NEW cycle any suggestions on carbon use??

Hey guys i been out of the hobby for a couple years and im planning on setting up a new 29 gallon. any sugestions and ways to best cycle my tank for example.. Carbon use and when? lighting and when? adding bacteria or just a damsel?? need som help thanks.

 

Bacteria worked well for me. Cycled within a few days. Lights, off during the cycle. Carbon, don't think your gonna need it off the bat.

 

Yea thats what i hear i just dont trust anyone at the lfs cause they just want to sell you everything.. and i remeber just throwing in a damsel and it took for ever to cycle.. it was a strugle.. and carbon maybe after the first week for water clarity?? and does the carbon slow down the cycling process??

 

Couldn't tell ya about the carbon. At the beginning you won't have to worry about water clarity. After your tank cycles i'm sure it'll be fine. But I'm sure somebody will pop up with the answer on here soon. Yeah, LFS's do that. They are extremely helpful if you know what to get from them and what not. My advice, learn through reading or forums like these. Then after you get the info if you have to go the LFS you'll go informed. Craigslist is your friend when buying parts.

I put bacteria in, waited about a week, then stuck two damsals in for about another week or two. Then got my livestock. In my case being one mantis shrimp.

 

Dont add a fish till you fully cycled. It Harms the fish, yea it might live, but amonia is like posion to fish so please dont use one. When i cycle i use lr from another tank of mine or live sand(if you dont have anyone ask the LFS for a cup of there sand or just buy a piece of lr) or you could just throw in a raw shrimp. My lights never come on and i dont skim and run carbon. Been cycling like this for ten years with no problems

 

Prob the smarter way to go

 

Alright sounds good thanks for the suggestions. and as for using bacteria and believing it gets cycled in just to days is that right??

 

That's how it worked out for me. My tank cycled in about a week.

 

Adding live bacteria can speed it up, But I have never seen or heard of a real 2 day cycle. Also when getting bacteria, remember it has been in the bottle for a long time. Bacteria needs Oxygen to survive, probably not a lot left in that bottle, so most of it will be dead. I think its better to get the bacteria from live rock, or sand, filter pads, etc from an existing system.

 

Yea your probably right about the whole oxegen thing i was actualy telling that to my freind just the other day. Well so far i have added water rock and sand nothing live at all just breaking in the filtration system pretty much. ill try adding something live there thanks.. and as far as live stock and corals wht do you guys suggest i should start adding first after the tank is fully cycled??