What started the notion that upon completing your first nitrogen cycle you are ready for CORAL?

[Lavey29]

My policy is that after a cycle is complete, a fish or two and some cuc, and certain kinds of easy corals can go in. I wait until I see coralline algae before adding most hard corals.

I keep seeing these threads about people who wait 6 months before adding coral. That sounds incredibly boring to me.

That's what's cool about this hobby. Different paths can still achieve the same result.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

What started the outright LIE that upon completing your first nitrogen cycle you are ready for CORAL?

My personal opinion is this LIE came out of Freshwater start ups where $3 fish were okay to start adding after a new tank had completed its first nitrogen cycle

Explain to me how that logic transfers over to adding highly highly sensitive coral animals?

Not sure you completely understand the purpose of cycling a reef tank. Or the physiological differences between fish and corals. Adding corals right after your tank has completed its first nitrogen cycle is not the reason someone might be unsuccessful at keeping corals initially. Corals don’t even really need a tank to be cycled if they are the only things in the tank.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I'm just saying tank maturity plays a key factor role in coral health and well being for the majority of reefers. Experts are the exception not the norm.

yeah but boxes of water with dry rock do not mature on their own.

 

[JNalley]

I'm just saying tank maturity plays a key factor role in coral health and well being for the majority of reefers. Experts are the exception not the norm.

Tank "maturity" plays 0 role in coral health. Good stable parameters are not achieved by a mature tank, they are achieved by a mature and dedicated reefer. It doesn't take an expert to put corals in a tank day one and have them survive, it just takes someone who has the fundamentals down...

 

[Just John]

I put almost a dozen coral frags in my tank within the first 2 days of adding water to the tank. I never had any problems at all, but I only added softies and no fish. Photosynthetic corals produce almost no waste to overload a system.

 

[Lavey29]

Tank "maturity" plays 0 role in coral health. Good stable parameters are not achieved by a mature tank, they are achieved by a mature and dedicated reefer. It doesn't take an expert to put corals in a tank day one and have them survive, it just takes someone who has the fundamentals down...

Some of your statement is correct but the primary part is wrong. Of course stability is key but that often come with tank maturity not a new tank with dead rock leaching phosphate, etc... pretty obvious from all the posts on this website about struggling dying corals that not everyone has your vast experience.

 

[Lavey29]

yeah but boxes of water with dry rock do not mature on their own.

Agreed which is why new tanks struggle often

 

[ZoWhat]

......

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

Photosynthetic corals produce almost no waste to overload a system.

This is exactly why it doesn’t matter. Corals have a very small bioload and are not going to produce ammonia levels like fish do. Physiologically they are also not as sensitive to ammonia as fish are. Not saying they do not respond negatively to ammonia (although there are always exceptions) but they are definitely not as sensitive to it as fish.

Also I’ll argue that it is better for your reef tank’s microbiome to add a variety of corals earlier rather than later. In my head it’s along the same lines as the hygiene theory for children, I think my baby tank will be healthier and more resistant to disease if I expose it to more biodiversity early on rather than later.

 

[Chrisv.]

I would interested to see of all the ppl posting they have not had any issues with adding corals on Day 1 .... PICTURES of these corals along with a description of how long you've had them.

In other words... prove it with pics

Shall we set up new tanks for the purpose of this thread so that we can provide you with ample documentation?

Someone mentioned a reef builders series ongoing right now. Why not check that out?

 

[gbroadbridge]

What started the outright LIE that upon completing your first nitrogen cycle you are ready for CORAL?

My personal opinion is this LIE came out of Freshwater start ups where $3 fish were okay to start adding after a new tank had completed its first nitrogen cycle

Explain to me how that logic transfers over to adding highly highly sensitive coral animals?

It is quite common to put coral in before fish in some countries.

That is promoted by Aquaforest, amongst others.

