- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
By adding salt to a bucket to do a water change will it start a cycle?
Also if i add to a tank with just sand will it cycle?
Also if i add to a tank with just sand will it cycle?
By adding salt will it start a cycle
- Thread starter JARRETT SHARK
- Start date
I am not sure if there is enough or any bacteria to trigger a cycle with just dead sand and salt. But if it does I am sure it will take forever otherwise most people would go this route to cycle tanks. Of coarse this is just my assumption and you know what they say when you assume :tongue1:
The more important thing is making sure all the salt mixes. You have sand in there already (not sure why one would do that). It's going to be very cloudy my friend over the next week if you haven't mixed yet and just started now.
- Location
- Staten Island
you would need light too
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
Why would it get cloudy, never does when i mix it in my garbage can when i do water change. I mix the salt with a pump a hour befoe and never gets cloudy?
- Location
- 11756
If you're going to mix the water IN THE TANK WITH SAND it will stir up the sand and make the tank cloudy.
If you're asking if a water change is going to make your tank cycle again, the answer is no.
Will saltwater and dead sand cycle a tank? No
If you're asking if a water change is going to make your tank cycle again, the answer is no.
Will saltwater and dead sand cycle a tank? No
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
I'm not sure why this is so complicated. You are moving the contents of your existing 75g. tank right?
1) mix salt into water already in the tank. As noted above this will stir your sandbed up again so your water will be cloudy.
2) When your water clears--perhaps days, drain the amount equal to what you have in your current mature setup ( you can save it or discard it) and use the water and rock from your mature system as you move your animals over. This is the equivilant of doing a large water change on your old system and there should really be no cycle at all.
3) Test your water regularly over the next week or so, watch your animals carefully and resist the impulse to add anything new for a few weeks until the system has stabilized.
1) mix salt into water already in the tank. As noted above this will stir your sandbed up again so your water will be cloudy.
2) When your water clears--perhaps days, drain the amount equal to what you have in your current mature setup ( you can save it or discard it) and use the water and rock from your mature system as you move your animals over. This is the equivilant of doing a large water change on your old system and there should really be no cycle at all.
3) Test your water regularly over the next week or so, watch your animals carefully and resist the impulse to add anything new for a few weeks until the system has stabilized.
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
ITS NOT COMPLICATED, I THOUGHT THIS SITE IS FOR HELP!!!! IF YOUR NOT SURE PEOPLE KEEP ASKING QUESTION SO THEY DONT MESS UP. WISH I WAS A GOOD REEFER LIKE YOU:iamwithst
AND WHY WILL MY SAND STIR UP BY ADDING SALT?
PS MY TANK IS CLEAR NOW AND I AM ADDING SALT SLOWLY INTO MY PUMP SECTION SO IT MIXES WELL
ALSO WHY TAKE SALTWATER FROM MY 75GAL? WILL THIS DO ANYTHING?
AND WHY WILL MY SAND STIR UP BY ADDING SALT?
PS MY TANK IS CLEAR NOW AND I AM ADDING SALT SLOWLY INTO MY PUMP SECTION SO IT MIXES WELL
ALSO WHY TAKE SALTWATER FROM MY 75GAL? WILL THIS DO ANYTHING?
if there is no fish in there, it will not cycle, I didn't really understand your question.
Do you have any fish?, is it a established tank? you need some sort of ammonia to start the cyle. by just adding water+salt or dead sand, you'll never get any results. if the tank is new, just go to a LFS and ask for a few dead fish, throw it in there and test your water. if all the perimeteres are right in a few weeks, your good to go, hope this helps you out. PM me if you have any questions, you must give further details.
Do you have any fish?, is it a established tank? you need some sort of ammonia to start the cyle. by just adding water+salt or dead sand, you'll never get any results. if the tank is new, just go to a LFS and ask for a few dead fish, throw it in there and test your water. if all the perimeteres are right in a few weeks, your good to go, hope this helps you out. PM me if you have any questions, you must give further details.
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
Please don't type in all caps it is very rude, and forgive me if the nature of your questions in this thread make it seem like you aren't sure exactly what you are doing and thus making things more complicated than they need be.
In order to prevent a cycle you need to use at least some mature water and rock (i.e. that have the appropriate bacteria in the appropriate amounts to process waste) otherwise the addition of your animals into a sterile environment will cause a cycle and kill your animals. But you knew that already right?
