fastest way to cycle?

[j86miu]

I am waiting for my biocube 14g to come in and so excited. I know I have to be patient and not rush anything and understand that the whole cycling process and adding new life to the tank takes time.

But I do wanna do it most efficiently and was wondering that way would be. I heard getting filling the tank with live stand and pre-cured live rocks is one way.

I want to have the sand and live rocks ready by the time my tank gets here so i can start cycling right away.

I heard that aragonite is a good live sand, any feedback?

Thanks!

[davocean]

I prefer established rock, and dry, not live sand.
Shipped live sand often comes w/ die off and can actually make the cycle take longer.
I also seed the new dry sand w/ a handful or scoop from an established tank(a healthy tank)
That has been my exp for a faster cycle.

[Misled]

You may be in a hurry now, but you'll learn the fastest way is to take your time.

[[17]shawn[17]]

the fastest way to cycle is... not too lol

14gal isnt alot id ask the LFS If you can stop by on a waterchange for 3buckets of SW from there system. then buy established rock, you should be able to skip the majority of it that way

[SushiGirl]

Used water isn't going to help. It doesn't hold enough beneficial bacteria of the kind you'll need. Established rock, sure, but you're still going to have to cycle. If you don't have patience for the cycle, it's gonna be a long, hard road.

[benningtondt8]

LFS's water can have all kinds of things you dont want in ur tank. I just throw some food in the tank and let it decay, or buy a small fish and feed lightly at first. Patience will come overtime. Well i should say you will be able to manage ur urges better after a few learning curves. Good Luck!

[ilyad]

LFS's water can have all kinds of things you dont want in ur tank. I just throw some food in the tank and let it decay, or buy a small fish and feed lightly at first. Patience will come overtime. Well i should say you will be able to manage ur urges better after a few learning curves. Good Luck!

Im new to the SW game, but even I know its no way to cycle with a fish... please dont do it. You shouldnt put anything live in your tank besides the sand and rock for the first few weeks. Its stressful on the fish and possibly could kill it (actually besides a few species, it will most likely kill it). These are live creatures, and your pets, why make them suffer?

When I set up my tank, a 28g, with live rock and sand, it took about 2.5 weeks for mine to cycle, thats not that long of a time to wait, and you'll be glad you did.

[ilyad]

Plus, if this is your first tank, you'll most likely run into a few problems early on, you'll want to change your rocks many times until you find what you like, all that is added stress if you have anything live in there, believe me, it was a lot easier to change things and not have to worry Id kill something

[b0bab0ey]

Im new to the SW game, but even I know its no way to cycle with a fish... please dont do it. You shouldnt put anything live in your tank besides the sand and rock for the first few weeks. Its stressful on the fish and possibly could kill it (actually besides a few species, it will most likely kill it). These are live creatures, and your pets, why make them suffer?

When I set up my tank, a 28g, with live rock and sand, it took about 2.5 weeks for mine to cycle, thats not that long of a time to wait, and you'll be glad you did.

+1 All you gotta do is go down to the grocery store, buy a raw shrimp, peel it, throw it in your tank for a week or so (I put mine in-between two rocks) and it will jump start your cycle. Just leave it in long enough until it starts to decay and the bacteria from that will transfer onto your rocks. It will take a few more weeks for the bacteria to spread but then you're done. Feed your tank a tiny pinch of flake every other day to feed your bacteria while it's spreading until you buy your first fish.

[Bowels]

Yeah dude, really dont rush the cycle, if you do stuff you put in will die and honestly youll just get discouraged, if you buy like premium live rock from a store thats already been cycled it may help speed it up, and do the shrimp, but your still going to be sitting there waiting for a few weeks.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Kent makes a supplement for that.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/stanton4/patience.bmp

In all seriousness, there is no way to rush the cycle. If you are still waiting for your tank to come in, why not go buy your rock now and start cycling in a 5 gallon bucket or a rubbermaid bin. I've been cycling my rock for my new 40g tank in a rubbermaid bin with a heater and powerhead for the last two months. The rock is now ready to go into my tank when I'm ready to transfer everything over.

[j86miu]

Kent makes a supplement for that.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/stanton4/patience.bmp

In all seriousness, there is no way to rush the cycle. If you are still waiting for your tank to come in, why not go buy your rock now and start cycling in a 5 gallon bucket or a rubbermaid bin. I've been cycling my rock for my new 40g tank in a rubbermaid bin with a heater and powerhead for the last two months. The rock is now ready to go into my tank when I'm ready to transfer everything over.

What kind of conditions are needed to cycle a live rock in a gallon bucket? I don't have the salt or any of the equipment yet, which I plan on picking up this weekend.

[j86miu]

Thanks for all the great replies. I plan on cycling with live rock from a LFS, live sand (aragonite), and using the dead shrimp method.

