Best method for cycling a new tank

[CHILL]

Greetings,

I wanted to know what you oppinions are as to the best method for cycling a new tank. I have a 180 reef that I just finished filling with water. It has 100# "sugar sand" on the bottom and will have probably 150# cured Fiji LR put in this weekend. What cycling method has worked for you?

I started the other tank, a 120, with 25# LR and sad to say 11 Damsels. After reading several of the posts here I feel terrible about using the Damsels. I didn't know the damage that could be done, and the LFS where I got them from said they would be fine - live and learn I guess.

Anyway, I lost 2 of the Damsels the 3rd day (the others had hassled the poor buggers to stressed out death) and don't want to do that again with the 180. So I'm wondering what works best for you guys. I'm willing to try most anything and just so happen to have a bag of frozen cooked shrimp in the freezer (ChrisRD, I know you like that method).

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

The live rock will cycle the tank. Throw in the rock, turn on the filters, and watch nh4 for a week. You should see it go up and then down. Check trites then, same thing. In two weeks when nh4 and trites go to zero and the brown algae grows, put in a cleaner crew. Give it another week and then add a fish. My opinion is that if you cycle with live rock, it's fine, as long as you don't add a bunch of fish at once.

 

[Anonymous]

Agreed, the live rock has more than enough organics already. If it is really cured, the cycle will already have occurred on the rocks; but its more likely that stress from shipping will cause some die-off some degree of cycle will occur.

 

[attempt]

You can speed up your cycle by using a product called Nitromax
http://aquariumpros.com/aquaprostore/TRSbc.shtml
scroll down for nitromax saltwater
My LFS sells the stuff, it works great, I got cycled in less than 2 weeks with it.
I dont remember what the dosage on the bottle says, but the LFS here had me adding it every day the first week. I had spikes and then hit 0 across the board.

 

[Anonymous]

Attempt - I respectfully disagree with using anything to hasten the cycle. My opinion is that it is always best to use the minimal amount of additives. It's always easier to add something later than it is to take it out once it's put in - fish included!

So anyway, my tanks have all cycled in about 2 weeks with no additives. What's on the live rock, I've found, is good enough.

 

[tenshi]

Make sure to clean off any dead organisms off the live rock before you put it in, because any large dead organisms will slowly decompose in your tank, making the cycle longer than it should be.