Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post

mcgyvr · 03/07/2018, 07:38 AM

The cycle already happened or there was no cycle..

Most people just don't understand the basics of the whole process..

The whole point of "cycling" is to build up a sufficient bacterial population in the tank to quickly process toxic ammonia into its lesser toxic forms (nitrite then nitrate)..

"Live rock" is called that because its already populated with that bacterial..
"Dry rock" is not.. "Live rock" is..

If you purchase "Live rock" locally and its been kept at the fish store in a tub of saltwater and you take it home and immediately put it into a tank of saltwater there will be NO cycle..
The reason that local fish stores keep tubs of cured live rock is so that you can buy a tank, a nemo fish for your screaming daughter and immediately take it home and set it up and enjoy... There is no cycle because it already happened and you carried all that bacteria with the live rock you purchased.. So the tank instantly has a sufficient bacterial population and voila.. No cycle..

As you stated you purchased live rock then there is already bacteria..
Now if that rock is shipped and kept damp there will be some die off of bacteria and there might be a week or so or a few days or whatever depending on how much die off where that bacterial population will need to increase back to its "pre shipped" level.. As soon as that happens the cycle is over..

When you move that rock (already containing bacteria) into another tank you carry that bacteria with the rock and the new tank will have no cycle.. and there is no need to "force" a cycle as its already cycled..

03/07/2018, 07:38 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	The cycle already happened or there was no cycle.. Most people just don't understand the basics of the whole process.. The whole point of "cycling" is to build up a sufficient bacterial population in the tank to quickly process toxic ammonia into its lesser toxic forms (nitrite then nitrate).. "Live rock" is called that because its already populated with that bacterial.. "Dry rock" is not.. "Live rock" is.. If you purchase "Live rock" locally and its been kept at the fish store in a tub of saltwater and you take it home and immediately put it into a tank of saltwater there will be NO cycle.. The reason that local fish stores keep tubs of cured live rock is so that you can buy a tank, a nemo fish for your screaming daughter and immediately take it home and set it up and enjoy... There is no cycle because it already happened and you carried all that bacteria with the live rock you purchased.. So the tank instantly has a sufficient bacterial population and voila.. No cycle.. As you stated you purchased live rock then there is already bacteria.. Now if that rock is shipped and kept damp there will be some die off of bacteria and there might be a week or so or a few days or whatever depending on how much die off where that bacterial population will need to increase back to its "pre shipped" level.. As soon as that happens the cycle is over.. When you move that rock (already containing bacteria) into another tank you carry that bacteria with the rock and the new tank will have no cycle.. and there is no need to "force" a cycle as its already cycled.. __________________ Who me?