cycling with macro's

tinkerman · 01/12/2011, 01:02 AM

I've been reffing for 2 yrs now and did planted tanks before that. I was wondering peoples opinions on cycling with a macro as when I did planted there was no cycle do to the plants consuming it. Have people tried doing this before?

DanEnglish · 01/12/2011, 01:15 AM

If you start off with some live rock from an established tank which would have the necessary bacteria on it I would say that this could very well work. I am currently doing this at the moment to set up a nano using rock from my 110.

ejcatmul · 01/12/2011, 02:22 AM

Marco's suppose to have a "Smart Start" cured rock. I have Reef Cleaners dry Rock and it's been great.

Sk8r · 01/12/2011, 10:24 AM

Should have no trouble. The macro will sop up the phosphate, which cycling doesn't, anyway. The bacteria for cycling are after decay byproducts. Feed a little bit of flake daily until you cycle and do it until you're sure the bacteria are handling it all the way in sufficient quantity to support snails and hermits.

HanoverFist · 01/12/2011, 10:39 AM

I had chaeto in the tank while cycling and got ZERO algae. Had a bit of diatoms but, thanks to ro/di water that was very minimal. Still, 5 months in, zero algae except minor slime algae on glass. And I do mean minor.

This is my first tank and I think ill be dropping chaeto in every tank I cycle from now on. Just to be safe. :P

tinkerman · 01/12/2011, 02:45 PM

Marco's need a forum of nitrate, phosphate, and potasium along with trace elements, unless their needs are different from freshwater plants to grow. Plants will use amonia, nitrite, nitrate as a forum on N. So other than just sopping up phosphates it would decrease amonia, nitrite, nitrate. When doing freshwater plants if you started with enough plant mass you would skip the cycle as the plants just sucked everything up and you could just add fish and stuff right away. I know that corals might not be the best idea to add right away just because the water parms arn't stable yet, but you could add fish, snails, and crabs. I know with the planted tanks if you could keep your plants groing at full potential you wouldn't get algea. So why wouldn't this be recomended to newbies more often? It would decrease algea problems from the start and eliminate the cycle wait. I know people say no good things come quickly but if freshwater planted tanks can then why not saltwater too. I know when doing the planted tanks we would take stuff from other hobbies and what not and use it. For example venturies and needlewheel pumps to disolve co2 better. Saltwater always had better lighting info, par readings and such. Sorry not ting to start a agrument but just a discusion on the matter. I think this would help alot of newbies if it works like freshwater planted tanks.

01/12/2011, 01:02 AM	#1
tinkerman Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Moorhead,MN Posts: 386	cycling with macro's I've been reffing for 2 yrs now and did planted tanks before that. I was wondering peoples opinions on cycling with a macro as when I did planted there was no cycle do to the plants consuming it. Have people tried doing this before?

01/12/2011, 10:24 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Should have no trouble. The macro will sop up the phosphate, which cycling doesn't, anyway. The bacteria for cycling are after decay byproducts. Feed a little bit of flake daily until you cycle and do it until you're sure the bacteria are handling it all the way in sufficient quantity to support snails and hermits. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

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01/12/2011, 01:15 AM	#2
DanEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NYC Posts: 360	If you start off with some live rock from an established tank which would have the necessary bacteria on it I would say that this could very well work. I am currently doing this at the moment to set up a nano using rock from my 110.

01/12/2011, 02:22 AM	#3
ejcatmul Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Utah Posts: 53	Marco's suppose to have a "Smart Start" cured rock. I have Reef Cleaners dry Rock and it's been great.

01/12/2011, 10:39 AM	#5
HanoverFist Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Phoenix, Az Posts: 626	I had chaeto in the tank while cycling and got ZERO algae. Had a bit of diatoms but, thanks to ro/di water that was very minimal. Still, 5 months in, zero algae except minor slime algae on glass. And I do mean minor. This is my first tank and I think ill be dropping chaeto in every tank I cycle from now on. Just to be safe. :P

01/12/2011, 02:45 PM	#6
tinkerman Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Moorhead,MN Posts: 386	Marco's need a forum of nitrate, phosphate, and potasium along with trace elements, unless their needs are different from freshwater plants to grow. Plants will use amonia, nitrite, nitrate as a forum on N. So other than just sopping up phosphates it would decrease amonia, nitrite, nitrate. When doing freshwater plants if you started with enough plant mass you would skip the cycle as the plants just sucked everything up and you could just add fish and stuff right away. I know that corals might not be the best idea to add right away just because the water parms arn't stable yet, but you could add fish, snails, and crabs. I know with the planted tanks if you could keep your plants groing at full potential you wouldn't get algea. So why wouldn't this be recomended to newbies more often? It would decrease algea problems from the start and eliminate the cycle wait. I know people say no good things come quickly but if freshwater planted tanks can then why not saltwater too. I know when doing the planted tanks we would take stuff from other hobbies and what not and use it. For example venturies and needlewheel pumps to disolve co2 better. Saltwater always had better lighting info, par readings and such. Sorry not ting to start a agrument but just a discusion on the matter. I think this would help alot of newbies if it works like freshwater planted tanks.