Cycling Tank With Dead Rock and Dry Sand

emp111 · 03/07/2015, 04:07 PM

Because of timing I have dead rock and dry sand in aquarium ready for saltwater that I am currently mixing. I plan on doing a fishless cycle. Can I add the saltwater to tank and sump run the system for a few days before I add ammonia to start cycle? Also, I will be using miracle mud in my refugium can I add that as well? Any help would be deeply appreciated.

julie180 · 03/07/2015, 04:19 PM

No problem running fresh saltwater before adding ammonia. I don't know anything about miracle mud.

gone fishin · 03/07/2015, 04:34 PM

That is how I did mine, gave the cloudiness from the sand time to go away. Like Julie I have no experience with miracle mud. Good luck.

emp111 · 03/07/2015, 04:40 PM

THANKS Julie and Gone Fishing> Hopefully I will get a response on the mud.

gone fishin · 03/07/2015, 04:42 PM

I remember quite awhile back it was all the rage. I don't hear much about it anymore.

Virtual Balboa · 03/07/2015, 08:45 PM

The dead rock I used in my tank caused it to cycle without adding ammonia. That is if you mean it was once live rock that needs to be cured. I was a little surprised by how fast it happened so after my ammonia and nitrite levels were zero I added ammonia then checked to see how long it took for everything to normalize. And it did very fast. The die off from your rock could be enough to cause your tank to cycle without adding anything. Check ammonia after you add the saltwater and see if it spikes. You'd be able to smell it too.

FortuneFavours · 03/08/2015, 03:15 PM

I used dry base rock (not dead rock) and dry sand. As it wasn't dead rock there was no die-off and so I needed a source of ammonia; I dosed ammonia directly.

If I had to go back and do it again I would change two things:

1. Don't miscalculate the amount of ammonia needed and accidentally overdose twice, leading to really high nitrate level (!)

2. Don't waste salt by bringing salinity up to 1.024(ish) - I can't remember the figure off hand, but after a lot of research I found a great article that said that the bacteria we're trying to grow can live in salinity of much less (I think it was around 1.010, but don't quote me on that. Perhaps one of the pros can chime in). At the end of the cycle you'll probably want to do a big water change to bring the nitrate level down to an acceptable level, so no point wasting the salt if you don't need to. I have a 300G tank, so the amount of money wasted on salt during cycling was eye-watering...

03/07/2015, 04:07 PM	#1
emp111 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 26	Cycling Tank With Dead Rock and Dry Sand Because of timing I have dead rock and dry sand in aquarium ready for saltwater that I am currently mixing. I plan on doing a fishless cycle. Can I add the saltwater to tank and sump run the system for a few days before I add ammonia to start cycle? Also, I will be using miracle mud in my refugium can I add that as well? Any help would be deeply appreciated.

03/07/2015, 04:34 PM	#3
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	That is how I did mine, gave the cloudiness from the sand time to go away. Like Julie I have no experience with miracle mud. Good luck. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/07/2015, 04:42 PM	#5
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I remember quite awhile back it was all the rage. I don't hear much about it anymore. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/07/2015, 08:45 PM	#6
Virtual Balboa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Michigan Posts: 246	The dead rock I used in my tank caused it to cycle without adding ammonia. That is if you mean it was once live rock that needs to be cured. I was a little surprised by how fast it happened so after my ammonia and nitrite levels were zero I added ammonia then checked to see how long it took for everything to normalize. And it did very fast. The die off from your rock could be enough to cause your tank to cycle without adding anything. Check ammonia after you add the saltwater and see if it spikes. You'd be able to smell it too. __________________ Mark "Anything worth doing, is worth doing right." Current Tank Info: 29 gallon, 75 gallon in the works

03/08/2015, 03:15 PM	#7
FortuneFavours Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: London, UK Posts: 170	I used dry base rock (not dead rock) and dry sand. As it wasn't dead rock there was no die-off and so I needed a source of ammonia; I dosed ammonia directly. If I had to go back and do it again I would change two things: 1. Don't miscalculate the amount of ammonia needed and accidentally overdose twice, leading to really high nitrate level (!) 2. Don't waste salt by bringing salinity up to 1.024(ish) - I can't remember the figure off hand, but after a lot of research I found a great article that said that the bacteria we're trying to grow can live in salinity of much less (I think it was around 1.010, but don't quote me on that. Perhaps one of the pros can chime in). At the end of the cycle you'll probably want to do a big water change to bring the nitrate level down to an acceptable level, so no point wasting the salt if you don't need to. I have a 300G tank, so the amount of money wasted on salt during cycling was eye-watering... __________________ Working on my 300G... "Fortune favours the brave!" said a poor, brave man.

03/07/2015, 04:19 PM	#2
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	No problem running fresh saltwater before adding ammonia. I don't know anything about miracle mud.

03/07/2015, 04:40 PM	#4
emp111 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 26	THANKS Julie and Gone Fishing> Hopefully I will get a response on the mud.