cycle with fresh H2o?

[ems3411]

Just wondering if the bacteria (nitrates, nitrites and ammonia are the same in fresh water as salt water.. I have a new (to me) 110 that only has fresh water in it. Gonna be getting sand and salt in the next few weeks.. I was wondering if I could cycle it with fresh water and sand then add in the salt at a later time (when $$ allows) As will the purchase of the skimmer (in-sump if anyone has any cheapy/realistic suggestions for one of those also)

I know this is gonna take a while, cash is tight, but the price on the 110 was too good to pass up.

Bob

 

[Anonymous]

Is it going to be a reef? Are yu going to hve a DSB? If yes I would not do any thing untill you have the cash saved for both and do the cycle all at one time. Otherwise you will have 2 or three cycles to go through. I would add the salt into the water before adding the sand or rock to avoid one heck of a sand storm but I would not consider anything a cycle untill the sand and rock.

Also buying uncured live rock is going to save you quite a few dineros. Cure it yourself. It will only require power heads and protein skimmer.

Good luck.

 

[ems3411]

That's what I was thinking.. ugh.. thats ok. I will take it slow and also look for the uncured rock. since its a fresh start tank this will be easier to take my time thru things.

Thanks for the advice and any others can add also.

Bob

 

[monkeyboy]

When you add the salt the bacteria will literally explode.

 

[Anonymous]

The saltwater and freshwater bacteria are not the same.

 

[jdeets]

Right on, tyoberg. You can't cycle with FW and then add salt later. The bacteria is different. And even if the bacteria wasn't different, it nevertheless wouldn't survive the conversion from FW to SW.

 

[Jeff Hood]

Actually Monkeyboy the bacteria will shrivel up because of the osmotic gradient. Water will leave the cell to try to equalize the osmotic gradient in its enviroment by concentrating its internal Ions.

We use a similar technique in medicine (however anecdotal) to try and destroy cancer cells. durrning a biopsy of a tumor the surgical site is flushed with fresh Water to try and Explode ( lyse) the cells. No proof it actually decreases the incidence of cancer spread though.

Just my science nerd coming out of me
Sorry

Jeff