The 75gal reef tank cycle has started!!!!!!!

[WoodRight]

Well I'm sitting here doing nothing so I figured I would check the readings on the tank again. I took some this morning/early afternoon that I posted before. So in about 14 hours things have drooped quite a bit.

SG 1.024
ph 8.2
Am 0
rites 0.2
rates 25
Cal 480
temp 77

 

[WoodRight]

I'm getting excited about getting the clean up crew, QT and some new pets. I guess we should try and get some more LR also. I guessing it is ok to just buy cured rock in pot it right in the tank one at a time right. If I don't put allot in at once the tank should be able to handle that. I do read allot of people saying that yeah put there new rock in trash can and cure it them selves but if i get it cured it should be fine I guess. If not can someone let me know how I should handle this. We still need to get about 1/2 of the LR we need for he tank. The place we got the last couple of rocks and even the first LRR were cured and running in there tanks as part of there displays filters. I think that is why things are going so fast.

Well if any of you have any suggestion please leave a post.

 

[WoodRight]

There isn't anyone that has any ideas about this matter?

 

[Reefscape]

Well I'm sitting here doing nothing so I figured I would check the readings on the tank again. I took some this morning/early afternoon that I posted before. So in about 14 hours things have drooped quite a bit.

SG 1.024
ph 8.2
Am 0
rites 0.2
rates 25
Cal 480
temp 77

All look like they are moving forward well and in the right direction...

I'm getting excited about getting the clean up crew, QT and some new pets. I guess we should try and get some more LR also. I guessing it is ok to just buy cured rock in pot it right in the tank one at a time right. If I don't put allot in at once the tank should be able to handle that. I do read allot of people saying that yeah put there new rock in trash can and cure it them selves but if i get it cured it should be fine I guess. If not can someone let me know how I should handle this. We still need to get about 1/2 of the LR we need for he tank. The place we got the last couple of rocks and even the first LRR were cured and running in there tanks as part of there displays filters. I think that is why things are going so fast.

Well if any of you have any suggestion please leave a post.

It all depends on how "cured" the live rock actually is...Even buying fully cured live rock, i would only add it to the tank a few lbs at a time, and leaving a couple of weeks inbetween live rock additions..This is to ensure that any chance of a mini-cycle is kept at a minimum...If your buying a good ammount of rock, i would certainly get it in a seperate container and ensure its properly cured....

If no stock is in the tank, then i would say get it all in now, while devoid of life, per say, and get it over and done with....

 

[WoodRight]

We were going to do that but the places we are getting it from gets in shipments every few weeks and we want to pick out the rocks our selfves and finding ones we like isn't easy. So we will be adding it as we find it. We will only be buy a few lb at a time. If you think we should cure it before adding it to the display or fuge maybe we will. I know the stuff we got was at the places for a long time in the tanks. The only other rock we got use white base rock.

 

[clown-lover]

Niko is right. This is the best time to add your LR. However I understand you delima in that you are wanting to buy locally and want to ensure that you are getting choice rock. So here several alternatives.

1) If the rock is cured and the pet store isn't that far from your house, as long as you wrap it in wet newspaper and then a heavy duty garbage bag, it really should be ok. You might have a little die off but you should be able to place it directly in your tank. Thats what I did with that arched show piece and it traveled an hour. But the key here is that it "HAS" to be cured. So it kind of boils down to how well do you trust your LPS.

2) Go to Wal-Mart, Target, Pamida whatever is local to you and get a large sized rubbermade container and cure it in your apartment until its ready to put into your tank. To cure simply add the appropriate sg saltwater and completely cover the rock, a heater, a powerhead and change the water every couple of days. Readings of 0 amm and 0 nitrites will let you know when its cured. I've also stuck a cup (and left the cup in the water) of Live Sand from my tank to help speed up that process.

3) Buy your live rock and add it to your tank, but don't add anything else for a while until you get your live rock built up. Once you have all of your live rock in your tank and arranged how you want you can start buying your livestock. (I mention this last as it is probably going to be the least favorite choice)

 

[WoodRight]

Niko is right. This is the best time to add your LR. However I understand you delima in that you are wanting to buy locally and want to ensure that you are getting choice rock. So here several alternatives.

1) If the rock is cured and the pet store isn't that far from your house, as long as you wrap it in wet newspaper and then a heavy duty garbage bag, it really should be ok. You might have a little die off but you should be able to place it directly in your tank. Thats what I did with that arched show piece and it traveled an hour. But the key here is that it "HAS" to be cured. So it kind of boils down to how well do you trust your LPS.

Well we do trust the one that is farthest away from here but they give us the rock in IO 5gal buckets with water in them from there displays. That way they don't dry out.

2) Go to Wal-Mart, Target, Pamida whatever is local to you and get a large sized rubbermade container and cure it in your apartment until its ready to put into your tank. To cure simply add the appropriate sg saltwater and completely cover the rock, a heater, a powerhead and change the water every couple of days. Readings of 0 amm and 0 nitrites will let you know when its cured. I've also stuck a cup (and left the cup in the water) of Live Sand from my tank to help speed up that process.

We are planning on getting one for aging our water before putting it in the tank. I guess we can get 2.

3) Buy your live rock and add it to your tank, but don't add anything else for a while until you get your live rock built up. Once you have all of your live rock in your tank and arranged how you want you can start buying your livestock. (I mention this last as it is probably going to be the least favorite choice)

You are wright about that one. Would you say a 2 or 3 lb rock do much more than a new fish in the tank?

 

[Ace25]

Great advice.. let me just add a little to #1.

When I was buying from my LFS I always asked which rocks he KNEW was cured at least 30 days.. most of the time he would just tell customers it is all cured. I called him on it one day while picking out rocks.. some were obviously recently added and not fully cured. So after I got a little upset with him over it from then on he would always point out which rocks in his LR bin he knew without a doubt were cured over 30 days. Usually you can tell my looking AND smelling the rock. Takes a little experience to get that down though.

Also, another thing you can do is bring a small cooler filled with water from your tank. That way as soon as you pick out your rocks you can quickly pay for them and toss them into the cooler. Should really help with any die off problem.

Err.. well. nevermind.. looks like you beat me to the post and already addressed what I said.

 

[WoodRight]

Yeah but thanks for looking out Ace.

 

[clown-lover]

You are wright about that one. Would you say a 2 or 3 lb rock do much more than a new fish in the tank?

Honestly without established mechanical filtration I wouldn't put fish in a tank that didn't have 1 lb of LR per gallon because the biological filtration that happens in either mechanical filtration or with LR is absent. I know you have your sump but at this point it isn't a biological filter yet either, your bacteria is pretty much in the water column and on any surfaces. Also if you do plan on buying LR locally and adding it to the tank, if you buy more than a 5 or 6 lb chunk at a time I'd again keep the rock in a separate container with heater and powerhead and add only 1 rock at a time if you have livestock occupying the tank. If you don't have livestock add what you want until that point but make sure your parameters are ok before adding fish. But thats me I have a tendency to be overly cautious with my tank I would hate to see you buy a fish that your really wanting and then have it die off in the night due to an ammonia spike. Its not that it will happen but I prefer to ensure it doesn't with my own system. There are even people who QT LR before adding it to their tank (which is essentially curing) to ensure that it doesn't happen as well. I just call it curing not QTing when it comes to rock.