Warlock Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 who/where is a good supplier that you would trust for Dry Rock? Reef Builders/the sponsor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerrickH Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Bulk Reef Supply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Marco rocks (not the poster) and reefcleaners have very good dry rock as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 (edited) would "LIVE" sand provide some bacteria during cycling? it seems like DRY is a very good way to go.. Edited November 17, 2011 by Warlock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Dry is best in terms of avoiding pests. Prof at Epic reef(soon to be named something else) has had dry rock and sand in the past. Give him a call and see what he has. Mark(Mr Saltwatertank) is quite fond of Dr Tim's bacteria in a bottle if you want to speed up the process. He has a review video of it, check his site for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerrickH Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 If you use the bacteria in a bottle you wont need live sand. However, using "dry" dead sand will give you a larger diatom bloom during cycling since there are far more silicates in dry sand vs "live" sand. When I set my tank up after the move, I used a couple bags of live sand and sun bleached rock and my cycle took only a couple weeks. I did however use some damsels and I regret it every day, they are punks and near impossible to catch, especially with a canopy on my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 could a "Clean Up" crew help cycle the tank? instead of putting in fish.. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 could a "Clean Up" crew help cycle the tank? instead of putting in fish.. ? Yes, but most are more sensitive to ammonia than fish. I wouldn't recommend trying to cycle with a CUC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 (edited) jestep.. but i am ok.. with just letting the tank run with "live" sand and DRY Rock for a couple of months.. that is the way i was thinking... Edited November 17, 2011 by Warlock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerrickH Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 You need to seed the tank with something. You can use a piece of raw shrimp for this. Also, there are direct ammonia methods to do this. Just google "saltwater cycle methods" and there should be a lot of different ways. Bacteria in a bottle is the fastest and natural I believe. Hit Mark up on this, he knows where to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 You Guys are Great thanks!! i know i am a newbie to this.. but i just want to right, its the best way to learn.. i am not in a rush to set up tank.. last time i did that.. i lost 4 discus so the live sand isn't very live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 It's debatable how live it really is. IMO, it's just full of dead stuff that speeds up the cycle due to being pre-innoculated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 It's debatable how live it really is. IMO, it's just full of dead stuff that speeds up the cycle due to being pre-innoculated. so its ok to have the "live" sand and dry rock with filter circulate and just let nature take its course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerrickH Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Warlock, you need something that will raise the ammonia to get the cycle moving along. The live sand will be live in itself, but the dead rock needs the bacteria created by the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia needs to be produced and the byproduct is the beneficial bacteria through the cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Also check these out: http://aqua-tecture.com/ They're made with clay and do not have as many crevices as a lot of the dry rock, which supposedly helps prevent old tank syndrome down the road, but you don't really get to make your own scape. Pretty cool nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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