Water Changes During Large Tank Cycling?

[CincyReefer07]

Hey guys…. So it’s been years since I set up a new tank and could use a refresher. Im filling up my 310 gallon Planet Aquarium tank and IceCap 48XL sump this weekend to finally begin the cycling process. I have a pair of 65g containers set up for my mixing station, plus a 44 gallon brute and about 20 5g buckets.

I’m using 140-160lbs of Ocean Direct Live Sand and have 70 pounds of cured Australian live rock along with another couple hundred pound mix of dry fiji, pukani, marco, and cornerstone reef rock. The dry rock has been thoroughly rinsed in rodi water prior as of last week.

My big question is when should I do water changes? Or should I do water changes? And how large of water changes if I should during the cycling process. I have an auto water change setup that I had intended to do daily 4 gallon water changes on once the tank was fully cycled.

Should I leave my skimmer and uv turned off during cycling? Pretty sure I’m suppose to, just want to clarify that. I have about 10 snails and 10 hermit crabs in my 60breeder that has the Aussie rock in, can I throw them in the 310g or just toss them into my other mixed reef tank (75g) that I’ve had running for years instead during the cycle?

I’ll really appreciate any cycling tips and suggestions you guys have as like I said, it’s been about 8 years since I last cycled a new tank, and that wasn’t even really a new tank cycle then as it was a lot of live rock and coral from a tank I upgraded from.

 

[Garf]

Hey guys…. So it’s been years since I set up a new tank and could use a refresher. Im filling up my 310 gallon Planet Aquarium tank and IceCap 48XL sump this weekend to finally begin the cycling process. I have a pair of 65g containers set up for my mixing station, plus a 44 gallon brute and about 20 5g buckets.

I’m using 140-160lbs of Ocean Direct Live Sand and have 70 pounds of cured Australian live rock along with another couple hundred pound mix of dry fiji, pukani, marco, and cornerstone reef rock. The dry rock has been thoroughly rinsed in rodi water prior as of last week.

My big question is when should I do water changes? Or should I do water changes? And how large of water changes if I should during the cycling process.

Should I leave my skimmer and uv turned off during cycling? Pretty sure I’m suppose to, just want to clarify that. I have about 10 snails and 10 hermit crabs in my 60breeder that has the Aussie rock in, can I throw them in the 310g or just toss them into my other mixed reef tank (75g) that I’ve had running for years instead during the cycle?

I’ll really appreciate any cycling tips and suggestions you guys have as like I said, it’s been about 8 years since I last cycled a new tank, and that wasn’t even really a new tank cycle then as it was a lot of live rock and coral from a tank I upgraded from.

Now, that’s a tank.
So, you’ve got a fare bit of viable live rock in there?

 

[CincyReefer07]

Now, that’s a tank.
So, you’ve got a fare bit of viable live rock in there?

70 pounds of Australian live rock… what’s pictured in the last picture. About 25 pounds has been in that tank since mid-May, another 20 pounds has been in there since mid-late June. And another 25ish pounds of Aussie live rock was added first week of august.

And then in this pic is most of the dry rock I have, a little bit more of it isn’t pictured

 

[Garf]

70 pounds of Australian live rock… what’s pictured in the last picture. About 25 pounds has been in that tank since mid-May, another 20 pounds has been in there since mid-late June. And another 25ish pounds of Aussie live rock was added first week of august.

You won’t have much of a cycle then, if anything. I’d just pick a number you want to keep the nitrates at, then start changing water when you reach it, if that’s going to be part of your method.

 

[brandon429]

That’s an ideal setup. To expand on what’s said above

when you set that cured rock in the tank, your cycle is done, and the inert portions don’t matter anymore than adding five different buttons to fire the horn will benefit a car. One is plenty

seventy pounds of cured live rock runs any bioload the tank will ever see, now, without ramp up time it’s a skip cycle. The inert surfaces don’t mean seventy pounds is lacking. You have made the setup that marine aquarium conventions use to skip cycle 400 reefs all by a given Friday.


advice: don’t concern for, try to coax or influence or care further about the cycle. Spend all read time in Jays fish disease forum


because in a tank that big, having to learn fallow preps after the fact will make you hate reefing for a while. But if you begin with them



the sum total of your plan is: the cycle is skipped, even if you choose to test it and a test disagrees you’re still ready on day one, like any reef convention reef, and fish disease reading is where 100% of any reading and care should go. if your tank was my tank, as is, I would never run a nitrite or an ammonia test on it for the life of the reef, I would not purchase the kits for the arrangement above. It’s install rock, and you’re done cycling. Reason I would not run the tests-> those two parameters are predictable at all times in reefing without tests. They aren’t params that vary in your specific setup.

