First cycle question

[ScottVinVA]

If I get and setup the following:
Tank
Live Sand
Salted Water
Skimmer
2 power heads

Will the live sand loose any of its qualities by running for a week without starting the cycle using a shrimp or what ever you all recommend?

What if I also add live rock, will it hurt the rock without starting a cycle?

Or does anything living (sand/rock) start an cycle automatically?

Thanks!

 

[electrikat]

The live rock will cycle your tank. You won't need a shrimp if you add true live rock. Anything living or dead causes ammonia which starts the cycle. Alot of people cycle with live rock. In fact it's best to add your live rock first because it does cause such an ammonia spike that if you add too much later at once it could hurt your animals(unless you cure it first).

 

[Devilishturtles]

I cycled my tank with live rock as well. If you get live sand, this will help too. The process of die-off on your LR is what gives you the ammonia to start your cycle.

 

[ScottVinVA]

Thanks for the input it helps. Someone mentioned curing the rock.

What exacly is that or what does that mean?

 

[electrikat]

Any time you get new lr it has a certain amount of die off. to keep the ammonia from the die off out of your tank, you cure it in a tub or bucket to have the ammonia gone before you add it to your tank. A tub, a powerhead and a heater is all you need to cure live rock. Check the amm, nitrite and nitrates till you get zero on the amm and nitrite. Then it is safe to put in your tank. Appx 2 weeks or so.

 

[ScottVinVA]

Any time you get new lr it has a certain amount of die off. to keep the ammonia from the die off out of your tank, you cure it in a tub or bucket to have the ammonia gone before you add it to your tank. A tub, a powerhead and a heater is all you need to cure live rock. Check the amm, nitrite and nitrates till you get zero on the amm and nitrite. Then it is safe to put in your tank. Appx 2 weeks or so.

Can you buy cured LR already? Is it much more expensive? I cant easily store live rock where I live.

 

[RMPD109]

If you have not yet cycled you can get uncured LR and the curing process can be used to cycle the tank. Some have had great success with very fresh uncured rock having minimal die off and ammonia spike. Check out Liverocks.com. They harvest rock on a regular basis and mine was in the tank within 24 hrs of packaging.

 

[Petey]

I'm in the middle of the cycling process right now. The live rock that I'd bought at the LFS was already cured and my aquarium levels did not change. I had to go with the shrimp method to get the tank to start cycling, but it's working like a charm right now.