No base or liverock

Is it possible to cycle a salt water tank with only sand and crushed coral. No base rock or live rock? I wont be able to get the live or base rock for a while but I have everything else I need to get started.
Thanks

 

Yeah, but you wouldn't want to keep anything in the tank. The rock may still need to cure too, which would put you back a lil while.

 

Are you going to use a crushed coral substrate?
I've read a lot of posts about people regretting that and wanting to change over to sand. It causes nitrate issues.

 

yes but in the long term you will want the rock if its a reef.


well I guess even a reef could be done with out a rock but I wouldn't like it.

 

You'd be kinda limited in corals, to the stuff that lives directly on the sand like trachys and the massive-skeletoned stuff, like acans and brains.

 

Its a 50/50 mix of sand and crushed coral.
I plan on getting base and liverock and adding it, but would like to start getting the tank to cycle first. I wont be able to get the rock until a few weeks.

 

Well, you could throw in dead jumbo shrimp, and you'd have some bacteria ready for the rock, but the rock would still need to cure for a while.

 

Im not in a rush to add fish, I just want to get everything started. So even If I let it cycle and then add the live rock that would be fine?

 

As long as you give the live rock its time to cure, then yeah, it'll work, but I personally don't see the point.

 

What if its 90% dry base rock?