specific cycling question

[josuer302]

hello all, new to saltwater aquariums have been researching for a while and have almost everything needed to start the hobby. I have a question regarding cycling. I plan on having a dsb with dry or non "live" sand along with a skimmer and several large "white" coral as my base, now when I have the sand and water and coral within the tank and I am ready to start the cycle process I plan to buy a chunk of live rock from a lfs now I understand that the dying organisms dying from the lr are what are denitrifying to feed bacteria but what bacteria is it feeding? since my sand bed is not live. where would the bacteria that is needed for an aquarium coming from?

[brandon429]

You have to either add it from a bottle or wait for the bacteria to develop naturally from sources of contamination (in this case good contamination)

Same outcome, a cycled tank, different time frames

The bacteria, though not sporulators primarily, arrive from air currents while attached to suspended items and aerosols depending on your location. Water you put in will have some to xfer. Tap water and other water even from ro/di units will not test sterile, they will have limited bacteria counts, some of those are nitrifiers

They come from everywhere. The current fad and its totally acceptable, is to add bottle bacteria and liquid ammonia to speed up the process to three weeks if done right.

Nitrifying bacteria are what you were meaning. Denitrifiers arent important at this stage, most tanks will never be able to register their presence. Nitrifiers are your goal, and they are everywhere. How fast they become established is relative to your choice of cycling...quick cycling or natural cycling that will take months

[josuer302]

I have a counter ro/di unit so thanks for the info that some of the bacteria will come from that. I am in no hurry to put fish as Ive had an empty tank in my bedroom for a month with no issue. So adding a bottle of bacteria and along with ammonia to feed them is a sound option?

[brandon429]

Yes that's an option. Old schoolers wouldn't buy whats free but if you want to no harm. They would also not speak ill of the practice of using pure ammonium chloride to add to your cycling tank, to boost natural levels of bacteria that simply find their way into the tank from any number of methods.

On planet earth in an average building or house, if a container of habitable water has set for 3 months, it has a complement of nitrifiers relative to the surface area within the container. Where water goes, so will they. Using the rotting shrimp option you may have already seen on new tank cycling search results is the same option, any of these methods will work there is no right way. All same ends....

The water from ro di isn't a large contamination source its just supportive. Many times there are biofilms not cleaned in the hoses and fittings...and in most cases the holding tank has retentive biofilms that reseed new water etc. all the surfaces of our lives works together as a giant bacteria treadmill...

[brandon429]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21216661#post21216661

[josuer302]

appreciate your knowledge and quick replies brandon429 thanks

[brandon429]

Have fun on your new $$ hobby!!