In order to prevent a cycle you need to use at least some mature water and rock (i.e. that have the appropriate bacteria in the appropriate amounts to process waste) otherwise the addition of your animals into a sterile environment will cause a cycle and kill your animals. But you knew that already right?
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
Let me start over.......
my problem is I have no fish,no rock and salt in my new tank yet.Just Rodi water and sand, sand was dry when I bought it so its not live
When I start adding salt to my tank I want to know that the tank will not start to cycle because I want to tranfer my 75gal in a few days and not be rushed to do so. I heard people say adding salt could start the cycle process. If the answers is NO then thanks all for answer my question.
KathyC posted this awile back but I cant find the thread
this is a site has the best people for making me feel comfortable with making the right decision.LOL
my problem is I have no fish,no rock and salt in my new tank yet.Just Rodi water and sand, sand was dry when I bought it so its not live
When I start adding salt to my tank I want to know that the tank will not start to cycle because I want to tranfer my 75gal in a few days and not be rushed to do so. I heard people say adding salt could start the cycle process. If the answers is NO then thanks all for answer my question.
KathyC posted this awile back but I cant find the thread
this is a site has the best people for making me feel comfortable with making the right decision.LOL
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- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
Technically a cycle will start on its own via bacteria that is floating in the air, but it will take so long to do so that the practical answer is no, adding salt to your sterile system will not start a cycle that will prevent you from adding animals in a few days-- BUT,
when you do add those animals from the old system you need to use your existing live rock, at least a few handfuls of your old sand and a decent amount of your mature water from your old system in order to add enough nitrifying bacteria to the new system to prevent a cycle from occurring, and you need to get the rock and sand into the new system quickly so there is no die off which will also cause a cycle.
You can't do this same day process however, if you intend to add new live rock that has not cured and matured.
when you do add those animals from the old system you need to use your existing live rock, at least a few handfuls of your old sand and a decent amount of your mature water from your old system in order to add enough nitrifying bacteria to the new system to prevent a cycle from occurring, and you need to get the rock and sand into the new system quickly so there is no die off which will also cause a cycle.
You can't do this same day process however, if you intend to add new live rock that has not cured and matured.
^+1.
The reason why we all advised mixing the water and then dumping it in is due to the fact that we want to make sure all of the salt dissolves. I understand you are putting it in the return pump section, but it really depends on what salt you are using (different granularity). The fact that it is in with sand it will be hard to tell if sand and salt settled together.
Also please keep in mind nobody is trying to flame you or speak condescendingly, it's clear that you have kept tanks in the past given your signature. What's unclear is why is this one any different to set up than the others.
Also more importantly, when you transfer the 75 gallon over are you transferring the sandbed as well? If you do, make sure it's clean and mixes in with the dead sand. I have done this many times over and didn't have any re-cycle or anything... but than again that's just me
The reason why we all advised mixing the water and then dumping it in is due to the fact that we want to make sure all of the salt dissolves. I understand you are putting it in the return pump section, but it really depends on what salt you are using (different granularity). The fact that it is in with sand it will be hard to tell if sand and salt settled together.
Also please keep in mind nobody is trying to flame you or speak condescendingly, it's clear that you have kept tanks in the past given your signature. What's unclear is why is this one any different to set up than the others.
Also more importantly, when you transfer the 75 gallon over are you transferring the sandbed as well? If you do, make sure it's clean and mixes in with the dead sand. I have done this many times over and didn't have any re-cycle or anything... but than again that's just me
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
AZNT1217 I thought with with all my water movement I would not have a problem with salt dissolving? maybe If I take some water out and put in garbage cans and then mix salt I will be better off.
I am going to just take the top layer of my 75gal sand bed because people tell me this is the best to do so I dont take any sand with bad gas that will screw up the cycle.Also this will seed the new sand.
I might be in this hobby a long time and I also tend to forget somethings in this hobby when you don't do them everyday so I was just making sure to ask questions but when people seam rude I tend to take things the wrong way. Sorry if thats not what was ment? I just want other people with the same problem to ask questions and not feel like they are getting a answer back like I did. lets drop it and move on.......thanks
I am going to just take the top layer of my 75gal sand bed because people tell me this is the best to do so I dont take any sand with bad gas that will screw up the cycle.Also this will seed the new sand.
