Rapid cycling?

The guy is right, but he gave you the short version. Something has to start the cycle process.....something has to decay in your tank. Once that starts you should see a rise in the ammonia level, followed by a decline in ammonia and a rise in nitrite, followed by a decline in nitrite and a rise in nitrate. In the end ammonia should be zero, nitrite should be zero, and nitrates should be as close to zero as possible. When this happens you have "cycled" and are ready for live stock (slowly).

The bacteria in the live sand should start this cycle going because some of it will die and decay, causing ammonia ......etc (see above).

IMO the notion of adding Biospira is to cycle quickly with nothing "live" in the tank including LR and LS. Again, IMO I would let nature take its course.

Good luck

 

To cycle fast, the best way I've found is using another tanks' established water + filtered ocean water from your fish store.

 

Well, using another tanks water is not going to cycle your tank quickly. The bacteria you want is going to harbor in the rock and sand. Taking only the water is going to do virtually nothing. If your going to go that route instead of using water I suggest asking your local fish store, or a friend, for some media out of their filters. Or a cup or two full of the established tanks sand.

meklo

 

Why not just leave it be by itself?

 

You are rushing things.....from the other post you don't have nor intend to get live rock......that is the only way you can add large amounts of beneficial bacteria to a tank in a hurry. Even Biospira won't add enough to keep puffers etc. Even a fully cycled tank should accept new livestock slowly so that the bacteria have time to adjust to the added bio load. This is a hobby that can't be rushed without dire consequences. Just imagine the little faces of the science camp kids who come through to see a tank with unhealthy inhabitants stressed from their environment and algae blooms etc.....what kind of message is that sending????

 

I KNOW... my coworkers who don't know much about this (I mean I'm not an expert- yet- but I know loads more than they do) keep pressuring me to put the fish back in and I keep saying no... I'm going to get bioballs and keep doing partial water changes, and the refugium project which should be sweet once completed is coming along nicely, which will remove Nitrogen compounds (think lots of algae and good water flow through it).

Any other suggestions ... I could really use them

thanks guys,
Alex

 

Ok news, our local pet store has a marine aquarium genius guy, who has a few hundred gallons at home. He's going to sell us some live rock at $3/lb, and also algae. I'll cure the rock, don't worry. But our tanks can't be 'reef tanks' is one of the rules. Too expensive and all, as much as I'd love to have that. So, I guess, water changes it is, in addition to whatever live rock and macroalgae I can get my boss to buy.