i have a newb cycle question.

So restarted a tank that was functioning earlier today.30lbs new sand and just cleaned the live rock. Covered in coraline very healthy rock and filled with fresh ro/di salt water hoping to start fresh on an ex-experiment. Will my cycle be any shorter considering my rock is completely live? Just read two different answers from reputable refers. Thanks!

 

It was when I started my last set up in exactly the same manner you described

I also used cured live rock, new sand, new water
added a piece of prawn to kick start/ boost the bacteria
and ammonia and Nitrite peaked and dropped within 3 weeks

but every tank is different, watch the test kit results and its over, when its over

Steve

 

Thank you Steve.

 

It may be, but I see people rush their cycles and end up with dead fish all too often. Just not worth it. This hobby is all about patience, might as well get used to it. Take it slow and let it grow

 

Also, just to add.... This is a little off topic, but since your a newb amd I'm awake in the middle of the night, I'll edumucate ya... you say can "cycle be any shorter". In actuality, a cycle never ends, it is continuous and lasts for the life of your tank. So, the only way your cycle can be shorter is if your tank dosn't last as long. This may happen if you rush things, so yes, it could be shorter LOL.

So, the reason... the cycle really refers to the cycling of bacterial populations. These are constantly changing as bacteria populations grow and die based on availability of nutrients and stability of the water chemistry. We like to say a cycle is complete when the nitrite and ammonia read 0. This isn't true though. There is a significant amount of bacterial swings for several months to a year after. Which is why rushing often leads to dead livestock. After that, the cycling is pretty stable and generally not too noticeable to your animals. Then if your luky enough to get there, it tends to stabilize even more, actually becoming too stable for new organisms to thrive and only the old survive. However, they too start to deteriorate because of lack of new fauna and it's theorized that lack of competition allows pathogens to take over. We usually refer to this as "old tank syndrome"

OK, now I've bord myself enough I'm going back to sleep

 

Haha thank you im not really a NEWB, however i did not know anything about the old tank sydrome, interesting!
I have just heard that cycle is always the same legnth, and then i hear it can be shorter with live rock, the rock i'm using has been stable for about 3 years. very nice to know, it's not like i wasnt going to test my waters just currious.
Thanks for the input.

 

A new tank established with cured LR can have a very short or even no ammonia spike. There is already enough de-nutrifying bacteria on and within the LR to process any die off. One can also do a soft cycle, by doing small water changes during the cycle.

 

So are you basically saying that the cycle could be shorter without the ammonia spike?
(not trying to rush) im just trying to get this figured out for future reference.
Ill wait and see what kind of spike and cycle i get an post results.

 

I have started many a tank using all cured LR from one of my other tanks, and soft cycled the tank while watching the parameters.

For someone that is new to this hobby I do not recommend going that route but if you are an experienced hobbyist it can be easily done and the tank can display little to no classic cycle characteristics such as an ammonia spike.

 

Very cool. i dont know if i will risk anything stupid, this is the answer i've been looking for however. Im going to do small water changes and wait for my cycle to end.
Thank you!!