I might be in this hobby a long time and I also tend to forget somethings in this hobby when you don't do them everyday so I was just making sure to ask questions but when people seam rude I tend to take things the wrong way. Sorry if thats not what was ment? I just want other people with the same problem to ask questions and not feel like they are getting a answer back like I did. lets drop it and move on.......thanks
- Location
- In a house
Just order DR. Tims live bacteria, it works great
- Location
- Queens
Jarrett, If I understand you correctly you are setting up a new tank to transfer your old tank into? So far you have new sand, and rodi water in the tank and you want to mix the salt in the tank, am I correct? And your question is will you have a new cycle once you transfer the items in your old tank into the new tank?
Based on my understanding of your question I think you will have a new cycle if you do it this way because you are starting from scratch. If you wish to avoid starting from scratch what you will have to do is transfer everything in your existing tank into the new tank (most importantly the water from your established set up). Let me tell you what I did when I moved my 75 gallon.. I transfered everything in the tank (rock, water, fish, corals, etc) into seperate plastic containers. I then bought a new hand broom and one of those things you use to pick up the dirt from the floor when you sweep and I scooped up all my old sand and placed it into my new tank (3 inches of sand bed). I then placed my live rocks into the tank, filled the tank with as much water as I could from my old tank, put in the fish and corals and used additional rodi water I had pre-made to top it off because some water was lost in the process. I was successful in preventing any cycle from occurring and everything went well. This was all done in a few hours period of time.
Let me know if I answered your questions and if you need more help.
Oh and to answer your initial question: Adding salt to a tank itself is never recommended. That being said if you do add salt to an established tank, it will NOT cause it to cycle. If you add salt to an unestablished tank, it will not cause it to cycle. The thing that causes a tank to cycle is the addition of something that produces amonia (dead shrimp, etc.). Adding salt just raises your salinity. =)
Based on my understanding of your question I think you will have a new cycle if you do it this way because you are starting from scratch. If you wish to avoid starting from scratch what you will have to do is transfer everything in your existing tank into the new tank (most importantly the water from your established set up). Let me tell you what I did when I moved my 75 gallon.. I transfered everything in the tank (rock, water, fish, corals, etc) into seperate plastic containers. I then bought a new hand broom and one of those things you use to pick up the dirt from the floor when you sweep and I scooped up all my old sand and placed it into my new tank (3 inches of sand bed). I then placed my live rocks into the tank, filled the tank with as much water as I could from my old tank, put in the fish and corals and used additional rodi water I had pre-made to top it off because some water was lost in the process. I was successful in preventing any cycle from occurring and everything went well. This was all done in a few hours period of time.
Let me know if I answered your questions and if you need more help.
Oh and to answer your initial question: Adding salt to a tank itself is never recommended. That being said if you do add salt to an established tank, it will NOT cause it to cycle. If you add salt to an unestablished tank, it will not cause it to cycle. The thing that causes a tank to cycle is the addition of something that produces amonia (dead shrimp, etc.). Adding salt just raises your salinity. =)
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- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
Cthoughts1 I got it now,Thanks
I was unsure if salt had any dead stuff in it to start a cycle.I always added salt to my bucket 1 hour before doing water changes to be safe.I heard If you let it sit in the bucket for awhile it could cycle.I guess I thought wrong or was thinking of something else.:givebeer:
Today I added the salt to my tank by putting in the first chamber of my fuge. It was cloudy for 20mins then all gone. Will do the tranfer this thurs or friday. Hope it goes well..
I was unsure if salt had any dead stuff in it to start a cycle.I always added salt to my bucket 1 hour before doing water changes to be safe.I heard If you let it sit in the bucket for awhile it could cycle.I guess I thought wrong or was thinking of something else.:givebeer:
Today I added the salt to my tank by putting in the first chamber of my fuge. It was cloudy for 20mins then all gone. Will do the tranfer this thurs or friday. Hope it goes well..
Here is KathyC's thread you were looking for
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/49743-close-disaster.html
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
this is what I was trying to tell people from the start of this thread!!!LOL
- Location
- Queens
I read Kathy's thread.. interesting. It's never happened to me, then again I always use fresh rodi to top off.. if I had to guess why this happened, I would say maybe the container was not cleaned properly and some sort of bacteria formed to start a cycle. I doubt it was the salt.
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