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Cycling Question

bassman

Blue Ring
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Nov 13, 2006
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I am in the process of setting up a new tank for my octopus. It's being built this weekend. My plan is to include it into my SW system that is already established.

I have a 55 gal display tank attached to a 55 gal sump. Off the sump I have two more tanks, one 20 gal refugium and one 20 gal invert only tank. All these tanks share the same water and all have live rock in them. My total water volume is probably around 120 gallons.

I intend to add roughly 30-40lbs of live rock to the new octopus tank (48 gal) and a very thin layer of sand.

I am wondering what the best approach would be to cycling the new tank. Should I put the new, cured live rock into the tank, fill it with water and introduce it into the main water system? or should I keep that tank seperate for a few days/weeks/months?

I do have a spare skimmer and a couple of powerheads kicking around that I could run on the new tank while it cycles . Perhaps that would be best?

I am really unsure of the best way to introduce this tank into the system.


Any help/advice would be appreciated.


Thanks.

PS If I do run the tank seperate while it cycles will I need to heat the water too or is room temperature okay?
 
Well, I am a bit confused. You have an octopus already in another tank...are you getting another one?
Make sure that the rock is cured, but running a skimmer while cycling is sort of like trying to pedal a bicycle in first going downhill...makes no sense.
Are you going to cut pipe and and actually use the same sump, then? It might almost be easier to just cycle this tank on it's own...if it crashes, and is hooked up to your existing system, you are going to crash the whole thing if the water goes awry...
 
cthulhu77;82873 said:
Well, I am a bit confused. You have an octopus already in another tank...are you getting another one?
Make sure that the rock is cured, but running a skimmer while cycling is sort of like trying to pedal a bicycle in first going downhill...makes no sense.
Are you going to cut pipe and and actually use the same sump, then? It might almost be easier to just cycle this tank on it's own...if it crashes, and is hooked up to your existing system, you are going to crash the whole thing if the water goes awry...


Sorry for the confusion. Yes I have a octopus already, he's in my invert tank and the inverts are in my QT. I am building a new tank specifically for the octopus.

Yes I am going to plumb the new tank into my existing sump and fuge.
 
I'd really think twice about that...combined tanks have a way of going out of control. The octopus inks = dead tanks. Do you have room for another sump below the octo tank?
 
cthulhu77;82876 said:
I'd really think twice about that...combined tanks have a way of going out of control. The octopus inks = dead tanks. Do you have room for another sump below the octo tank?

Oh really? Hmm, no I don't really have room for another sump. I wasn't aware that the ink killed everything. The store where I purchased the octopus had 3 octopus in the same tank that was plumbed in with 50% of the tanks in the store. When the keeper was trying to catch mine the octopus released his ink and the store owner didn't seem bothered in the least.

I was under the impression that as long as you had a good skimmer and run carbon (which I do) that the ink wasn't an issue.
 
Well, 3 octos in a tank is already a "heads up". They are extremely cannibalistic.

The store nearest to me has a 1300 gallon sump for their 'same plumbed' tanks...and certainly, the ink would be filtered out enough in a system like that...but a few smaller tanks? You are running a risk.
 
Hmm, I agree 3 in one tank does send a pretty clear message.

Well I may have to re-think everything then. One thing that DOES appeal to me about another sump is that I would be able to run that system at a lower temperature, which I wanted to be able to do.

I will have to give this some thought. I could probably make room for another sump if push came to shove.
 

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