View Full Version : Live Rock cycling questions
Hi, I set up a 75gallon tank with heaps of live rock 2 weeks ago. Ammonia climbed and peaked but has stayed at toxic levels. Nitrite climbed and peaked but has stayed at toxic levels. Nitrate climbed and peaked, then dropped drastically in the last 2 days down to nothing. The rock was very fresh and alive (I live off the Great Barrier Reef) with heaps of critters, halimeda, etc. In the past 3 days (since ammonia and nitrites have been toxic), there's been a significant die-back. I panicked and did a 30% water change. I'm thinking that maybe my live rock was already so full of bacteria that it didn't really need to go through the cycle, and that what I'm dealing with now is just poor water quality due to not doing water changes. Any ideas??? Does anyone have experience using very fresh live rock?
noskimmer
05-24-2007, 7:16 AM
Hmm, there should not of been a cycle, or little at all.. Did you have the lights running?, lots of flow? When I setup with LF I had no cycle, and introduced fish after two weeks. I don't understand when you say that "maybe my live rock was already so full of bacteria that it didn't really need to go through the cycle". Were you adding something as well? Were you expecting a spike for some reason? Here are the picks of my live rock when I got it http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111248
It's my first live rock tank, and everything I read/heard said that even with live rock there's a cycle, albeit shorter. But I'm thinking it's over and done already. Would you agree? I had low lights running 12 hours/day and low but steady flow.
Subliminal
05-24-2007, 8:45 AM
The cycle will be done when all that stuff drops to zero. If you have toxic water levels, do a few water changes. If you have a 75 gallon tank, I'd probably recommend doing 2 buckets worth (10 gallon) and give it a few days and check the levels again.
Do you have lights to support all that life in your rocks?
noskimmer
05-24-2007, 6:28 PM
I think if you were to go down this path again, you need high light, high flow. You only have to look at where it comes from to realize that (a) you will get sun burnt quickly, and (b) you can't usually keep up with the current. Hope it all settles and works out.
rockethippo
05-24-2007, 6:49 PM
Shouldn't you not do water changes? Won't it only slow it down?