Starting a saltwater tank

tel0004

tel0004

Lost in Translation
Sep 7, 2004
343
0
0
42
Cincinnati, Ohio
I want to start a saltwater tank, but I have a few questions on cyling. Ive had FW tanks for a year. My understanding is that if I drop in cured live rock(30lbs), the bacteria on that will be enough, and its instantly cycled, is this true. I have a 30 gallon tank that will be FOWLR. I plan to get a clown fish, then a scooter blenny about a week after I put the live rock in, is this all correct?
 
tel0004 said:
I want to start a saltwater tank, but I have a few questions on cyling. Ive had FW tanks for a year. My understanding is that if I drop in cured live rock(30lbs), the bacteria on that will be enough, and its instantly cycled, is this true. I have a 30 gallon tank that will be FOWLR. I plan to get a clown fish, then a scooter blenny about a week after I put the live rock in, is this all correct?
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I don't know much about saltwater, nor do i have a salt water tank, but i would still cycle the tank for atleast a few weeks. Live sand would also help.......
 
I don't know if that's correct, but I was told the same exsact thing just today.

I'm starting up a new saltwater tank also. :D
 
you have got to let the nitrogen cycle finish before you add fish or anything else. If the rock is cured then theoretically you can add fish after 3 days but I would never do this due to the stupidity of it. Put the rock in, leave it untill you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite. The cycle may take up to 1 week to start, mine took 5 days, then the tank went insane, ammonia at 2, nitrite at 3. give it time, if you hurry to put fish in you are compremising their health. what kind of skimmer do you have, I would suggest that you get out, it is very important
 
Thanks for the responses. Im a bit confused, should I fishless cycle the tank with ammonia for several weeks till im done, then add cured live rock, or are you saying I add live rock, then the live rock cycles the tank. I have all the test kits, and I fully understand fishless cycling, ive done it before. Also, on the protien skimmer, I am getting one, but havent bought it yet. I would like your reccomendations on what is best. My plan was to get live rock on Saturday, August 27th, so i plan on getting the skimmer wednesday or thursday.
 
What you can do is put in the cured live rock, then use pure ammonia and raise the ammonia level to 1ppm, then wait a day. If the ammonia reads 0 after that time you can add fish slowly, as that means there was enough established bacteria to handle the load. If there is still ammonia present after that time it will need to cycle more.
 
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