Total newbie question:Do you have to cycle a new tank if you use RO/DI or pure sea water?

[wardragonet]

Was gonna set tank up this week and since I was going to lfs for live rock and sand should I get water too?

 

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[Coral Hind]

Yes, you still need to cycle a tank to get the nitrogen cycle in place to handle the waste from the fish. No, you do not need to use special water as the live rock should have the good bacteria in/on it. Just make sure it is dechlorinatred water if not RO and mixed properly to the right SG.

[wardragonet]

Ok thanks

 

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[Pants]

When people say "cycled" they mean they have allowed the tank to have ammonia levels build up (from poo and dying plants/animals). Then they waited further for the bacteria living in the live rock that break down ammonia (first to nitrite then to harmless nitrate) to reproduce to sufficient numbers to keep ammonia levels low enough that it is never toxic to the animals you keep.

 

If you add fish right away then ammonia (and nitrite) levels can get so toxic the fish die long before the bacteria reproduce enough to break down the ammonia.

 

So to get a good "cycle" you need:

1. Bacteria
   
2. A place for the bacteria to live/reproduce
   
3. Ammonia
   

When people leave tanks for weeks/months to "cycle" they get all three of those from the live rock they bought. Often new live rock will have a lot of stuff dying which provides an ammonia spike. If you rock doesn't have much die off then you won't get much ammonia which means your bacteria won't reproduce to levels sufficient to handle all of the dirty fish poo and uneaten fish food. This is why many people get a second cycle when they add each fish - not enough bacteria due to not enough ammonia to suport more bacteria.

 

You can set up a new tank and have fish immediately if you add live rock and a bottle of bacteria. This bacteria in a bottle has had a bad rep because until recently the bacteria you bought couldn't survive in your tank (it was all a scam). But a microbiologist isolated the correct bacteria for your salt water aquarium and he now sells bottles of it so you can get started right away. So if you use his product (DrTim's nitrifying bacteria) you can skip the cycle.

[wardragonet]

Thanks for breaking the process down for me.

 

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[Jon Lazar]

Do: take your time, add fish very slowly, monitor ammonia, and have a plan to deal with ammonia early.

 

Don't: add a slew of large fish to a young tank, wait for ammonia to go off the chart, and then post HELP!!!!!! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH MY FISH!!!!!!

[wardragonet]

You guys are very helpful, im learning so much

 

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[Coral Hind]

When you do add fish after it has cycled I would keep an ammonia binder on hand, something like Prime, just in case some ammonia does show up. You want to bind it up quickly so it doesn't hurt the fish.

[wardragonet]

I'm thinkin of mainly doing invert's maybe a fish or two being its a small 5.5g

 

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[BMW1600]

I'm a noob myself, only had my tank since this spring.

 

Don't rush to add fish.

 

ASK ME HOW I KNOW. It's sad and expensive lesson.

[smallreef]

With this being a pico tank it cojld easily cycle in a week...so keep an eye on it and keep running tests. Everyday after the initial ammonia spike. Did you ever pick up a filter or a powerhead for this tank?

[wardragonet]

Not yet im gonna stock it tomorrow

 

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[treesprite]

Please don't do it yet!

[wardragonet]

Im sorry not livestock, I ment starting the build process

 

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