somthinfishy20
New Member
I have live sand in my tank. So far i have only added cured live rock. Will my tank cycle. If i add uncured liverock, what will happen.
Cycling Question
- Thread starter somthinfishy20
- Start date
A
Anonymous
Guest
It should cycle faster -a week or two - but the biolode capability will still have to be built up slowly. Of course still test and when you get zeros you can add things (a little at a time) and keep watching it till the bio filt capability is built up. Of course this is presuming your talking live sand out of someones tank - not some sealed bag that is sold as live sand.
If you add uncured rock do it slowly as well - I like to do that with fresh rock because sometimes you can save a lot of things on it - but make sure the system is stable first - add 1 piece - and then let it stabalize before you add a new piece. Oh yea, make sure you clean off any dead sponges and check for hithhikers because your kinda skipping the quarentine procedures this way. It is generally not a good idea to add anything including rock that hasen't been quarentined to a established system, but since yours in new - you tank becomes the quarentine - so watch carefully.
If you add uncured rock do it slowly as well - I like to do that with fresh rock because sometimes you can save a lot of things on it - but make sure the system is stable first - add 1 piece - and then let it stabalize before you add a new piece. Oh yea, make sure you clean off any dead sponges and check for hithhikers because your kinda skipping the quarentine procedures this way. It is generally not a good idea to add anything including rock that hasen't been quarentined to a established system, but since yours in new - you tank becomes the quarentine - so watch carefully.
somthinfishy20
New Member
I did add the bag sand, but i know a place where i can get some other sand. does this mean my tank wont cycle yet. also i took out the bioballs and ceramic rings, is that ok.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Yea it'll cycle but that stuff needs to cycle as well its not like taking sand out of a tank fresh. Just watch your tests. and yea take those things out they are not neccessary.
shaggydoo541
New Member
I just wanted to add that besides the chemical cycle of amm/nitrite/nitrate, allowing your tank to mature a bit before adding any inhabitants is very beneficial. The longer you let your tank mature the better to allow various small life to grow and stabilize in your tank. The initial chemical cycle is always stressed as your cycle, but really many other seen and unseen lifeforms need time to establish stable populations that your reef inhabitants you add later will benefit from down the road.