If you already went through the trouvle of disinfecting and sterilizing the rocks, why would you turn around and add sand or rock from someone elses tank. I did just that I got some cured rock out of an absolutely beautiful(1200g) tank. Despite dipping my first corals and copper medicating my first fish. I wound up with pyramid snails, tube worms, bristle worms, aiptaisia, asterina star fish and zoa spiders that ate my first frags. Then upon adding my freshly medicated and 1 month QT observed tang fish(first fish in 18 years) he came down with ich. I then had to pull out the rock to catch his ass and medicate him again then fallow my DT for 76 days to let the parasite life cycle complete.
During the second medication period I cycled another 20g holding tank with a Fluval 107 canister filter in order to house and observe my fish until the DT was able to accept him again.
I am just now getting back into this hobby after 18 years away. I used to have a very healthy(ran for 5 years, never lost a coral, and only lost 1 fish)and well stocked 55g tank and was in such a rush to get back there again that I forgot what it took to achieve that last tank in the first place.....PATIENCE!
I returned to the hobby back in March and due to my enthusiasm and lack of patience am just now getting to add livestock back into my display. This past 6 months has been very trying and if it weren't for the support and encouragement of my wife I would have gave up. I am glad I stuck it out but it has been very trying.
While medicating the Tang fish to cure the ich infection I cycled a 20g tank using the fishless method and I am really pleased with the results. I added nitrifying bacteria from Dr. Tims and straight industrial ammonia from the hardware store. I then monitored the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate using test strips. Once I could add ammonia to 2ppm and see it turn to nitrite then nitrate over night I did a 100% water change and added the fish. The whole process took 5 weeks and I just did it in the garage on my work bench. The nitrifying bacteria are not super temp. sensitive and need no light so I just ran the canister filter and added ammonia to keep the level up. I found this method to be highly effective due to the fact that you can push the ammonia and nitrite toxicity so much farther than you ever could just adding fish or live rock/sand thus creating a much stronger and more robust biofilter without ever adding a fish. I wound up medicating and adding a blenny to this tank as well during my fallow period both him and my tang are now in the DT. It may sound like a lot of work(it was) but how much time and effort have we all put into keeping our tanks healthy and happy. Just look at this thread from the begining and Jimbo is just now getting ready to add water.
I appologize for the long winded reply but I hope that this tale can help others avoid the excited rush that caused me so much strife. I see that Jimbo has put a lot of hard work and effort into his tank and with his patience it is becoming one of the nicest start ups I have watched. Keep up the good work and don't lose patience now. It will all pay off in the end.
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