jmetz32 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 ill be setting up my 125 fowlr on thursday... i was going to start with around 80 lbs of live rock, 20 lbs of base rock.. then around 50 lbs of live sand, and about 160 lbs of dead sand.. how long before i can beginning adding fish? is the cycling time cut down because of the live sand and rock? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelhead77 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Probably 4 weeks minimum. I know that's not what you want to hear, and it's no fun looking at a box of water for a month. Sometimes it goes faster than 4 weeks, but that is a good benchmark. Try to rush it and you'll stress the fish and get started off on a bad foot. Patience is the key to success in this hobby. Rushing things only leads to disaster. You should be checking: 1) Ammonia 2) Nitrates 3) Nitrites At least every other day. Once all of these read 0 and you have a steady ph of ~8.2, then you can add fish. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbird Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 When I was fist starting up my tank it was suggested that I put a chunk of shrimp in the sand bed to start the cycle. This was to avoid putting in a victim fish to start off the bio load. I am still farily new to saltwater so I hope some one else chimes in here but in my experiece it work out very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arredondojason Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 i did the same thing when i started my 240G. I threw in two prawns from costco into a filter bag with some rock rubble then just waited a week then threw the whole bag away. Then just watched my ammonia spike then nitrites then nitrates and waited for ammonia and nitrites to read 0 then did a water change and also wait for the diatoms to cover and go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmetz32 Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 thank you all for your info.. i was wondering if the start up time would be any different if a started with all base rock and dead sand? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmetz32 Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 thank you all for your info.. i was wondering if the start up time would be any different if a started with all base rock and dead sand? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhoffee Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I started with damsels to start my 55g. It at least gave me something to stair at. The fish might die though while your cycling your tank. Just an added my 2 cents to this. And I agree to the four weeks of waiting. Slow is good in this hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pex Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 GENERALLY, starting with some love rock or live sand will help your tank cycle faster. But each tank is different. 4 weeks with starting out with some live stuff is a good ballpark guess, but ultimately your tank will be the one to tell you how long it takes. Pex Sent from the droid you're looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmetz32 Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 welll tank has begun to get green and brown algae growth already... is this a good sign that means tank is coming along quickly or normal to be there already? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbird Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 welll tank has begun to get green and brown algae growth already... is this a good sign that means tank is coming along quickly or normal to be there already? thanks Sounds about right from my experience. You may want to turn your lights off or have a shorter light cycle until you are ready for a clean up crew, Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmetz32 Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 will do... so question! im trading my 56 acrylic setup for a bigger tank tomorrow.. the 56 is currently up and running with some fish in it... i need to tear it down to trade it... if i added my sump from the established 56 and all the rock and sand... to the 125 system.. plus all the water from the 56... would i be able to move the fish from the 56 to the 125 then trade the 56? please help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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