Cycling vs curing

[canadian_eh]

I'm just starting off my 1st sw tank and just want to make sure I have this right so I don't waste $$ converting live rock into dead rock or killing fish.

Here is what I'm planning on doing:
Set up the tank with salt water and argonite.
Order my LR and LS from lr.com
Once it arrives add it all to the tank.
Monitor levels until the ammonia and nitrite are 0

At this point the LR is cured and the tank should be "cycled" as the LR is full of good bacteria and ready for fish right?

I'm asking because I've read a few posts which seem to say that you should use the dead shrimp cycle method before adding LR...why would you do that?

Thanks
-Ron

 

[jackdp]

You've got the plan pretty well figured. The benefit to shrimp cycling before adding LR may be to preserve any hitchhikers that you would get on the LR. The chemicals that build up during cycling would be hard on inverts that come along on your LR. Doing water changes and/or running a skimmer during the cycle will help keep the ammonia and nitrites in check and give the hitchhikers a chance...this may also prolong the length of time it takes to cycle the tank, but patience is a virtue.....HTH

 

[malkore]

adding the dead shrimp in advance also ensures that you have PLENTY of good bacteria populated...above an beyond what's probably needed for a LR ammonia spike, or any spikes the addition of livestock could cause.

 

[jackdp]

adding the dead shrimp in advance also ensures that you have PLENTY of good bacteria populated

That may be true provided you have someplace for the bacteria to grow. LR and sand provide a huge amount of surface area for the bacteria to grow on. What is the filtration set up going to be in this tank? If its just LR and a sandbed then I would use the LR to do the cycling and monitor the ammonia and do the water changes as necessary to protect hitchhikers.

 

[darb2]

when i set up my tank, I also purchased dry base rock. Then added a peice of fresh caught salmon (the same idea as a shrimp)
Then I waited about 3 weeks and then ordered lr
I think it really helped keep the good stuff alive

 

[canadian_eh]

thanks everyone. I'm glad I asked.

I really want to preserve all the life I can on the LR so based on your input, I'm going to start with argonite and maybe some base rock then do the fishless cycle before adding the rock. Even though the lr & ls will be the primary filtration, I might as well take it slow.

 

[Brad]

Yup, they've got it. When the LR arrives it is going to place a "load" on your tank. The better (more mature) system you have, the more likely the load will be dealt with easily and the more likely everything on the rock will survive.

You are also lucky that the system is new and that you don't have to be concerned about the load doing any damage to anything that is already in the tank.