How long to cycle new tank with LR?

[Pasquale]

I decided to set up 20 gal tank I had. I added fresh RO water and added salt & sand and LR. My question is how long does it take to cycle a 20 gal tank with cured LR over 1yr old from other tank. Should I run a skimmer now or later. And was thinking of running a power filter for extra water movement. :?: I didn't do any test yet just wanted to have ball park figure.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, run the skimmer.

It will probably take 4 weeks. Could be less, could be more. The time can be determined by when your ammonia, nitrite, and finally nitrate levels drop to zero.

I wouldn't run the filter with anything in it. Just an empty filter pushing around more water is fine. I'd just go with another powerhead though.

 

[reefland]

As Moe said. Run the skimmer. It should reduce the cycle time a little by helping to remove organics. No way to give you an exact time it will take. All depends on the die off in the rock and how it was treated before you got it. Test for amonnia and nitrite when they both reach zero you're done. It will take a few weeks.

 

[esmithiii]

Keep skimming, and plan on at least 30 days.

Ernie

 

[fishfarmer]

My question is how long does it take to cycle a 20 gal tank with cured LR over 1yr old from other tank.

Since it came from another tank you may not see excessive dieoff. Did you transport it from the other tank? Submerged or out of water? I would test like has been stated, if you don't see any significant cycle, you may want to start feeding your tank a little to see how your rock can handle a bioload.

 

[Anonymous]

Since this rock was already cured there shouldn't really be a need for weeks of cycle as long as it didn't experience any die off. The best thing to do is test your water after a few days and see where you are at. If the rock was cured and you leave it for weeks without giving the bacteria anything to feed on during that time, when you add something you'd going to get a bigger spike than if you had kept your bacetria populations up.

Unfortunately there's no set rules on how long cycling takes. It lasts as long as it lasts. Much of it depends on your actions during the cycle.

HTH

 

[esmithiii]

If the tank is new and the sand is new, you still should expect a cycle. i would plan on at least 2 weeks, possibly up to 6 weeks. TAKE IT SLOWLY! Slow is good, fast is a good way to loose some fish/livestock.

Ernie