Cycle

bethkira2000

bethkira2000

AC Members
Jan 5, 2007
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Maine
Okay I am going to start the cycle today, and I need to know what should or should not be on the peice of live rock. Meaning should it just be coraline algea or should it be like algea and a mushroom, or other polyp?
Its a 55g and there is only base rock and sand in there now
 
You know I can't really answer that as I've never cycled a tank with a hitch hicker other than an occational worm etc. But it is also going to depend on where you got your LR. Since it is a new tank I'd personally just put the rock in the tank and get everything cycled with that rock right away as if you get rock down the road at a later date your going to have to cure it before placing it in the tank otherwise you can cause a mini cycle to occur.

Have you decided how your going to cycle? Prawn or straight ammonia? What size of a system did you end up purchasing?
 
I have a55g tank and I am going to do raw shrimp, with a piece of live rock, I also need to know how to cure live rock, because I am going to be getting more in the near future. And if I cure it what happens to the things that I want on it. LIke say I got a piece with a nice mushroom colony on it and then I have to cure it what happens to the colony that I wanted?
 
If it is just a small rock with some 'shrooms or a coral attached I do a lugol solution dip and place directly in the tank. But then my tank has been established for a while and can handle a little die off from a small piece of rock.

If it is just rock that you've purchased what you do is get yourself like a rubbermaid container, fill it with salt water (this can even be water from water changes from your tank) and fill the container so the rock is covered. You'll need to also provide a power head to keep the water moving and a heater. Live rock is curred when your test results have your ammonia at 0 and your nitrite at 0 and your nitrate at whatever really. What you are doing is allowing for the stuff that has died off in transport to not cause an ammonia cycle in your tank. You should also change the water out in this tub daily so plan ahead. You'll go through quite a bit of salt. I have also sped this process up by adding a cup of Live Sand from my tank and placed it in the cup at the bottom so the bacteria get into the water column and help process the dead matter faster.

If you buy it locally take a tub with you and fill it with water from the rock tub, or cover it with wet newspaper/paper towel (the later for shorter distances) between your LPS and your house. This will minimize die off and you should be able to place it in your tank right away as long as the LPS has cured the rock first. But make sure you trust that LPS and they are reputable. Some will say the rock is cured, I've pulled out a test kit and tested for ammmonia and nitrite and have gotten readings and basically went "Oh really????"

If you ship it in from someplace like premium aquatics then you are going to have to cure as normal before placing in your tank.
 
No.. It can just cycle with your tank and will actually help cycle your tank.. Thats why we say get your tank, substrate and all your LR first. That way you don't have to go through that long process of curing your LR if you order it in.. Now if you get more live rock and haven't added any critters/fish/inverts etc you can just place the rock in your tank.. It will cycle again but with no creatures for it to affect there isn't a problem.
 
So I get a piece of live rock today and then say next week I can get another one, and as long as I don't have fish it should be fine?
 
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