I found this article which explains how to do it, but I noticed it said don't turn th heater the filters until later.. I'm just trying to make sure this is accurate. I thought we were supposed to turn everything (overhead, filters, heater) on in the beginning...It also says don't add the live cured rock yet, until way later???? :confused:

http://fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html

I also read somewhere that people add hardy shrimp or crab in the beginning, is this recommended?

[Chris27]

Don't worry about that article, just get your tank set up, put the live sand and live rock in, and fill it up with saltwater. In just a short time, the tank will be ready for some livestock. If using live sand and live rock, don't bother with a shrimp (ammonia source), the tank will cycle itself just fine with the minimal die off from the rocks and sand. Just test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate each day to determine where the cycle is. If I were to guess, I would figure on about one - three weeks for the cycle to complete.

[SushiGirl]

If an article tells you to buy live, cured rock, then tells you not to put it in yet but doesn't tell you what to do with it, it's not a very well-written article LOL.

[Misled]

Fish whisperer????? Really??? Well, I've been Misled before!!!

[Preble]

i.wish.there.was.a.way.

I.stated.a.new.tank.last.week.and.i.wake.up.ever.day.wishing.there.would.be.a.diatom.explosion.

spacebar.is.broke.

[cloak]

I'm not sure if anybody has already said this before, but nothing in this hobby comes fast. Kicking back and watching things develop is one of the perks. Nature will take it's course, one way or the other...

[BuckeyeFan]

you may be in a hurry now, but you'll learn the fastest way is to take your time.

+1

[benningtondt8]

Im new to the SW game, but even I know its no way to cycle with a fish... please dont do it. You shouldnt put anything live in your tank besides the sand and rock for the first few weeks. Its stressful on the fish and possibly could kill it (actually besides a few species, it will most likely kill it). These are live creatures, and your pets, why make them suffer?

When I set up my tank, a 28g, with live rock and sand, it took about 2.5 weeks for mine to cycle, thats not that long of a time to wait, and you'll be glad you did.

Like I said adding fish first is not my preferred method, but adding one fish like a green chromis and lightly feeding for a couple weeks will not hurt anything. There have been thousands of hobbyist who have done it this way. If you see ammonia levels are getting too high"suffering level" do a water change.

[zhewitt04]

I believe and i could be totally wrong but sk8ter has a sticky for cycling. She is very knowlegdable and helped me through my cycle. She suggest using only a few flakes of food for about a week and checking you rparameters and once you get ammonia keep feeding. She will help you out alot.

[blt]

Like I said adding fish first is not my preferred method, but adding one fish like a green chromis and lightly feeding for a couple weeks will not hurt anything.

It will hurt the fish, and it doesn't take much ammonia in the water to do it. And the gill damage from ammonia is permanent.

[chefgreg]

It will hurt the fish, and it doesn't take much ammonia in the water to do it. And the gill damage from ammonia is permanent.

Then you have to do a water change that will slow down your cycle process, def not the fast way.

[Lemeshianos]

I wanted to be a smartass and say that the fastest way is the slow way but it seems everyone else beat me to it! :(

Shrimp method on dry rock took 2 weeks to make ammonia and 2 weeks to break the ammonia to nitrites. No nitrates after a total of 6 weeks so I bought cured live rock and nitrites were broken down to nitrates after a total of 7 weeks. But my nitrates went sky high with the shrimp and took a really long time to solve the algae and cyano issues.

I took apart the tank for 2 months to move to a new place and set it up again.
Same rock, new water and sand. Tank was cycled in a week due to the LR being fully cured and having no die off. After a small diatom and algae bloom, and with the use of a chaeto and not overfeeding I have undetectable nitrates(need a phosphates test), very small patches of hair algae that the snails clean out. I clean the front glass once every 1-2 weeks.

So to wrap it up:
Properly setting up your tank with cured live rock and ghost-feeding, will get you minimal waiting period for it to cycle.
Setting it up with uncured live rock will take longer and you'll need to perform large water changes at the end of the cycle.(no feeding required)
Setting up with dry rock will take about 2 months to cycle with the shrimp method and will give you high nitrates(I could be wrong but this was my experience).

Chaeto or other means of nitrates/phosphates extract is suggested to have a minimal algae bloom.

[Lemeshianos]

double post

[benningtondt8]

It will hurt the fish, and it doesn't take much ammonia in the water to do it. And the gill damage from ammonia is permanent.

Ok forget the fish thing, didnt realize there were so many PETA members on here.

[blt]

Don't need to be a member of PETA to want my pets to be healthy.

[DSotire5]

biocubes are nice, you cycle those for a while right?

[syrinx]

It is best to take ones time. I enjoy best when I use fresh live rock from the ocean and get all of the diversity. That being said as a profesional aquarist I know a tank does not have to cycle, just as a 100% water change is possible. If one is to get rock from a exisiting system- kept submerged the whole time- and uses a small amount of dry sand the only result will be a diatom bloom from all the new salt mix and sand. I am not a fan of the non fish cycle- I would rather have fresh rock die off start it, or just use well established rock as described above.