Some help please...

[James]

As some of you know, I am getting back into the hobby with a JBJ Nano-28. My goal is to have the tank cycled and ready for coral by the frag swap. I am(?) getting 50 pounds aquacultured LR and 25 of LS on Monday. Now to the problem at hand. It arrived today and I started unpacking. After I put it on the stand, I opened up the hood to notice 1 of the rear hinges was snapped off. I thought this strange but wasn't too upset. So I start explaining to my wife the use of the overflow and the powerheads (she is just starting with this, the only tank she has seen is a 12 gallon Freshwater with some plants and tetras) and go around to the back of the tank and notice styrofoam all stuck to the back corner. I go to wipe it away and notice a 3-way crack filled with the styrofoam packing, 1 crack up the center of the "frame" (I am not sure what this bottom part of a tank is called) and 2 cracks going diagonal across the frame towards the back and side of the tank. The glass itself looks fine the but plastic is cracked pretty bad and I do not trust it to hold the pressure of a full tank. Clearly, btw the hinge and the cracks on the same side , this thing was mishandled during shipping by someone.


http://i34.tinypic.com/2qume07.jpg

My dilemma is this, the online place I got it from sold out and will not be getting anymore until the 24th. I have a shipment of rock and sand paid for and waiting to be pulled from the Ocean on Sunday to be cycling in my tank on Monday. Can I put the LR and LS in a big ole rubbermaid with a heater and a couple of powerheads to start cycling. Then when I get the replacement tank I can put the stuff into the tank and have it already cycled and ready for my frags on Dec 6th.. Or do I abandon the frag swap and just hold off on the rock and sand until I have a tank to put them in. Please give your advice.
Thanks, James (pardon my errors and grammar I am a little perturbed right now)

 

[qy7400]

Why would you not be able to cycle the rocks in a Rubbermaid tub? I've done this plenty of times with new rock and to cook old rock. Other than glass vs plastic there really is no difference.

Only thought here is the swap is less than 4 weeks away, your system may not be done cycling by Dec 6th.

 

[James]

yeah. was nervous about the timing before and this cracked tank doesn't really help. I think I will ask the questionmarc (the guy I bought the frags from) if it would be a problem if he kept mine in his tank until after the swap if my tank's parameters are not ready by then. I will not rush this but I really wanted to make the swap. Hell, I will make it regardless but I wanted to come home and have my first corals be from the swap