refresh memory on reef tank setup

[mgobyman]

Just a memory refresher or not! Ive been a man raised on Moe and Sprung in the berlin method years. Have things changed since then or are they still current in these years. Really dug Julian's mullet in his video HEHEHEHE. Anyways Refresh
1. Add live rock (No lights for three to four weeks)
2. Cycle turn on lights gradually over the next two weeks.
3. 1st stock of reef fish small bioload
4. couple of LPS
EctEct from this point

[reefbuzz]

If the LR is uncured or you use something as a catalyst to get the nitrogen cycle going, your plan sounds good, except one thing: quarantine your fish.

[sir_dudeguy]

well if you add live rock in general, you dont have to start the cycle. Uncured rock already has die off...that's gonna cause amonia to get the cycle started. Cured rock is already cycled...so you're not gonna see any cycle really...maybe a small spike...but i wouldnt add any dead shrimp or whatever to "jumpstart" a cycle if you've got any form of live rock.

[reefbuzz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8214666#post8214666 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sir_dudeguy
Uncured rock already has die off...that's gonna cause amonia to get the cycle started. Cured rock is already cycled...so you're not gonna see any cycle really...maybe a small spike...but i wouldnt add any dead shrimp or whatever to "jumpstart" a cycle if you've got any form of live rock.

Actually, I would suggest adding a piece of table shrimp. Why not? You want to establish a decent population of beneficial bacteria before adding livestock, don't you?

Cured LR is great but you have no way of knowing the extent of your tank's denitrifying capacity if you don't take it through a decent nitrogen cycle, IMO.

[sir_dudeguy]

Why not

because that would just add unnesesary amonia. The die off on the live rock is plenty enough to get the cycle going and get the bacteria there.

[reefbuzz]

But that "unnecessary ammonia" would soon transition into nitrites and nitrates through the nitrogen cycle and it would benefit the tank in the long run.

[ChunksInClemson]

I agree- dont add the shrimp. Just let it cycle on its own-It will happen!

It has nothing to do with the long run! The reason people do add it is for the "short term" to get it going faster but I have never done this with any of my tanks and have seen peaks without.