So I picked up a 29 biocube can and have a 120 can I

[linkfalcon]

Well to start i have a 120 with a total water vol of 150 ish gallon wondering if i can use the water them this tank in the bio cube to shorten cycleing. and just fill the big tank with new salt water. Then add live Rock to shorten the cycling . Thanks

 

I picked up a 29 gallon bio cube last week wanna set it up as a frag tank

Edited March 21, 2013 by linkfalcon

[Omair]

Easiest way to avoid a cycle is plenty of Live Rock. If you can take some Live Sand / Live Rock from your Main Display and use it in your Bio Cube with fresh saltwater that would be ideal. Then replace the rock/sand in your main DT with new.

[linkfalcon]

Darn was trying to avoid taking apart the rock work lol

[jaddc]

You don't need much of the live rock or sand to jumpstart the cycle. Maybe just one piece on the edge of your set-up. A cup of the sand will also work.

[linkfalcon]

Now that's do able cool thanks

[wade]

If you can wash some new sand well, take old sand from your main tank and put it in the biocube. Then add the new sand to the main tank. You won't have to worry about the rock at all unless you get stinky stuff with lots of die-back on it.

[budgetman]

When you do a water change, put it in the cube with live rock and sand. I do if all the time and have gone from a 6 gallon cube to a 40 breeder to a 100 gallon without ever cycling.

[Gatortailale]

I picked up a 29 gallon bio cube last week wanna set it up as a frag tank

 

 

Good advice above. My question is this just a frag tank with say, some egg-crate to hold plugs or discs; or are you intending to house a wrasse or few fish to patrol the tank and be a small display & tank to grow your frags? Depending on quality of water in your 120 I would use 50/50 of some water from 120 system and the other half new mixed water.

 

Are you buying extra new rock for this 29 or going to take a little from your system? Assuming you have a sump on your 150 you could put a few pieces of rock in that for a week to speed cycle of new rock.

 

End of day, what are your long term goals? The old saying is nothing good happens when you rush things with a reef tank. Unless you really need to move the coral frags to make space, it may be better to take it slow and make sure it is stable rather than put frags in first week and have a system crash. When ready, I would also start first week slow with a few frags and see how they do before filling tank with frags.

[kjamaya]

If it's just an eggcrate frag tank. I would do 20g from the tank and 9g fresh. Allow it to run for a week then do another water change. I did this with my frag tank and was able to throw stuff in immediately. As in for rocks get one of the rocks you have in your system crush it up and throw it in the chambers of the biocube.

 

[wade]

Just to be clear - the water doesn't do much. Aged water is better in that there's no further dissolution/precipitation/gas exchange going on, but that usually happens around 24-48hrs if mixed well.

 

A cycle is nothing more than the inoculation of your substrate with beneficial bacteria - in waves by type of food they like (the form of nitrogen). If you don't use rock or sand in the tank, the issue is moot. If you use sand/rock from an already cycled source and you keep it from getting cold/hot/dry it won't require a cycle either, although it will adjust in time to the bioload. No fish means even less time to be concerned.

 

The only remaining issue is matching the water (and light!) as closely as possible to the tank they are coming from to reduce any potential shock.

[linkfalcon]

Cool lots of good info got tank for 50 with stand so was thinking. Do small rock and small piece of egg create wanna keep Shrimp clowns wrasse. Wanna just frag up easy stuff in that tank