live rock - dead rock
- Thread starter ralph46
- Start date
Well having great water parameters (SG, PH, Temp) will help the bacteria be more healthy. Providing a food source to "Feed/Push" the colonization helps.
I used about 80% dry/base rock and 20% Live Rock in my start ups. I drop a clean. raw fresh deli shrimp into the tank to FEED the bacteria and to give them motivation to colonize. It still takes some time regardless.
I used about 80% dry/base rock and 20% Live Rock in my start ups. I drop a clean. raw fresh deli shrimp into the tank to FEED the bacteria and to give them motivation to colonize. It still takes some time regardless.
jjmoneyman
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Jackalope
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water flow seems to help speed the proccess for me. gets water moving into the pores of the rock. to speed things up? those little bacterial guys only move so fast. you could get more of them in there to do the job BUT when there food is diminished during the end of the cycle, they die, then it sorta starts over again. not as bad, though. called a mini cycle. rushing nature doesnt work =-)
Welcome to RS Ralph! The deli shrimp will decompose (rot) and generate ammonia. The ammonia is food for the bacteria that you need to multiple on/in the rock pores and sand. Once the ammonia is being generated another bacteria will begin to multiply that will turn the ammonia into nitrites, and then ammonia will multiply to turn the nitrites into nitrates. When there is no longer any ammonia or nitrates in your tests, the cycle is complete and the nitrates can be lowered with water changes.
Lots of good information here:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...rs/33555-look-frequently-asked-questions.html
Lots of good information here:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...rs/33555-look-frequently-asked-questions.html
Ive been keeping FW tanks for years, but new-ish to SW. What i've done on my 3 SW tanks, which works well, is at least SOME LR from an established tank(ie LFS or Fellow SW keeper) along with whatever Base/dry rock you wish to use, then fill tank w/ SW to about 2/3. Get the Parameters right, and add the Base/Dry rock, then sand. Add some kind of food for the bacteria. it can be a Deli Shrimp, or a pinch of flake fish food every couple of days..and let the tank sit for a week before ya measure anything except SG/temp. maintain the food supply untill the one week - 10 day mark, and start checking for Nitrates. initially the nitrate measured will be 0...the cycle goes, Organic matter --> Amonia --> Nitrites --> Nitrates. When the levels of Nitrates start showing a rise, the cycle is nearly complete. When nitrates get to 10ppm+, Check for Amonia and Nitrites, both SHOULD read 0 or pretty close. At that point, 0ppm Amonia, 0ppm Nitrite and 8-12ppm Nitrate, you are nearly ready for fish. I initially do a 10% water change 24-48 hours prior to introducing any new fish, so the Water conditions are pristine. I have not had a single fish die on me, using the method i mentioned. I use a pinch of flake food every other day for 10 days, since I live NOWHERE near a seafood deli. Works out the same.