Cycling & Show "Tanked"!

[350gt]

I can't stand the show, although I did like that huge one they did in a casino.. Just for its size and the way they brought in ocean water directly from the bay....

[Gseclipse02]

I remember when the show came out and I worked at a shop every one thought they could just add stuff like it was nothing ..... I'm sure these people r spending 30k plus and a thousand in wasted fish isn't to big of a deal for the costumer you can't really have that big of a tank with that many people looking at it and expect them to cycle it naturally

[KING]

I'll be setting up a new tank in the near future and my understanding was to set it up, lights off and let it run for about 6 weeks w a damsel or a piece of live rock to get process going. Am I being too cautious or what would be the best way to go about doing this?

i was wondering about this too.iv seen some one do it this way an started my 60 cube like this, but after 30 days i turned on the lighting .An thats when my tank broke out>? i was thinking that i was pass all that..lol idk..

[Scutterborn]

I still have yet to see this show...


- Ben -

[LuckySingh]

it is just a TV show guys not an educational show.....i guess maybe they r just promoting and commercializing this aquarium industry a bit more...whose knows even getting funded by these big distributors

[Gseclipse02]

Any publicity is good for this hobby IMO helps out all the fish stores

[klwheat]

Well, I'll bite here. I watched the most recent episode saturday night. On that show, the mentioned the "live sand" that they use, which advertises itself as full of bacteria in water in the bag (yes, they do have water in them when you buy them...that's what I used to start mine). They also add a substantial amount of bottled bacteria to see the rockwork they use. This "should" produce what is needed...at least temporarily. In essense, the "cycle" is just the production and propagation of bacteria in the rock/sand. If they start with it...there should be no need to wait.

[BBQHILLBILLY]

Are you kiddin me. Those guys and gals are kool. They have 1 hour to build how many monster tanks?>?> WOW. killer show. More people buy fish tanks because of them. Rock ON.
Come to my house and tank it out. My wife wont say no then.

[rrasco]

i was wondering about this too.iv seen some one do it this way an started my 60 cube like this, but after 30 days i turned on the lighting .An thats when my tank broke out>? i was thinking that i was pass all that..lol idk..

Tank needs lights to go through the normal stages of the cycle; diatoms, HA, etc. I cycled my tank for about 8 weeks without lights (was still building them), but it was only when I added light did I get the rest of the cycle. The bacteria will colonize, but there is no way for the excess nutrients in the water to be used up in the other stages without light.

I was just watching the round vault shark tank and they put in all the fish right after they added the 'bacteria'. Shovelnose and a smoothhound in that tiny cylinder BTW. So long as there is a maintenance plan, WCs are performed, and waste levels don't get to toxic levels the fish will be fine. However, the way these guys do it is definitely not the hobby 'standard'. Of course, these guys are not in the hobby like we are. Personally I'm not into the whole novelty tank idea either. Gumball machines, jukeboxes, and cheesy safes? No thanks.

[mkengr45]

I stand by my earlier post....the show sucks, and the idiots shown are the reason I do not watch it.