Starting up question

[LoveJC03]

Getting kinda antsy and really wanna start our tank up. We've got about 45-50lbs of agrocrete in our tank and we'll be putting livesand & crushed coral in with it.. along with maybe 10lbs of live rock & chaeto for the fuge.

Do you have to run a skimmer right away, while you're cycling?? Can we add a skimmer after we add our first fish? Is it a bad idea to not use one right away...will breaking it in and the microbubbles be bad after fish are added?

If anyone can clear this up.. thank you!

 

[JustinsReefTank]

first off I would not use crucshed coral. It traps all the detrius and nitrates and can cause you a serious head-ache down the road. I would definetly do away with that and go with sand.

Just my opinion

 

[LoveJC03]

first off I would not use crucshed coral. It traps all the detrius and nitrates and can cause you a serious head-ache down the road. I would definetly do away with that and go with sand.

Just my opinion

Even if we mix it with our live sand? ....skimmer now or not? lol

 

[LoveJC03]

I'm just going to read this thread :frustrat: https://www.livingreefs.com/cycling-tank-adding-fish-and-corals-t26452.html

 

[JustinsReefTank]

No i would not mix it either. About your skimmer, you can cycle it with out having one. I would get one sooner that later if I was you.

 

[yote]

To answer your question,No you don't have to run a skimmer to cycle your tank.
So get that cycle going.:D

For the crushed coral sand mix.The sand will work it's way down into the crushed coral leaving all the CC laying on top.That mix will harden almost like concrete making harder for the animals that inhabit the sand bed to do their job.
I also didn't like the way it looked after a couple of weeks when I tried it in my tank.Then I had to break the tank down to remove it after I had all the rock in.

 

[LoveJC03]

Thanks everyone!
We are taking that crushed coral back this weekend! Since we already have 40lbs of live sand.. we'll probably pick up some not live aragonite sand. :) I LOVE this forum...everyone is so helpful!

 

[chuysvt]

i think people go with crush coral because it goesnt blow away with power heads..but sand is allways better..