do i need to cycle?

ponda · 04/25/2015, 09:41 AM

I want to do an emergency evacuation.
I only have a 3 gal jbj tank.
Pests are killing my designer zoas left and right.

Can i just fill my evac tank up with water from my other tank?
To skip the cycle?
I have 0 live rock and 0 sand
Thanks

CafeReef · 04/25/2015, 09:46 AM

If you are using water from an established tank yes, i would recommend drip acclimating the corals to the new water and coral rx treat them for pests before introducing them to QT

DrBoxedWine · 04/25/2015, 09:52 AM

The bacteria is on the rocks and substrate, so while it might not be a bad idea to use tank water so corals are used to the new tank, you'll still probably be looking at ammonia issues.

gone fishin · 04/25/2015, 09:57 AM

I very seldom cycle a QT. I rely on WC's.

What kind of pests are you dealing with?

Are you just wanting to transfer Zoas?

ponda · 04/25/2015, 04:36 PM

yes just wanting to transfer my zoas over
getting attacked by nudibranch.

anyone else have any input?
id just be putting 3 gallons from my biocube29 into my 3gal pico (QT)tank
do i need to cycle?
thank you everyone whos replied :-)
input~!

disc1 · 04/25/2015, 04:39 PM

You'll either need to cycle it or stay on top of the ammonia readings and change water out as needed.

Using the water from your old tank won't help in any way as far as the nitrogen cycle goes. The bacteria that run the nitrogen cycle are mostly on the surfaces and in the rocks.

ponda · 04/25/2015, 04:58 PM

do u think taking out my chemipure bag from my biocube and polish pads and placing them into my jbj 3 gal for a few weeks would help? ???
also doing 20% water changes weekly?

DrBoxedWine · 04/25/2015, 08:55 PM

Yeah it will help and speed the cycle up. But for the first couple weeks at least, you'll want to neutralize the ammonia with prince once a day, and do a 50%,water change right before adding prime. It's possible that less than a 50% change is possible, maybe others can chime in. Prime neutralizes ammonia for 24 - 48 hours, per their website.

DrBoxedWine · 04/25/2015, 08:56 PM

You have a small enough tank tho where that shouldn't be too much of an issue hopefully?

DrBoxedWine · 04/25/2015, 08:56 PM

*prince=prime

ponda · 04/26/2015, 12:58 AM

Couldnt wait another day.
Just went ahead and filled up my 3 gal jbj pico with my biocube water.
Corals are starting to open up slightly.
My heater is only warming the tank up to 75

Hopefully my zoas live threw this! Feel like they were going to die anyways - so its worth a try
Decided against adding the chemipure bag into the pico due to pests. Dont want to add anything i dont have 2 :0

Dkuhlmann · 04/26/2015, 02:55 AM

This won't end well for these corals

Haste makes waste!!!!!

ponda · 04/26/2015, 09:30 AM

After reading i added the chemipure bag, hope that does the trick
When would you recommend doing the first water change? And what%

Sk8r · 04/26/2015, 10:17 AM

Oxygenate. Oxygenate. Oxygenate.
Change the filter media (if any) every time you spot a stain, which is bacterial activity.
Prime will knock ammonia if needed, and will not, at least, harm sps corals. Water changes daily with new salt water, warmed, will keep things under control.
I'd also run a little carbon because unhappy softies spit at each other.
Coral dip on the way into this setup.
There are 2 ways to run a tank---one with biological action keeping the water pure: you don't have that in any way that might not import the pest. The other is to keep the water pure and clean of biological products, and keep it continually clean. There is nothing fatal about good clean water, except starvation. And the lights should help them keep going.

anthonys51 · 04/26/2015, 11:29 AM

can i ask, would ammonia be so out of control if he isnt feeding the tank and coral dont make much waste

anthonys51 · 04/26/2015, 11:32 AM

plus i didnt read how he planned on curing his nudibranch problem. also why did he think he had a problem. did he see one. i had one of my zoa almost melt away. water was fine, i moved it down the other day to lower light seemed to rebound a little but it was only one day,.

