Uncycled Frag tank?

[Galantra]

I am coming across many good deals on SPS and other type of frags; but as many of you know I have taken down my tank and just recently setup a smaller cube for the time being, which hasn't cycled yet.

I really would like to setup or run a frag/Propagation tank is there anyway to work around setting up a system that is not cycled or a method on quickly setting up a system like what I would like to do.

Would love to hear some insight please also from vendors who may experience creating a quick system.

 

[nycdominicanreef]

Anything rushed in this hobby typically starts bad and ends bad

 

[bizzarro]

Best thing to do is get water from established tanks that are healthy. But depending on what you plan to put it in you may be better off being patient for a while.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

If you "need" to get it done on a schedule using water and rock from an established tank can get some livestock in there quickly but you can't have a full blown tank fully stocked in a day. I would still add animals slowly. Since it's at home and you are probably looking for stability and a long lived tank, I would just let the system cycle on it's own. As long as your rock isn't terrible it shouldn't take too long. Either way I wouldn't add SPS for awhile though.

 

[Galantra]

No I understand what everyone is saying but i believe everyone has the wrong idea of ehat i am looking to do. I am more looking to create a frag tank to house frags at the moment, basically I have an order coming in that I can't cancel and don't want to lose the SPS. I been in saltwater for over 6 years and understand waiting for the water to age my question is how can I or if I can create a frag tank right away without any lost of frags

 

[CONSTANTNE]

Im assuming this frag tank will not be plumbed to your cube correct?

Like others have said using established water and rock is probably your best bet. If it was anything OTHER than SPS I wouldnt have worried too much but SPS are very finicky sometimes.

 

[Galantra]

Yea, I am guessing the same I could plumb it to the 60 but I am guessing I will need alot of waste water and more than a couple pounds of LR

 

[Brando457]

Isn't only a marginal bit of bacteria found in water as far as dealing with the cycle and 99% found on the rock.

I would email vendors and ask how they setup tank short-term for events and shows, then mimic it but with more attention to detail.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[Galantra]

Well I was hoping for a vendor to chime in

 

[NYreefNoob]

yes u can plumb it into you existing tank without really any issue's, basically adding the frag tank and filling will be like doing a wc. the one thing you might run into as there wont be any slime ect on the frag tank is it might have a little diatom outbreak on that tank, if plumbed into other system would be no need for adding lr ect, lol or ya could just bring the frags to me and i will hold them for you

 

[ming]

The swap systems aren't really meant for long term, but what they basically do is just add the mixed saltwater, then the only "live rock" which enters into the tank are really just the frag plugs which has been immersed in water since transporting from their stock tanks, therefore thats your main source of bacteria for the most part. Then they typically use a LOT of carbon in canisters as its been said carbon is much more efficient then our skimmers. If you're planning for long term, you might want more live rock and perhaps add some special blend or other live bacteria to jump start the cycle, and ofcourse a skimmer.

 

[albano]

Ritch... if you're gonna have a sump with the frag tank, you can definitely set up an 'instant' system. Done it many times. My grandson's tank is 2 months old and doing great
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/tank-threads/97612-albanos-mini-me.html

I've got all the LR and water you'll need, & even a few extra sumps!

 

[Galantra]

Rick, you are too far to keep depositing frags. SO from my existing tank it pretty much dry rock with 4lbs of live rock to seed the dry rock. If I plumb this tank with the frag tank I would I still need more Live rock? and still use waste water from an establish tank?

 

[Galantra]

The swap systems aren't really meant for long term, but what they basically do is just add the mixed saltwater, then the only "live rock" which enters into the tank are really just the frag plugs which has been immersed in water since transporting from their stock tanks, therefore thats your main source of bacteria for the most part. Then they typically use a LOT of carbon in canisters as its been said carbon is much more efficient then our skimmers. If you're planning for long term, you might want more live rock and perhaps add some special blend or other live bacteria to jump start the cycle, and ofcourse a skimmer.

So ming if I get some establish water and some carbon and slowly add more live rock I should be ok?

 

[Galantra]

Ritch... if you're gonna have a sump with the frag tank, you can definitely set up an 'instant' system. Done it many times. My grandson's tank is 2 months old and doing great
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/tank-threads/97612-albanos-mini-me.html

I've got all the LR and water you'll need, & even a few extra sumps!

Alfi, what kind of sump I think I have an idea of how I am gonna set it up but what kinda sumps? and I will hold you on the LR and water

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Ritch... if you're gonna have a sump with the frag tank, you can definitely set up an 'instant' system. Done it many times. My grandson's tank is 2 months old and doing great
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/tank-threads/97612-albanos-mini-me.html

I've got all the LR and water you'll need, & even a few extra sumps!

+1 As long as you have good rock in there you are good. I set up systems like that all the time and the only time I had a crash was from my son dumping a jar of shrimp pellets in my sump.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Pretty sure a vendor already chimed in....

If you are getting an order in and you need this done asap, just cannibalize the cube and use a little rock and keep swapping water back and forth between the two unless plumbing them together doesn't require any major work like drilling right now. I wouldn't use the dry rock unless it's already been cured.

 

[ming]

So ming if I get some establish water and some carbon and slowly add more live rock I should be ok?

water doesn't really hold much bacteria, the surfaces of things such as rock holds most of it. If the rock is from your existing system, then that would be ideal since you know its live. Transporting live rock from someone else's house sometimes doesn't ensure the live rock was submerged the entire time, so there may be die off, especially sponges.

 

[Galantra]

Pretty sure a vendor already chimed in....

If you are getting an order in and you need this done asap, just cannibalize the cube and use a little rock and keep swapping water back and forth between the two unless plumbing them together doesn't require any major work like drilling right now. I wouldn't use the dry rock unless it's already been cured.

But the cube hasn't really start to cycle as of yet so thats where my issue lies so getting establish live rock is my only option right now correct?

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Correct, but I would also get some water even though the rock is more important, the water will help.