 

[doubleshot00]

If you know what your doing you can add corals day one. Reef builders is proving that now on the new 400gal. Clam mania proves it with their clams as well. At this point in the hobby we have the whole periodic table of additives and bacterias to get things going right from the get go. Wouldn’t recommend for the novice though

This. Imo fish are the issue not corals. But you add coral right away your stacking on more stress for yourself. But your money your tank.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

If you go fishless for a while, you can add coral day 1. There is reasonable evidence that this is actually better long term than the typical add fish, wait months to add easy coral then slowly increase stocking.

Coral farmers get tanks fully stocked in almost no time.

 

[ZoWhat]

Shall we set up new tanks for the purpose of this thread so that we can provide you with ample documentation?

Someone mentioned a reef builders series ongoing right now. Why not check that out?

I'm just asking for some visual confirmation to these claims. Im not allowed to question things? Seems bullish

 

[JNalley]

Some of your statement is correct but the primary part is wrong. Of course stability is key but that often come with tank maturity not a new tank with dead rock leaching phosphate, etc... pretty obvious from all the posts on this website about struggling dying corals that not everyone has your vast experience.

Phosphate leaching is a myth as far as I am concerned. You can read an actual test of dry marco rock here at this post: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/any-issues-with-marco-rock.303208/post-3717784

But in my experience, my phosphate levels have never spiked/or become unmanageable with a dry rock start.

People struggle because they don't have the fundamentals down, or are not caring for that particular coral in the right way. Sometimes, it's also just an unfortunate mistake made by a seasoned veteran. But again, anyone who has the fundamentals down can add corals day 1 and have them thrive for the next 20 or more years.

 

[Just John]

I would interested to see of all the ppl posting they have not had any issues with adding corals on Day 1 .... PICTURES of these corals along with a description of how long you've had them.

In other words... prove it with pics

Anyone can type words on a keyboard and make statements. I would like to see pics

No one is here to lie to you. This is not a group of teenagers trying to impress each other. You ask people to respond and they do. There is no reason to come after anyone who disagrees with you.

 

[Lavey29]

Phosphate leaching is a myth as far as I am concerned. You can read an actual test of dry marco rock here at this post: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/any-issues-with-marco-rock.303208/post-3717784

But in my experience, my phosphate levels have never spiked/or become unmanageable with a dry rock start.

People struggle because they don't have the fundamentals down, or are not caring for that particular coral in the right way. Sometimes, it's also just an unfortunate mistake made by a seasoned veteran. But again, anyone who has the fundamentals down can add corals day 1 and have them thrive for the next 20 or more years.

I've never said experienced reefers with good fundamentals knowledge as you describe couldn't be successful from day 1 but for someone to toss out a xomplete blanket statement to add water then coral and you will be fine is just disingenuous in my opinion. Experienced reefers sure with decent success rate, all the rest of us not so lucky.

 

[ZoWhat]

I've never said experienced reefers with good fundamentals knowledge as you describe couldn't be successful from day 1 but for someone to toss out a xomplete blanket statement to add water then coral and you will be fine is just disingenuous in my opinion. Experienced reefers sure with decent success rate, all the rest of us not so lucky.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Phosphate leaching is a myth as far as I am concerned. You can read an actual test of dry marco rock here at this post: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/any-issues-with-marco-rock.303208/post-3717784

Phosphate sequestration and release in carbonate rock is a scientific fact, not a matter of opinion.

However, believe what you wish.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I started putting coral in my pond around three weeks after starting from dry rock... I did use Pink Fusion to add bacteria and coralin algae.. I had more problems with SPS at that point because of to little nutrients in the water. This is my experince... but have been reefing for 38+ years.

Start of Dry Rock Cycle (Old Tank Rock & White Cement):

After Pink Fusion And A Few Corals SPS - Around 3 weeks in:

Around 8 - 9 months:

About 10 - 11 months:

And Lord willing... it will all go into a 300 gallon upstairs this summer.... Instant reef.. I wanted the rock to be completely alive when I set the 300 up.