is a heater needed for cycle

[ace1204]

Just curious if lights and heater are necessary for a tank to go through its initial cycle

 

[lilrobb]

heater - YES
lights - NO

Without the proper temperature maintained the bacteria causing the cycle won't be able to survive.

 

[skriz]

Heater= yes.
lights=nope

I didn't have lights on my tanks for a looooooooooooooooooooong time...not until right before I started adding coral.

 

[crew]

same here Raj, no lights until my first coral...

 

[tgriffin]

So would there be an algae breakout after the cycle was done? (Assuming the cycle was with lights out)

 

[redstang]

bratliff;641524 wrote: Depends upon how much ambient light the tank receives. The thought process behind cycling without lights though, aside from saving bulbs and energy, is to limit algae growth.

Good info! Any reason to not drape something over the tank to block all ambient light? Heat maybe?

 

[wmboots]

I will be curing macro rock beginning this evening all I plan to use are a couple power heads, skimmer and a little sand along with 5lbs of rock from my existing system. is there anything else needed other than heater. I plan on 1 or 2 water changes during the process. Am I missing anything? I haven't cycled rock in 10 years and have forgotten everything I did back then

 

[gakayaker12234]

you need a heater to maintain the water temp around 72-80 degrees. My tank is by a window and i have to have a chiller to keep it at that temp.

 

[wmboots]

has anyone else cured macrorocks? it appears to be dried and bleached so I wouldn't think there would be unwanted hitchhikers is that your experience