 

[brandon429]

before considering to any degree that your tank isn’t done and ready to reef, take deep reading rabbit hole time to see how aquarium convention reef tanks worthy to carry 100K in gold torches and fish all get ready on the same day, without showing up early, without any expiration date for the convention cycle.

any number of days the convention runs, the rows of skip cycle reefs who used skip cycle live rock transfer cycles in styro totes to and from the convention are simply transferring ready bacteria around tank to tank. moving tanks does not destabilize aquarium-cured reef rock

a planned skip cycle isn’t weak, or iffy, it’s the most sure thing on the planet, half a billion in total reef conventions animals depended on it since 1982. If your rock was shipped ocean rock, then it would need cure time. Yours is an opposite type of cycle, to all other cycles.


also: it doesn’t matter if you feed the rock, the cycle can’t die or be starved


it’s been skipped though. You don’t need bottle bac, you’ll still buy some most likely / who wouldn’t / but I’m telling you skipped cycle, you don’t have to worry about bioload carry. The inert portions are contact cycled for free in twenty days, don’t pay the bottle bac salesman, he’s not needed here.


disease preps sets 100% speciation and stocking rates for this tank. Given the money you’re about to spend, Jays disease forum is the only place you should be reading after the live rock is installed.

 

[CincyReefer07]

before considering to any degree that your tank isn’t done and ready to reef, take deep reading rabbit hole time to see how aquarium convention reef tanks worthy to carry 100K in gold torches and fish all get ready on the same day, without showing up early, without any expiration date for the convention cycle.

any number of days the convention runs, the rows of skip cycle reefs who used skip cycle live rock transfer cycles in styro totes to and from the convention are simply transferring ready bacteria around tank to tank. moving tanks does not destabilize aquarium-cured reef rock

a planned skip cycle isn’t weak, or iffy, it’s the most sure thing on the planet, half a billion in total reef conventions animals depended on it since 1982. If your rock was shipped ocean rock, then it would need cure time. Yours is an opposite type of cycle, to all other cycles.


also: it doesn’t matter if you feed the rock, the cycle can’t die or be starved


it’s been skipped though. You don’t need bottle bac, you’ll still buy some most likely / who wouldn’t / but I’m telling you skipped cycle, you don’t have to worry about bioload carry. The inert portions are contact cycled for free in twenty days, don’t pay the bottle bac salesman, he’s not needed here.


disease preps sets 100% speciation and stocking rates for this tank. Given the money you’re about to spend, Jays disease forum is the only place you should be reading after the live rock is installed.

Thanks for the advice! I had never thought of that about the convention aquariums. And I’ve also never heard of jays disease forum. I’ll definitely look that one up. I know of humble.fish. I’ve only done some light skimming through of disease stuff on humblefish and in fb groups just to kind of have an idea of how to identify certain things.
Last week I did buy a bottle of dr.Tim’s one and only bacteria, prazipro, copper power, garlic guard, api general cure, seachem focus, metroplex, kanaplex, and Maracyn. Some of that for quarantine following humble.fish quarantine guidelines, and other stuff just to have on hand just in case something comes up and I need it.
I’m using a 60 breeder for a quarantine tank. I also have a 29g tank that can also be readily set up as a quarantine as well if need be.
But you’re definitely right, I could use some more reading up on diseases and how to effectively treat certain diseases. So far I’ve just went and bought medications that seem to be widely used in quarantine tanks

 

[brandon429]

Humble forum = to Jay, both sources run neck and neck for up to date disease info you're on the perfect track, well done!

 

[BetterJake]

Hey guys…. So it’s been years since I set up a new tank and could use a refresher. Im filling up my 310 gallon Planet Aquarium tank and IceCap 48XL sump this weekend to finally begin the cycling process. I have a pair of 65g containers set up for my mixing station, plus a 44 gallon brute and about 20 5g buckets.

I’m using 140-160lbs of Ocean Direct Live Sand and have 70 pounds of cured Australian live rock along with another couple hundred pound mix of dry fiji, pukani, marco, and cornerstone reef rock. The dry rock has been thoroughly rinsed in rodi water prior as of last week.

My big question is when should I do water changes? Or should I do water changes? And how large of water changes if I should during the cycling process. I have an auto water change setup that I had intended to do daily 4 gallon water changes on once the tank was fully cycled.

Should I leave my skimmer and uv turned off during cycling? Pretty sure I’m suppose to, just want to clarify that. I have about 10 snails and 10 hermit crabs in my 60breeder that has the Aussie rock in, can I throw them in the 310g or just toss them into my other mixed reef tank (75g) that I’ve had running for years instead during the cycle?

I’ll really appreciate any cycling tips and suggestions you guys have as like I said, it’s been about 8 years since I last cycled a new tank, and that wasn’t even really a new tank cycle then as it was a lot of live rock and coral from a tank I upgraded from.

Not much to add, just wanted to say that your sump and equipment area looks amazing!

 

[CincyReefer07]

Not much to add, just wanted to say that your sump and equipment area looks amazing!

Thank you! It’s been a year long project finally nearing completion