What would you do?

[Bedroomgangsta]

I am going to be setting up a new 40B soon and I am curious to know how YOU would cycle your tank with BRS dry rock. Would you cycle it with just the water and rock, water rock and sand? I just feel like adding the sand after it is cycled makes one hell of a mess lol. I have always cycled with all three but is it necessary? I will be seeding the dry rock with one completely coralline encrusted piece of LR, and maybe a scoop or two of my current sand. I will also be using a shallow SB and sugar fine sand. I am starting over with my rock b/c I swear my current LR is poisened with PO4. I want to get rid of my 55DT anyways and I do NOT want to have any of the issues I am currently having with this battle against cyano and phosphates. SO! is it best to just cycle the rock and water then add the sand after the cycle is complete or just do them all at once?

[AquaReeferMan]

Cycle it with the sand and the rock. During the cycle, bacteria will attach to the bottom panel of glass. Dumping the sand in afterwards will cover the bacteria and kill it off. This could make the cycle process last longer. Its easier/faster to do it all at once...

[Bedroomgangsta]

Thank you for your input man, much appreciated!

[Ben_n_Em]

Cycle it with the sand and the rock. During the cycle, bacteria will attach to the bottom panel of glass. Dumping the sand in afterwards will cover the bacteria and kill it off. This could make the cycle process last longer. Its easier/faster to do it all at once...

+1. I'd do it all together.

[ChuckLawson]

+2

Typically setting up a tank with dry rock, I'll add at least the bottom rock directly on the glass, then sand (dry), fill the tank about 2/3 full and add any remaining rock (usually including some actual live rock for seed), then top off, start everything running, and wait for the cycle to run (which never seems to take long, depending on how much die-off there is from the live rock).

[MJT82]

I'll agree with Chuck... Since you're starting with dry rock, get your base rock in, sand, finish the majority of your aquascape, then fill. I've always helped my cycle along by adding in nasty ol' grungy live rock rubble from the tanks at the LFS... It's just full of bacteria. I have in the past gotten grunge or sand from various sources as well... In my mind that increases the diversity of the bacteria that I'm introducing. Good luck!

[cody6766]

If you have the rock early, I would buy a small chunk of clean LR, or maybe some rubble, from a LFS and toss it in a couple 5g buckets. Fill with saltwater, toss in a powerhead and run it until you're ready to set the tank up. Toss in some sand too if you want. If you already have the tank just toss it all in and let it cycle.