2 Questions re. Cycling and Sand:

[jdl10011]

1. I keep reading mixed advice re. whether to cycle with just live rock or to cycle with rock and sand together. Thoughts?
2. Recommendations for sand? I saw live bagged sand at petco. I prefer finer sand to coarser material, though obviously want what's best for tank.
Thanks!

 

[Awibrandy]

1. I keep reading mixed advice re. whether to cycle with just live rock or to cycle with rock and sand together. Thoughts?
2. Recommendations for sand? I saw live bagged sand at petco. I prefer finer sand to coarser material, though obviously want what's best for tank.
Thanks!

Welcome to reefing jdl.
I went, and did a quick look over your previous thread. All of your questions were answered.

Your not really getting mixed advice on how to cycle your tank. They have told you that there are different ways to cycle a tank. Bottom line it is your tank, your choice of which way you want to go.
If you are going to use both live rock & sand in your tank, then go ahead and cycle it with both.
If you do not intend on using sand (some people prefer a bare bottom[no sand]) then you simply cycle your tank with the rocks. Live or dead rocks is fine also.
You also do not have to cycle a tank with a piece of shrimp in it, you can add a tiny pinch of fish (flakes or pellet) food.
I cannot help you with a nano, I have never owned one. Smallest I had was a 20 gallon tank. All I can tell you is that you have to stay on top of small tanks because things can go wrong in all tanks, but it can be devastating to a small one.
As for what sand to get, that again is up to your likes. I can tell you that you do not need to buy "Live Sand".
Also, be very careful on who's advice you take. Some come across as very knowledgeable but in fact do not know much.

 

[jdnumis]

+1 with Awi. She gives great advice as well as many others on here. When I cycled my tank I used both live sand(bagged) and live rock. I hear mixed reviews with sand but knock on wood, no problems as of yet and my tank has been up for over a year.

Hope this helps.

All the best,

James

 

[Imbarrie]

Using sand or not is also dependent on your livestock. If you decide not to use sand then stay away from things that burrow or sift sand.
I prefer sand because it approximates the reef floor. But there are creatures that spend their lives on reef tops and never touch sand.

 

[thirty5]

I am working a new tank build right now. I plan on using DRY rock and non-live sand. I want to start it from scratch and not have anyone elses stuff in my tank. I may see it with a cup of sand from my current tank, and I may also start with a shrimp (in a media bag), just to jump start.

There are many ways to go, but ultimately you want your cycle. You need to accomplish that how you want to, but one way or another it will get done. You do not need to waste money on live sand or even live rock. It all depends on how fast you are looking to get your tank going.

Good Luck!