Live Rock Cycling Advice Wanted

[QuotheRaven]

I am setting up a Nano FOWLR tommorow hopefully and I was wondering about cycling with Live Rock and using it as a filter....
so here's my understanding

1: Buy Uncured rock OR cured rock but leave it out of water for a period
2a: let it sit in a tank and cycle..
2b: Do you have live sand in with the cycling rock??
3: Use power heads to create water flow to allow the LR to be used as a filter
4: Do you need a reflector for the live rock while it cycles?
5: once all the Live rock has become cured is it safe to put fish in if powerheads and a heater is there plus the correct salinity
6: If you buy Cured rock will it be pretty much a mature filter medium and automatically cycle the tank or if there are no fish to supply ammonia will the tank "uncycle"

I know they are pretty newbie q's but I want to make sure about this process

 

[JoeDaPro]

Ive just started a Marine tank as well, and well ive asked these questions.
I think its better to buy cured rock & yes you do have the sand in with the rocks, its advised to put the rocks in 1st, then mold the sand in around the rocks to keep them stable in the tank.

 

[andywg]

Don't bother with any live sand, the LR will soon seed it.

 

[QuotheRaven]

So andywg do I go for Cured or Uncured and what sort of sand is best for marine I think Live sand may be the only thing available...Would cured make the tank automatically cycled (probably a dumb question)

 

[bambam]

doesnt matter what type of sand you use you have to let your tank cycle for the given period, no matter what you use what you add or anything the tank has to cycle.

it sucks but has to be done, we've all been there

 

[andywg]

doesnt matter what type of sand you use you have to let your tank cycle for the given period, no matter what you use what you add or anything the tank has to cycle.

Wrong. If you buy cured rock your tank is already cycled, it is like FW tank cloning. You are putting in rock that already has all the pre-requisite bacteria. By waiting to cycle cured LR you are actually losing the desired bacteria.

Any buffering sand (such as aragonite) will be fine.

 

[kkyyllee]

if you get cured rock your tank will still go through a cycle when you add anything that produces amonia

 

[bambam]

i wasnt talking about the LR, ive been always told always by cured LR, as with the cycle. The water cycle you cant just fill up your tank with water and add rock and your good to add live stock, you have to let your water cycle for the set amount of time.

doesnt matter what type of sand you use you have to let your tank cycle for the given period, no matter what you use what you add or anything the tank has to cycle.

Wrong. If you buy cured rock your tank is already cycled, it is like FW tank cloning. You are putting in rock that already has all the pre-requisite bacteria. By waiting to cycle cured LR you are actually losing the desired bacteria.

Any buffering sand (such as aragonite) will be fine.

read the original post before you tell someone they are wrong, thats why theres so much confusion in this hobby.
it stats that he is going to start a new salt water nano tomorrow....

 

[kkyyllee]

cycle as in just flow around the tank>?

 

[bambam]

when you first start a tank and you have to have the water in the tank for a while before its safe to put in fish, thats what he means. he wants to know if you use cured rock will the inital cycle be complete faster then if you just wait it out

 

[kkyyllee]

you dont have to wait for the water to "safe" assuming u mixed salt in properly and at the right temp its safe

 

[bambam]

correct if im wrong someone but thats a lie i was told by everyone i have every talked to about salt water tanks and you have to cycle your water for atleast four weeks before adding fish

this is what happens when someone doesnt know and they tell ppl to do something and then when all there fish die they cant figure it out

please if im wrong on this topic i appologize but everyone told me about cycling the water first, my LFS wouldnt sell me any fish untill after 4 weeks of my tank being set up

 

[shibby]

mine was fully cycled after 3 weeks. after 2 weeks it was ready for c.u.c.

ive been told by my lfs that cycling time varies depending on amount of LR in tank, quality of LR etc.

but after 3 weeks all my levels were fine and i put in my clowns and they seem contempt

 

[kkyyllee]

so when you change water in ur tanks you let it sit for 4 weeks before adding it to ur tank?

i think ur actually talking about waiting for the nitrogen cycle to be over, not anything to do with the water

 

[kkyyllee]

1. buy cured live rock it will make things go faster
2a.let it cycle
2b.yes
3.yes
4.use a light while it cycles it will allow more things to survive
5.add a cuc after the cycle and then after a week add a fish
6.if you buy cured liverock put it in the tank and wait a few days to see if theres any amonia or nitrates to make sure its cured, if none show up add a cuc wait a few days add ur fish