cycling tank

How long do I have to let my 150 gallon salt water tank cycle?

 

Untill your tests show 0 Ammonia, and 0 Nitrites. Are you using live rock or throwing a piece of shrimp in to give the bacteria somthig to start on?

 

dont have any live rock in yet,i have some in my 20 gallon,would it be best to cycle with live rock,and also would it speed up the process.

 

You have to have somthing to start the process. The tanks I have started I used live rock and a cup of live sand from an established system. It did make the process a little faster. In my 180 after 2 weeks I showed 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite

 

i have 120 pounds of live sand in it.

 

Are you going to be putting live rock in it or base rock?

 

I started 2 weeks ago, 80 lbs LR ,75 lbs live sand ( New Sand ) 90Gal tank and 4 damsels....with some inverts....water is testing a little high on Ammonia, 0 nitrites and about 20 Nitrates .....LFS suggested a product called Ultra Clear to bring down Ammonia .....and speed up nitrification processs........but thats due mostly to the impatience .....which will get the best of me I'm sure! ( I know I know slow down! ) Just ordered a Refractometer...having issues with the plastic dial one....just not accurate. I am finding that money spent to get better equipment is well worth it !! Don't Skimp on the tools you need to get it right the first time!!

 

Do NOT use that product on a cycling tank. All it does is detoxify the ammonia, like Prime. You will then have 0 ammonia, but you'll also have no bacteria and the tank will fail as soon as you start to stock it.
Just be patient

 

ok thanks,

 

Yea, i mean it really depends on if you are using live rock or not. If you are place it in now, get it going. If you place it in after you cycle, be prepared to wait again, it will start the whole process over again. I got my tank, it was up and running for 3 years. Used same water, sand, got live rock from another tank that was breaking down after 4 years. I thought since all of this stuff was est. i would be fine. I was wrong, it still cycled for about a month. WICKED high ammonia, do not do water changes, just let it go. Test it twice or three times weekly. Should be about 4 weeks. To be on the safe side. Let me know if you are using seeded rock or wanna go the table shrimp method.