[tmkx3]

I just add 70lbs of lr to my 125g new tank. Do I need to turn off the simmer to cycle? Won't the skimmer pull out the ammonia needed to cycle? How do you test your water if there's nothing there? I also am thinking about getting some bio- spira. How can you be sure this has worked? Testing.

[Steven Pro]

To me, it is more important to run a skimmer and remove as much as possible of the dead, dying, and decaying mass and thereby reduce the excess nutrients in the system. This will help to minimize nuisance 'algae' problems later. Additionally, the lower the ammonia level the less death there will be. So, heavy protein skimming and water changes will help to preserve as much of the life as possible.

[yankeebobo]

Definately leave the skimmer on while cycling. This would prob be the most important time to run it.

[tmkx3]

Okay, thanx. I will still have enough ammonia? Do I start testing in 3 days like freshwater?

[Reefland]

You don't want the ammonia, it is toxic. The life on the liverock will provide the necessary life to get the nitrification cycle started and the necessary bacteria to complete the cycle. I would say testing after 3 days would be sufficient.

[tmkx3]

okay maybe I am a little dense here, explain this to me one more time? I thought that during the cycling process I would see a spike in ammonia, then nitrite and when these 2 were 0 a small trace of nitrate. If I don't want ammonia how is this gonna work? Is there enough bacteria on the rock that I won't see the first 2 steps of the cycle, or only in small amounts?

[Reefland]

You've got it on both accounts! If the liverock is good quality and did not experience a lot of dieoff before you got it into your tank, you might not see an increase in either ammonia or nitrite; that would be great.

[Steven Pro]

All things in moderation. Some ammonia is necessary to get the beneficial bacteria to grow and reproduce. And no matter what, some ammonia is unavoidable because some large things like macroalgae and sponges do not survive shipping well. On the other hand, too much ammonia will begin to kill things that would have otherwise survived and render your liverock dead rock.

[tmkx3]

OHHHH!!! ICICIC !!! Now I get it!!