Cycle legnth

[dafunkyman]

I was reading through the guy who has a 16 day old tank with livestock already, 11:11 is the guys name. Some of you guys are saying that it could take up to 6 weeks to do the cycle. I was wondering what factors go into how long the cycle takes. I started out with LS and coral (the dead dry stuff i got from my dads old tank). The coral was not i use for years so it had nothing live on it. Also how do lights go with a tank? I think i have heard leave them on all the time of keep them off. Is it better to go by test kit or just wait a long time with a few flakes a day or the shrimp method. I dont want to get chewed up just tie up some loose ends and for further reference.

[shifty51008]

the biggest factors are what type of LR your using. if the LR you got was from an established tank before and you transfered the rock with very little out of water time you may not see much of a cycle at all.

using LR that was shipped or hasn't been cured yet can take up to 6 weeks and sometimes longer to cycle.

using all base rock (dry rock) and seeded with a little LR can also take 6 weeks or longer.

IMO I would get the test kits right away that way you can keep track of how your cycle is moving along and to make sure you did kick start the cycle.

[Blown 346]

I was reading through the guy who has a 16 day old tank with livestock already, 11:11 is the guys name. Some of you guys are saying that it could take up to 6 weeks to do the cycle. I was wondering what factors go into how long the cycle takes. I started out with LS and coral (the dead dry stuff i got from my dads old tank). The coral was not i use for years so it had nothing live on it. Also how do lights go with a tank? I think i have heard leave them on all the time of keep them off. Is it better to go by test kit or just wait a long time with a few flakes a day or the shrimp method. I dont want to get chewed up just tie up some loose ends and for further reference.



Cycles all depend on Like said above. If your using cured or unc cured rock.

Either way a typical cycle can take 6 weeks or longer. Each system is different. Check your water parameters each day. If you buy cured rock, your tank wont go thru a harsh cycle and it wont take as long.

The guy with the 16 day old tank with stock. He might have re used rock from an established tank. There is no way a tank would be stable enough for Livestock starting from scratch.

Lighting should be turned off to help cut down on nuisance algae growth. If you have a skimmer, it should be truned on its lowest setting otherwsie it can run the risk of overflowing.

The best method to start a tank. Get cured liverock and some sand form a established tank to help seed your sand. The LS in a bag is a hoax. There is no way Bacteria can survive in a sealed bag with no water movement, food, or temp regulation. Your better off buying dry base sand. Plus it will save you tons of money.