Before the 120 build. HELP with ideas

[Pdetevis]

I'm starting to piece together a 120gallon tank. I don't think I will have all the parts until August to put the tank together.

However I have all the dry reef sand and dry rock for the tank, I also have a 55 glass tank with no overflow built in.

Should I set up the rock and sand in the 55 and let it start curing now and let it run for 3 months. Could I turn it all to coralline algae rocks. What suggestions do you all here have for me. Looking for ideas. Thanks

Please everyone chime in

[thegrun]

I would wait until two months before the intended start to cycle the rocks, otherwise you are going to need to ghost feed the tank to keep the bacteria well fed. If this is your first tank starting the tank now would give you some practice at maintaining water chemistry, but I would just wait for till you are closer to the actual start date.

[TomTheWicked]

I agree with thegrun. There's really no need to cycle the rocks right now unless you want the practice of maintaining tank chemistry. That being said, there's no reason you couldn't cycle the rocks now so they're ready once everything else is set up. Just make sure you ghost feed the tank to the bacteria population so you don't end up wasting the time.

[Pdetevis]

What about trying to seed them with coralline algae so I have purple rocks to add to the tank?

[thegrun]

You are going to have more coralline than you want in a few months, I wouldn't think it is worth the time and expense to run a tank and lighting simply to get coralline algae quicker. That said, it you want it as soon as possible, start the cycle now.

[Grit]

Cycling the 55 will teach you a lot, and that knowledge will be very handy when you cycle the 120. It will also give you some experience testing your water and performing maintenance. Start when you can and if your 120 gets ahead of schedule you will be ready.
Could the 55 work as a sump for the 120? If so, you will be way ahead of the game when it comes time to cycle the 120.

Don

[jaybfresh]

In that situation I would definitely start the cycle in the 55. Just throwing the rock and sand into a tank and letting it sit won't do anything though. I'd get a basic light and add small bit of live rock and sand into it, feed very sparingly.

If the 55 is fully cycled, there will be no "cycle" when you directly transfer all the contents to the 120.