Letting a tank cycle

Vaughtk99 · 04/22/2018, 03:25 PM

I read all these posts about cycling a tank for weeks, months what ever. I was thinking about this. I've been doing this since I was 15, I'm 53 and have had everything from nano tanks to a 750 concave.. Currently the 750, 180 concave and a 10. I've never ever cycled a tank. I put in the filters, heater, live sand and rock. I've used bare, sand on glass and plenums (my fav btw) then water salt fire up the heater and she setting. The big surprise fish same day. Never can I ever remember losing a fish. A few inverts. Along I'm up and running. Anyone else have this experience??? I mean I do add used water from other tanks. Discuss.

sde1500 · 04/22/2018, 03:27 PM

Live rock and sand, if truly alive, is what likely helped. Bacteria population already somewhat established. Water did nothing.

Uncle99 · 04/22/2018, 03:37 PM

Yup, but I was always transferring some rock, and my water changes are weekly, 15%.
I too use a plenum, have done so for more than 25.
I use a 2" plenum under 2, 3" sand beds screened in the middle to protect my bacteria friends. In addition I create a lot of negative pressure in the plenum with powerheads on top of water stacks, at the same time great flow. One day I guess I will go the sump way, then we can hide some equipment.

Provides a ton of surface area and seems to work, sand stays clean and white, but granted, I lose some tank space...

When I do my next rebuild in about 3-4 years, I want one of the Red Sea Rimless with sump.

Timfish · 04/22/2018, 03:46 PM

Been doing something similar in my mainteneance business for a couple decades now. QTed liverock (hate the jargon term "cooked" when you're doing the same thing with fish and corals), cupful or two of sand from another tank and/or a bag of live sand (CaribSea), and a bucket or two of water from an established reef. Add mushroom polyps, soft corals and fish on day two. Stony corals after a week.

Vaughtk99 · 04/22/2018, 11:35 PM

And it definitely is live sand and rock. Have a friend I'm finishing ships it directly to my house from their. No dealers. I

mcgyvr · 04/23/2018, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaughtk99

And it definitely is live sand and rock. Have a friend I'm finishing ships it directly to my house from their. No dealers. I

A cycle is used to give the tank time to build up a sufficient bacterial colony to quickly process toxic ammonia into its lesser toxic forms..
If you start with sand/rock already populated with bacteria there is no need to cycle as you are essentially importing all the bacteria needed and don't need the population to grow like if you were using dry rock..

Thats why local fish stores have vats of rock all cycled.. So you can buy a tank.. a nemo fish for your screaming daughter and some of that live rock and take it home and set it up that day..

Even when starting with live rock there is a potential for some die off of the bacteria and the potential to expose the fish to some excessive level of ammonia.. That typically passes fairly quickly though but many people try to avoid even that as some feel its torture for the fish.. Other like yourself don't seem to care or think 2 seconds about it..

04/22/2018, 03:25 PM	#1
Vaughtk99 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 8	Letting a tank cycle I read all these posts about cycling a tank for weeks, months what ever. I was thinking about this. I've been doing this since I was 15, I'm 53 and have had everything from nano tanks to a 750 concave.. Currently the 750, 180 concave and a 10. I've never ever cycled a tank. I put in the filters, heater, live sand and rock. I've used bare, sand on glass and plenums (my fav btw) then water salt fire up the heater and she setting. The big surprise fish same day. Never can I ever remember losing a fish. A few inverts. Along I'm up and running. Anyone else have this experience??? I mean I do add used water from other tanks. Discuss.

04/22/2018, 03:27 PM	#2
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Live rock and sand, if truly alive, is what likely helped. Bacteria population already somewhat established. Water did nothing. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

04/22/2018, 03:37 PM	#3
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Yup, but I was always transferring some rock, and my water changes are weekly, 15%. I too use a plenum, have done so for more than 25. I use a 2" plenum under 2, 3" sand beds screened in the middle to protect my bacteria friends. In addition I create a lot of negative pressure in the plenum with powerheads on top of water stacks, at the same time great flow. One day I guess I will go the sump way, then we can hide some equipment. Provides a ton of surface area and seems to work, sand stays clean and white, but granted, I lose some tank space... When I do my next rebuild in about 3-4 years, I want one of the Red Sea Rimless with sump. Last edited by Uncle99; 04/22/2018 at 03:43 PM.

04/22/2018, 03:46 PM	#4
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	Been doing something similar in my mainteneance business for a couple decades now. QTed liverock (hate the jargon term "cooked" when you're doing the same thing with fish and corals), cupful or two of sand from another tank and/or a bag of live sand (CaribSea), and a bucket or two of water from an established reef. Add mushroom polyps, soft corals and fish on day two. Stony corals after a week. __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

04/22/2018, 11:35 PM	#5
Vaughtk99 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 8	And it definitely is live sand and rock. Have a friend I'm finishing ships it directly to my house from their. No dealers. I