Clycling tank

[Bigbrother]

Is it safe to cycle my tank with live rock inside it ?

 

[TigerBarbs]

Yes! The live rock will have some die off which makes ammonia that will start your cycle. Also the rock serves as a home for you beneficial bacteria.

 

[Bigbrother]

Ok thannx I just didn't want my live rock to die off

 

[TigerBarbs]

No prob.

 

[TigerBarbs]

It won't die if the salinity is right

 

[Bigbrother]

Salinity is at 22

 

[Sniperhank]

A tad low, but not bad. Mine has been running for months around 30...which is way way to high. This is a story about how hydrometers are crap and refractometers save the day. I get my refract on saturday and find out the truth about mixing up SW low every week continues to give high SW readings.

 

[Bigbrother]

I thought the right salinity was between 17 an 25 atleast they wat my local pet store recommends

 

[Jason M]

The right dalinity is around 35 for a reef I keep mine at 34. If ur talking about specific gravity than its .020 to .025 for most everything

 

[Jason M]

Also u want die off during cycling that's what cycles it. I put my live rocks in and started go dose ammonia into the tank. I doses way to much but ill tell u my biological filtration is immaculate

 

[TigerBarbs]

I dosed pure ammonia also and my tank cycled in about 3 weeks.

 

[mr_X]

The correct salinity for a reef is .026. .034 is way too high.

 

[Jason M]

A salinity of 34 is about eaqual to a specific gravity of 1.025 I didn't mean 1.034 I meant 34 ppt

 

[mr_X]

I'm always getting those two mixed up. Thanks for correcting that.

 

[Bigbrother]

Just did an ammonia test it's at 0ppm an adds alil more to get it back up to 4ppm by it do another test in 24 hours it should go back down to 0ppm an also my nitrites are at the Highest level it should go down soon it all happening really quick so excite

 

[CloudStrife]

Can you cycle with just live rock? Or should you add a shrimp to it as well. Or could the added ammonia hurt it?

 

[Bigbrother]

Live rock helps a lot I also added ammonia on feb 4 an now there no 0ppm of ammonia I added some more it should go down in 24 hours again my nitrites are at they highest it really works an fast

 

[mr_X]

Can you cycle with just live rock? Or should you add a shrimp to it as well. Or could the added ammonia hurt it?

it would depend on how much die off is on the rock you have. If there's a lot of dead stuff on it you may not need to add extra.

 

[CloudStrife]

Would you be able to tell by a picture of the LR in the tank? Or would that be too hard

 

[mr_X]

You would tell by testing the water. You need to see a substantial amount of ammonia on the test kit.