Cycling question

[cone9]

I will be ready to set up my tank in a few weeks. I will have a 4" Southdown DSB. I'll be getting live rock sent up from Gulf View in FL.

My question: would there be any advantage to getting my cycle started with just the water and sand prior to the arrival of my rock? I'm thinking of like about a week before I schedule my rock to arrive. If the process is already underway, would this speed the curing of my rock. I've seen his rock as it arrives in my area and it is in really good condition - very 'fresh', lots of life and not a lot of dead stuff. He obviously handles his rock well and I would like the stress the live rock as little as possible and keep a lot of the 'stuff' alive.

To start cycling with just water and sand what would I need to do? Should I 'seed' the tank with water or debris from an establshed tank then add a piece of cocktail shrimp and watch(smell) it go?

Thanks

[james wiser]

I see no benefit. You need realy need the liverock.

two things come to mind.

(1)
Liverock should be on the bottom of tank, not on sand. This will keep it from shifting and falling, if sand below is disturbed by sand siffters.
(2)
As you place and add liverock it is easier to do so with some water in the tank. If the tank is full of water you splash alot and it makes it more difficult to aquascpe. You will also stir the sand more, making a larger volume of milky water. Rock displaces water...you it will rise...this is anoying...you will have to drain some out.

HTH
James

[vanguard]

I'm not sure of the answer to your cycling question. My guess is that you'll be recycling when you add the rock and the bacteria you gained from the first cycle won't matter very much because the rock is full of bacteria anyway. However, that's just a guess.

I do reccomend running it for a week ahead of time anyway. The reason is that it may take that long for you to get used to managing the plumbing. Do you have a sump? If so you'll want to check everything for leaks. You probably don't know how much evaporation you're going to have on a daily basis. The things you learn from running your tank will help you after the rock is added.

I ran mine for a week before I added rock and it took me that long to get the hang of the system.

On a side note: I suspect that some of the harder to keep fish that require an older tank don't really need an older tank at all. They need an experienced reefer. A few weeks ago I dosed too much kalk through a series of mistakes. It's that sort of thing that probably kills fish. It's hard for me to understand why fish don't do well when the measurable water conditions are perfect and the food is appropriate. My answer is that people new to their tanks (or new to reefing) can't keep a stable enviornment.

That ties in with my advice, run the system a week or so before you get the rock. If nothing else you'll get used to running it.

[Broke]

I like to kick-start my sand beds by adding a shrimp and/or some ammonia a couple of weeks before adding anything else. If I use food I put it in a filter bag first (easier to find and fish out later). Stir the bed a couple times a day and keep good oxygen levels. I think it helps the bed in the long run, but it doesn't shorten the curing of LR much (at least not in my experience).

[cone9]

Thanks for the comments.

James, I have built a PVC 'shelf' to sit my rock on. It will be covered by about 1/2" of sand so my rock will be secure but none buried in sand and I won't see the plastic.

Vanguard, no sump. 35 Hex, Southdown DSB, CPR BakPak2R, and an extra powerheand in the tank, 250w MH and 2x28w PC actinics in a cool(my opinion) custom hood.
I think you have a very valid point about many 'difficult' fish. 30+ years of freshwater have tought me that if you just don't neglect the routine maintenance, most fish can live a long time with minimal problems. Once established and sensibly stocked my freshwater tanks do very well as long as I do that little water change every week. Deaths begin only if I get lazy(and the routine maintenance isn't really burdensome if done routinely) or add new fish that bring in something.

Broke, Good name for this hobby, huh!