Cycle a tank with dry rocks

[lo7100]

How can I cycle a new tank with only dry rocks? I use dry rock b/c I try to avoid pest in the tank. I know I won't get any ammonia in the tank b/c there's die off from the rocks. Should I put a couple of fishes there? But I don't want to kill any fish.

 

[NYreefNoob]

nope just add rock and water sand if you are using it, can always stick 1 frozen shrimp to help it cycle, never cycle a tank with fish. can also get a small piece of rock from someone to help seed the tank, will take around a month to cycle, patients is a key to this hobby

 

[juiceguy]

are they cement rocks or are they dried live rock? if they are cement (homemade), then you need to seed it with live rock or sand. if they are dried live rock, then you don't have to seed it because they will still be dried up matter on the rock itself and that will begin the cycle. seeding this type of rock is not necessary but it will shorten the cycle .

 

[InfernoST]

Use the 1 large shrimp for every 30 Gallons of water and put it in media bag or a zip lock bag with holes in it. This makes it easier to clean up the mess when the cycle is complete.

 

[SevTT]

How can I cycle a new tank with only dry rocks? I use dry rock b/c I try to avoid pest in the tank. I know I won't get any ammonia in the tank b/c there's die off from the rocks. Should I put a couple of fishes there? But I don't want to kill any fish.

Get a few cups of someone else's tank water and toss that in your tank. That'll give you a starting population of algae and bacteria. However, keep in mind that if you don't use live rock or live sand you're going to have a real problem establishing a really active sand bed; it might be better to go with a bare-bottom system instead.

 

[InfernoST]

Get a few cups of someone else's tank water and toss that in your tank. That'll give you a starting population of algae and bacteria. However, keep in mind that if you don't use live rock or live sand you're going to have a real problem establishing a really active sand bed; it might be better to go with a bare-bottom system instead.

Tossing someone else's tank water in is not going to add any bacteria because the bacteria is not held in the water column it's found on the objects in the tank, sandbed, LR, walls of the tank, filter media, ornaments etc.... The Dry rock will become live over time as will the sand (It doesn't pay to buy live sand as most of, if not all of it's live qualities are dead from sitting on the shelf, just buy regular sand or aragonite). If you want to seed the tank get a piece or two of live rock from your LFS or some sand & filter material from someone with an established tank you trust has good water quality (Do not ask LFS for sand or filter material). However is you just put the shrimp in and cycle your tank with your base rock and sand it will become live with the colonies of nitrifying bacteria you're after. It would be beneficial to get a piece of live rock with some coralline algae on it and toss it in, coralline algae doesn't develop in the tank, it has to be brought into the tank, once in the tank it will begin to spread.

 

[RaSooch]

Tagging along...! I am doing the same thing.

I am upgrading from a small Bio Cube that has been running for almost 4 years and I have a good amount of established rock with coraline on it. I just wanted to know if I should wait to add the established rock in with the dry rock until after the tank has cycled or can I add it in right in the begining? If I were to add it in the begining of the cycle would it kill the established rock and coraline growth?

 

[KathyC]

Tagging along...! I am doing the same thing.

I am upgrading from a small Bio Cube that has been running for almost 4 years and I have a good amount of established rock with coraline on it. I just wanted to know if I should wait to add the established rock in with the dry rock until after the tank has cycled or can I add it in right in the begining? If I were to add it in the begining of the cycle would it kill the established rock and coraline growth?

RaSooh - you might want to add a small amount of the rock to start (or a cup of sand) to get the cycle started. Keep in mind that during the cycle your ammonia is going to increase as a natural part of the cycle, so yes, it may well kill anything within the rock. The coraline will probably be fine, I'd worry more about critters & pods. Remember you don't need lighting when you are cycling.

You can always add a few small particles of flake food to a tank to feed the bacteria (yes, it must have food to continue living!) Please never use a fish to cycle a tank..and if you do use a supermarket shrimp - it CAN be taken out of the tank once the ammonia reading rises (otherwise they get really nasty smelling), and you can then switch over to flaked food.

