I was able to salvage was GSP, a hermit and some snails. I did some water changes after the outage and continued to run the tank as normal for 4 months, but the damage was already done and I had a bunch of GHA covering the tank.

12 days ago, I moved into a new apartment and decided to get rid of everything except anything that survived and I set up the tank about 7 days ago, with some pre-existing LR to help kickstart the cycle, the rest is just dry rock.

My question is, since ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are undetectable, the tank is obviously not fully cycled, but there is some old LR in the system that I kept so I at least expect to see some levels of nitrate. What is the best way to feed the nitrifying bacteria without damaging the pre-existing GSP, hermit and snails? Would ghost feeding be the best route to take until I start getting detectable nitrate reading? I expect a mini cycle from this, but i'll continue to monitor until everything balances itself out.

Thanks,
Ed
If you had to guess what would you say your wet live rock to total water volume is?
I just went through full upgrade/system swap and filled tank with over 100 corals and 3 fish within 24 hrs from scratch.
My wet live rock to water volume ratio was about a lb/gallon.
Your probably not seeing any kind of ammonia spike because you didn't catch it. I only recorded a cpl bumps in ammonia at around .006 on seneye.
Only thing I would have done different is used 50% of my old water because I did experience a cloudy bacterial bloom in my water column. Nothing horrible but did irritate a cpl corals got through it in first week.
Here's the tank a few weeks later.
Just waiting for it to crash now;)
20210711_155302.jpg
 

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