04/25/2015, 09:41 AM	#1
ponda Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 293	do i need to cycle? I want to do an emergency evacuation. I only have a 3 gal jbj tank. Pests are killing my designer zoas left and right. Can i just fill my evac tank up with water from my other tank? To skip the cycle? I have 0 live rock and 0 sand Thanks

04/25/2015, 09:46 AM	#2
CafeReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Elkhorn, NE Posts: 1,405	If you are using water from an established tank yes, i would recommend drip acclimating the corals to the new water and coral rx treat them for pests before introducing them to QT __________________ 50 Gallon cube

04/25/2015, 09:57 AM	#4
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I very seldom cycle a QT. I rely on WC's. What kind of pests are you dealing with? Are you just wanting to transfer Zoas? __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

04/25/2015, 04:39 PM	#6
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	You'll either need to cycle it or stay on top of the ammonia readings and change water out as needed. Using the water from your old tank won't help in any way as far as the nitrogen cycle goes. The bacteria that run the nitrogen cycle are mostly on the surfaces and in the rocks. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

04/26/2015, 12:58 AM	#11
ponda Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 293	Couldnt wait another day. Just went ahead and filled up my 3 gal jbj pico with my biocube water. Corals are starting to open up slightly. My heater is only warming the tank up to 75 Hopefully my zoas live threw this! Feel like they were going to die anyways - so its worth a try Decided against adding the chemipure bag into the pico due to pests. Dont want to add anything i dont have 2 :0 Last edited by ponda; 04/26/2015 at 01:03 AM.

04/25/2015, 09:52 AM	#3
DrBoxedWine Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 899	The bacteria is on the rocks and substrate, so while it might not be a bad idea to use tank water so corals are used to the new tank, you'll still probably be looking at ammonia issues.

04/25/2015, 04:36 PM	#5
ponda Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 293	yes just wanting to transfer my zoas over getting attacked by nudibranch. anyone else have any input? id just be putting 3 gallons from my biocube29 into my 3gal pico (QT)tank do i need to cycle? thank you everyone whos replied :-) input~!

04/25/2015, 04:58 PM	#7
ponda Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 293	do u think taking out my chemipure bag from my biocube and polish pads and placing them into my jbj 3 gal for a few weeks would help? ??? also doing 20% water changes weekly?

04/25/2015, 08:55 PM	#8
DrBoxedWine Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 899	Yeah it will help and speed the cycle up. But for the first couple weeks at least, you'll want to neutralize the ammonia with prince once a day, and do a 50%,water change right before adding prime. It's possible that less than a 50% change is possible, maybe others can chime in. Prime neutralizes ammonia for 24 - 48 hours, per their website.

04/25/2015, 08:56 PM	#9
DrBoxedWine Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 899	You have a small enough tank tho where that shouldn't be too much of an issue hopefully?

04/26/2015, 02:55 AM	#12
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	This won't end well for these corals Haste makes waste!!!!! __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

04/26/2015, 09:30 AM	#13
ponda Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 293	After reading i added the chemipure bag, hope that does the trick When would you recommend doing the first water change? And what%

04/26/2015, 10:17 AM	#14
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Oxygenate. Oxygenate. Oxygenate. Change the filter media (if any) every time you spot a stain, which is bacterial activity. Prime will knock ammonia if needed, and will not, at least, harm sps corals. Water changes daily with new salt water, warmed, will keep things under control. I'd also run a little carbon because unhappy softies spit at each other. Coral dip on the way into this setup. There are 2 ways to run a tank---one with biological action keeping the water pure: you don't have that in any way that might not import the pest. The other is to keep the water pure and clean of biological products, and keep it continually clean. There is nothing fatal about good clean water, except starvation. And the lights should help them keep going. __________________ 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%.

04/26/2015, 11:29 AM	#15
anthonys51 Registered Member. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kings Park, NY Posts: 2,789	can i ask, would ammonia be so out of control if he isnt feeding the tank and coral dont make much waste

04/26/2015, 11:32 AM	#16
anthonys51 Registered Member. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kings Park, NY Posts: 2,789	plus i didnt read how he planned on curing his nudibranch problem. also why did he think he had a problem. did he see one. i had one of my zoa almost melt away. water was fine, i moved it down the other day to lower light seemed to rebound a little but it was only one day,.