Using cycled freshwater pieces to cycle SW?

[joephys]

The shrimp beer method, would that be throw a dead shrimp in the tank, and let it break down naturally until the tank is cycled, while you sit back and drink beer for a month? Yes, that does work, but isn't necessary if you have live rock. If you don't have live rock, that is a very common way to cycle salt water tanks. It works for fresh water as well.

[johnpeezy]

well it was more on the lines of:
setup new tank
add shrimp
wait for ammonia and drink beer
wait for nitrite and drink more beer etc...

i personally liked this approach but I'm allergic to alcohol so I had to find another means of cycling my tank

[joephys]

yeah, same basic idea.

[Emg]

Ha....good info from the both of you !

Personally from my experience I go with the simpler the better. I too only use HOBs (setup as small refugiums) and power heads in my reef/s for filtration and for export all I do is put some filter pads in the HOBs and blow off the rocks when I do a water change.


Your best bet to speed up a cycle in a sw tank is to start off with cured live rock. You may still have a small cycle as any die off in the rock decays....but it should be a short lived cycle if the rock is truely cured...as long as it doesn't take too long to get from their tank to yours. If you know someone with an established reef with a deep sand bed, you might ask them for a bit of their sand to also help get things going in there.


A beginner in sw can certainly do coral and have a good deal of success....if you choose the hardier more forgiving corals. many of the soft coral are usually more tolerant of less than idea parameters and also can do well on lower lighting...so no need to start right up with big expensive lighting fixtures right off the bat. There are also a number of hardier fish to start with as well. Once you experience some success with a smaller easier to keep system....and you're sure you're in it for the long haul....then go for it ! Higher lighting .... bigger tank .... way cool fish and coral......under tank refugium/sump....wah HOO !

And please do be sure to share with your friends here at AB by posting a chronicle of your setup...with lots of pics....we LOVE pics !!!


Oh...and I have a writeup on that shrimp/beer method that I could share if you'd like.....though it's not really relevant to sw tanks.



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[J2FcM]

as usual, thanks so much for the help everyone.

my main problem now is finding a spot to place a tank!

I'm thinking of starting up a 6 or 10g, with 5-10lbs live sand, and a few lbs live cured rock, and just letting it do its thing with some salt water... maybe add a hermit crab... that way I would haev a SW tank "on call" for any upgrades, or potential tiny specimens.

My over all goal is to get a "reef dreadnaught" in the form of a peacock mantis shrimp though, some live rock, and a clown fish. Maybe some coral, or maybe maybe maybe try an anenome, but I dont really feel like risking a centuries old life.

[joephys]

mantis and fish don't go well together. Either the mantis will eat the fish, or a fish will eat the mantis. In the case of the clown, the mantis will eat the clown.

If you do try an anemone, please get a captive bred Bubble tip anemone, they are one of the easiest to keep. Really, a 10 gallon is too small since the common anemones get huge. Anemones don't reproduce very often in the wild, and like you said, they are centuries old often. Clown fish are sitting ducks with out an anemone in the wild, so when ever an anemone is removed from the wild, so is a potential home for a clown.

[J2FcM]

Well, the clown is definitly 3rd tier in priorities. I've seen the 2 co-exist though... I suppose it does "invite" trouble (long term), so right now its securely put there as an idea, but the mantis is going to happen eventually.

I hear that on the anenomes.

[Fractured]

10g sure doesn't leave much room for play.

Maybe A clown, peppermint shrimp, and blue leg hermits be nice. (beware hermits eat cleaning crews *snails* for there shells.

I got away with a 10g with 5lbs sand 5 lbs of rock HOB filter

Stocked with a Tomato Clown, Sebae anenome , and Kenya + Xenia soft corals.

I honestly think you should reconsider the 10g route especially if you want to add the things you mention.

At the least if money is an issue grab a 20g long tank for what you are wanting to stock.

[Emg]

Yeah, I'd definitely go the 20long route rather than a 10. The fish will appreciate the added length....and you really don't have to spend much more for the 20long than a 10....except that it doubles the cost for enough rock....