Marine Cycling

[BigbruiserAl]

OK I'm more then familiar cycle but am a tad confused with the salty side. I have filled the tank up 60% with RO water and will be adding salt to mix up today. I have 50kg of live rock which is well established from another reefer. Once in the tank the cycle begins do i add anything to the tank (like ammonia) to feed the rock or will it cycle it self?

With the live rock being out of water for 30 min or so while ill collect i assume minimal die off so may have decent chance of adding CUC in 2 weeks or so?

 

[ainsy]

Mix it up to match the salinity of the reef you are getting it from.

Get it back into your tank asap - you may well find that it only does a 'mini' cycle. In which case it won't take anything like the time a full cycle would...just a small spike & then normal service resumed. Just make sure you do plenty of testing & water changes if necessary.

No Don't add any ammonia.

HTH

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Cheers

Is the spike all to do with die off then and just reaching a stable balance in the new tank?

 

[ainsy]

Yes...when I moved house & had to move the big reef I did it with the LR only being out of the water (in buckets with tank soaked tea towels over it!) for a short period.

When it was set up in the new house there was just a spike like the usual cycle ammonia>nitrites>nitrates but it only took just over a day to disappear.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

hmm ok ill test daily once in the tank, would you say 7 days at double 0's is safe to add a CUC then?

 

[ainsy]

Yes I would think so. I am always amazed how quickly LR re-cycles compared to a FW cycle.

If you are getting CUC, do it in stages so that there is always enough food for them.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

thanks tank now full and ready SG 1026 -34ppt MCE600 skimmer due in the morning

 

[Xraymark]

Nice to see some pics and maybe a rundown of your setup Al.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Not alot to see at the moment mate

Rio 350L
50KG live rock
2 Hydor koralia 5200 evo's
Deltec MCE 600
50kg TMC 1mm coral sand

 

[Xraymark]

Impressive size.

 

[ainsy]

Oooh, I've got a feeling this is going to be a good one!

Reef or FOWLR?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Well FOWLR to start with ill prob add a few hammers and torch's in a couple months ut im not into hard to keep corals Im a bit worried about the berlin method but hey ho

 

[Salam]

Looking forward to pics. I have a 340l and was told 40kg is plenty of live rock. Would love to see what 50kg looks like.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

yeah for a 350L tank 38kg is fine. I will be using the berlin method for filtration so have gone over the recommend amount

 

[Salam]

I was thinking on doing the Berlin method, but was advised to get a skimmer and sump instead. You lot all confuse me

Will watch your progress, am not starting until autumn anyway. Concentrating on FW tanks at the moment.