do i CYCLE A FRAG TANK?

[dellrio]

i am wanting to begin a tank dedicated to fragging corals. i can either use the crushed coral i bought or use what i have in my sump. do i have to cycle this tank? i thought if i used my crushed coral from my tank i wouldnt have to, but i bought some today to use instead.. but then would i need to cycle it? it won't ever have fish.. just corals like zoos and shrooms and softies pretty much.. if i must cycle it.. for how long? i am kinda in a hurry though so what do i need to do? or nothing at all>?

[BonsaiNut]

Where is the water coming from?

If you are running the water in a loop from your reef system / reef filter, you will not need to cycle (since the system is already "cycled").

However, if the frag tank will be on its own system you will need to cycle it (since you have to allow the bio filtration to establish itself). Even if using coral sand from your established system, you will still need to give the system time to grow.

[dellrio]

how long would a 10 gallon need to cycle? it is on its own system. what type of lighting would it require?

[dellrio]

do the corals really produce enough ammonia and nitrate to need biological filtration? There will be no fish or invertabrates in there only corals and mostly mushrooms and zooanthids and a few leathers and a few LPS corals?

[TIGER SHARK]

For zoos and shrooms I wouldnt think they would produce ammonia unless they were decomposing. Then if there is no bio filter, you will have problems dealing with the ammonia. Some LPS, like my bubble coral does eat food. Then a day or 2 later, I see the waste coming out of its mouth. I guess if you werent feeding them, there would not be much waste.

[jmor]

A 10 gallon would be a nice little frag tank ... if you will use your substrate from your main tank which I assume is established, your frag tank would go through a "mini cycle" which should not be to long ... if you are using some kind of sponge from a mechanical filter or something of that nature, I would also use that in your frag tank and replace the other one in your main tank.

In regardess to lighting, a 10 gallon is kind of small and in between sizes ... if you can upgrade to a 20g, I would definately use some PC 2x55 would be perffect for some softies.. ..

I like using those turtle tanks which are only 13" tall for frag tanks ... I also use PC ..

[jmor]

A 10 gallon would be a nice little frag tank ... if you will use your substrate from your main tank which I assume is established, your frag tank would go through a "mini cycle" which should not be to long ... if you are using some kind of sponge from a mechanical filter or something of that nature, I would also use that in your frag tank and replace the other one in your main tank.

In regardess to lighting, a 10 gallon is kind of small and in between sizes ... if you can upgrade to a 20g, I would definately use some PC 2x55 would be perffect for some softies.. ..

I like using those turtle tanks which are only 13" tall for frag tanks ... I also use PC ..

[coralreefengr]

Surprisingly, mushrooms and many leathers and soft corals can survive a cycle. I've put soft corals in my tank on day 2 and have had them ever since.