Cycling with live rock is an easy and reliable method to establish the biofilter in your saltwater aquariumIn years past, the most common method for establishing biofiltration in marine aquariums was to introduce some hardy, rugged fish to the system as an ammonia source and wait for the cycle to get established before adding more livestock. The usual go-to fishes for this purpose were damsels. While this cycling method does work, here at Saltwater Smarts, we favor so-called fishless techniques, such as cycling with cured live rock (my preferred approach—though there are others). When added to a new aquarium, cured live rock typically releases just enough ammonia to get the cycle started through the additional die-off of encrusting organisms. That modest die-off combined with proper tank conditions—excellent water movement and oxygenation—virtually ensures the porous rocks will soon support a good population of aerobic nitrifying bacteria, allowing gradual/incremental stocking to commence.But why is this method any better than adding a few hardy damsels? The cruelty factor There’s a good reason “hardy, rugged” fish were used to cycle tanks—more delicate, sensitive species were unlikely to endure the process. But just because damsels may (some don’t) be able to survive exposure to a succession of toxic chemicals doesn’t necessarily mean it’s humane to put them through it, especially when other means of cycling are available. The territorial dominance factor Though there are noteworthy exceptions (such as Chrysiptera parasema), damsels tend to be highly territorial and aggressive, so adding them to an aquarium first turns the appropriate order of introduction (from least aggressive to most aggressive) on its head
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