Mini Reef Cycle

czap · 12-04-2001, 02:48 PM

I am setting up a mini reef in my office. Do I need to cycle the tank before adding clown fish? Or is the live sand and cured live rock enough? The tank is an eclipes 12 gallon with a bio-wheel filter.

Thanks
czap

asmith · 12-04-2001, 03:16 PM

Hi czap! Welcome to The Reef Tank!

I would definately let the tank cycle for a couple weeks to allow the die off from the live rock to be processed. You will most likely experience at least a small ammonia spike. When your water tests turn up 0 ammonia and nitraites, then you can start thinking about adding your first fish.

Andrew

FishDaddy · 12-04-2001, 06:42 PM

Hi czap,

Glad you found us!
Definitely let the tank go through its cycle. In fact, I'd wait another good while to add the fish to let the expected Diatom and algae blooms to subside.
Small tanks have to be watched carefully as the water volume is susceptible to greater variation if anything gets out of whack.
Here are some good sites specifically for mini-tanks:
http://www.nano-reef.com/
http://www.geocities.com/ktchinn/
And our leader, Brooke, has some good links to nano-tanks on her site:
http://people.mn.mediaone.net/bearthman/reef.html
Again, Welcome to TRT!
Dick