Cycling

Now I know there is good information on cycling all over the place. I have read quite a bit of it. I will be piecing together my new setup for the 75g.

Theoretically.. all I need to start the cycle.. is sump... pump.. rock and sand right? Then while the tank is cycling I can round up my lighting, skimmer, etc.

Do I need a powerhead in the tank during cycle?

 

I would have at least one source of flow in the tank. You don't actually need the sump for the cycle (though you may find it easier to plumb in the beginning).

Oh and don't forget saltwater!!! ;D

You'll need something to kickstart - if some of your rock is live rock, that will do it.


EDIT: I added my lights after cycle and added my skimmer a few months after cycle. This worked out fine for me. Allowed me to spread the expense across a few money cycles.

 

I am a newbie too. But am about to start cycling a tank in the near future. Not sure if it will be saltwater, probably not. But in order to get it started, you should ask your LFS what type of bacteria they use to cycle their tanks. My LFS brought out their "personal" bottle and put some of it in a bag for me...man did it smell. lol. These are the types of conditioners you use to dechlorinate your water. I just bought Nutrafin's Cycle and Seachem's Prime. These have little bacteria in them that will start your cycle. I think you can feed food to your empty tank as well. Also, if you can get a layer of gravel/sand from the LFS that already has bacteria established on it, or an old filter bag. Anything that has ickys on it. lol. Make sure you have a non-expired test kit (drops) to moniter your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate spikes so you know when your cycle is done.

But there are far more experienced people to help you with this process than me...I probably just told you a bunch of stuff that is not valid...just tryin to help. Anybody out there know if my advise makes sense? lol

 

Another question I have... I currently have a 37g setup with fish, rock, corals, inverts etc. My plan as of now is to move all of the rock from it that doesnt have corals on it into the new tank when I begin to cycle (which is most). Once the cycle is over.. moving the little bit of rock and the fish etc over. What is the correct way to do this?
I will need to do it quickly because I will be selling the old tank to buy lights for the new tank. So they will overlap.

 

I only have 3 fish... all of them are around 1 inch.. so shouldnt be too much of a difference in the 125G.... thought I would add that..
I also have just a few corals as well.

 

Wait, I don't get it, are you MOVING to a 125g, or to a 75g? I think you can just transfer your live rock over to the new tank to help your cycle go faster. Pretty positive about this one. This would actually be BETTER that you already have established live rock for the cycle. Just don't put those fish in it haha

 

If you transfer rock sand and water there would not be a cycle right?
Danny

 

I cycled with a fish....

 

I think you are RIGHT...because I basically just moved my tank from one house to another, left the live rock alone...which has accumulated TONS of die-off now. And added BRAND-NEW substrate, kept only 50% of the old water, so basically half the tank was new and half was old and I saw no spike. Or if anything my levels never got lethal. And now I can clean up all the dead, dirty spots like my sump and Live Rocks seprately and slowly, so that I don't kill ALL the beneficial bacteria at once.

It would be like just performing a huge water change or a large house move. No prob

 

You've pretty much said the correct way to do this.

Since you're removing rock (biological filtration) from the 37, you'll need to monitor it closely.