aged tank

JMorris271 · 01/21/2016, 04:35 PM

Would someone please tell me how an aged or mature tank is distinguished from a cycled tank and why the tank should be aged before putting in a cuc.
Thanks

sde1500 · 01/21/2016, 04:43 PM

Not sure what you are getting at. Typically the first thing to add after the tank is cycled is a very small CUC. Don't need anything too big because the tank won't have much in it for them to eat. Unless you went with real live rock from some place like TBS then you'd have more stuff for the CUC to eat. But most start with dry rock so there is no algae for them to eat.

Marty.H · 01/21/2016, 04:57 PM

The rocks in an aged tank looks different you will have coraline on the glass and rocks and the sandbed will be full of micro fauna as well as the rocks holding a load of life from pods to other bugs ect.

Food particles and poo will also get into the rocks and the CUC and other critters will munch it a marine system takes a long time to become "truly" mature

Sk8r · 01/21/2016, 05:04 PM

CUC goes into a new tank to eat, poo into the sandbed and get it ready for a first fish.

JMorris271 · 01/21/2016, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sde1500

Not sure what you are getting at. Typically the first thing to add after the tank is cycled is a very small CUC. Don't need anything too big because the tank won't have much in it for them to eat. Unless you went with real live rock from some place like TBS then you'd have more stuff for the CUC to eat. But most start with dry rock so there is no algae for them to eat.

What I am trying to ask here is does a new tank need to be mature before a cuc can be added. I started with 20 lbs of TB rock but unfortunately it had very little in the wAy of citters

CStrickland · 01/21/2016, 10:49 PM

Sometimes people have to wait a while before they add a CUC in order to have algae for them to eat.
Usually when people talk about mature tanks it's for pickier things like anemone or less hardy coral. Those don't tolerate noob mistakes well, and they need the biofilter and other parameters to be settled down. Most of your regular CUC snails and crabs aren't too fragile like that, but urchins and some other things like abalone can be more fussy I think.

01/21/2016, 04:35 PM	#1
JMorris271 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Foothills of SC Posts: 2,010	aged tank Would someone please tell me how an aged or mature tank is distinguished from a cycled tank and why the tank should be aged before putting in a cuc. Thanks __________________ 120 gal mixed tank. Lightly stocked now but....

01/21/2016, 04:43 PM	#2
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Not sure what you are getting at. Typically the first thing to add after the tank is cycled is a very small CUC. Don't need anything too big because the tank won't have much in it for them to eat. Unless you went with real live rock from some place like TBS then you'd have more stuff for the CUC to eat. But most start with dry rock so there is no algae for them to eat. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

01/21/2016, 05:04 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	CUC goes into a new tank to eat, poo into the sandbed and get it ready for a first fish. __________________ 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%.

01/21/2016, 10:49 PM	#6
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	Sometimes people have to wait a while before they add a CUC in order to have algae for them to eat. Usually when people talk about mature tanks it's for pickier things like anemone or less hardy coral. Those don't tolerate noob mistakes well, and they need the biofilter and other parameters to be settled down. Most of your regular CUC snails and crabs aren't too fragile like that, but urchins and some other things like abalone can be more fussy I think. __________________ If you're havin tank problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a fish ain't one Current Tank Info: 3/2016 upgrade to 120g. Chalk bass, melanurus, firefish, starry blenny, canary blenny, lyretail anthias, engineer gobys, kole tang. Softies / LPS / NPS. <3 noob4life <3

01/21/2016, 04:57 PM	#3
Marty.H Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 155	The rocks in an aged tank looks different you will have coraline on the glass and rocks and the sandbed will be full of micro fauna as well as the rocks holding a load of life from pods to other bugs ect. Food particles and poo will also get into the rocks and the CUC and other critters will munch it a marine system takes a long time to become "truly" mature