 

[RaSooch]

Thanks Kathy...

 

[chinatown]

RaSooh - you might want to add a small amount of the rock to start (or a cup of sand) to get the cycle started. Keep in mind that during the cycle your ammonia is going to increase as a natural part of the cycle, so yes, it may well kill anything within the rock. The coraline will probably be fine, I'd worry more about critters & pods. Remember you don't need lighting when you are cycling.

You can always add a few small particles of flake food to a take to feed the bacteria (yes, it must have food to continue living!) Please never use a fish to cycle a tank..and if you do use a supermarket shrimp - it CAN be taken out of the tank once the ammonia reading rises (otherwise they get really nasty smelling), and you can then switch over to flaked food.

what is the reasoning behind switching over to flaked food after you take out the shrimp? The shrimp already contributed ammonia to the tank.

 

[KathyC]

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what is the reasoning behind switching over to flaked food after you take out the shrimp? The shrimp already contributed ammonia to the tank.

The bacteria still need to eat
If you don't feed them they will die and their population won't increase enough, which is what you are ultimately trying to do. You need to have enough bacteria in there to deal with the bio-load you are going to put on the tank once fish, invert & corals are introduced. (which is why you are told to stock a tank slowly..so the bacterial population increases little by little, but you still need to have enough in there for the beginning introduction of fish, or you will get an ammonia spike).

 

[InfernoST]

The bacteria still need to eat
If you don't feed them they will die and their population won't increase enough, which is what you are ultimately trying to do. You need to have enough bacteria in there to deal with the bio-load you are going to put on the tank once fish, invert & corals are introduced. (which is why you are told to stock a tank slowly..so the bacterial population increases little by little, but you still need to have enough in there for the beginning introduction of fish, or you will get an ammonia spike).

I just put the shrimp in and left them there and let mother nature take it's course. It worked out fine.

 

[chinatown]

i stuck a shrimp in there for 3 days and it stunk like crazy, i had to take it out after i tested ammonia and it shot up to 8ppm overnight from 1ppm. after a 50 % water change, my ammonia is now .25, should i throw another shrimp in there?

 

[InfernoST]

I didn't have any odor at all from the tank, when you take them out they smell really bad . I just left mine in the tank until ammonia & nitrites went to 0 then did a 50% PWC after the nitrites went to 0. Your ammonia is going to go off the charts at 1st then will gradually come down, while the ammonia is on its way down your nitrites are going to rise off the charts then they too will start to come down at which point you nitrates will begin to rise. When your nitrites reach 0 your tank is considered cycled. I did a 50% water change then waited a week to let the tank settle down before adding any fish. I did however leave my shrimp (You still need the ammonia source to feed the bacteria you just colonized or it will die off) in the tank after it cycled and only removed it from the tank 2 days prior to adding any fish.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Just a pinch of dry food and let it sit. That's all test weekly until parameters are level and the tank is finished cycling.

 

[Bob 1000]

i stuck a shrimp in there for 3 days and it stunk like crazy, i had to take it out after i tested ammonia and it shot up to 8ppm overnight from 1ppm. after a 50 % water change, my ammonia is now .25, should i throw another shrimp in there?

During cycling don't do a water change.. Your preventing the cycle..

 

[NYreefNoob]

and water does carry bacteria, one reason most of us never add water from others tank, to help add stains from others tank not a bad thing, but as stated from the start add a small piece of very well cured rock from someones tank and sit and be patient, it will save you headaches and money down the road

 

[chinatown]

only reason i did the water change was because i used tap water, now i got an RODI unit, i replaced the tap water with RODI water.

anyway, i don't have any dry fish food so i just tossed about 1/3 of a frozen shrimp in there. will that suffice? I don't mind the extra wait time.

 

[Bob 1000]

Make sure it all ro water.. This may mean starting all over again though..

 

[NYreefNoob]

you can also run a polypad to help remove some of the stuff from the sink water you used