Curing live rock

[farmz]

im just a newbie

ive purchased 10 kg of live rock for my 260 litreaquarium , ive decided to cure the rock in my main aquarium my test results are ammonia 0.25 nitrite is of the scale and nitrate is about 30 ppm is this normal for cycling
alsoSome of my rock is turning white It looks like a hard coating, it's not soft or slimy and doesn't rub off with my fingernail. Any idea what it could be?
thanx

 

[melosu58]

It`s probably just your old corraline turning white. It will return to the original color provided your water chemistry is right.

 

[cmor1701d]

Mike answered your coraline bleaching question.

It sounds like a normal cycle. The ammonia should drop to 0, the nitrites should start falling and the nitrates should increase. When the nitrites are down to zero and stay there for a few days it is time for a 30% water change. Let that stabilize for a few days to a week (o ammonia, 0 nitrtite, negligible nitrate), and you are ready to start adding some life.

Do you have a QT tank set up? You should consider setting one up and cycling that (a biowheel type filter is perfect) to house your first livestock for 30 days before putting it into the main tank.

 

[farmz]

curing live rock

thanx 4 that guyz

yeah at the moment its only been cycling for about 2-3 weeks
but i was just gettin worried about the white stuff on the rock ill see how it goes 4 a while .
ive got a protein skimmer goin at the moment is it better to switch it of during cycling or continue it running and as for water changes should i be changin water at all during cycling .

 

[farmz]

curing live rock

ive got live rock in my tank and in the process of curing , i had sand substrate in there also but i was told to remove it while curing the rock so i did . is this infact correct or should have i left the substrate in there and when should i put it back in the tank thankyou.

 

[ccCapt]

I would have left it in while cycling. It would have started to become "live sand". You can dump it back in now.

 

[melosu58]

I would have left it in also. Why did they want you to remove it?

 

[farmz]

curing live rock

i was just told it effects the time of curing also because alot of die off occurs it falls into the samd which can become hard to clean .
when i get a chance i will re wash the sand and dump it back in , do i need to put anything under neath the sand or can i just dump it straight into the tank .
also my protein skimmer should i be using it while curing
.

 

[roka64]

You can leave it in or put it back in, it will provide additional surface area for your beneficial bacteria to thrive in. Not sure on the skimmer during the cycle question. If folks say to run it, it will be broken in by the time the cycle is over.

 

[Innovator]

Leaving the sand out just means waiting longer for the bacteria to coat it afterwards. You can keep the sand relatively clean by gravel vacuuming 1/4"-1/2" in depth and removing large pieces of rotting sponge; however, I would refrain from large water changes until NH3 and NO2 have somewhat settled. I notice longer cycle periods with a protein skimmer running, which should only need a couple days to be broken in.

 

[cmor1701d]

I agree with the above advice.
Sand back in now to become LS sooner and less of a sand storm later.
Protein skimmer off during cycling to let the cycle run it's natural course.
No PWC's till the nitrites drop to 0, then a 30% - 50% water change, turn the skimmer on and start adding livestock SLOWLY (e.g 1 new fish per month).

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I agree with the above advice.
Sand back in now to become LS sooner and less of a sand storm later.
Protein skimmer off during cycling to let the cycle run it's natural course.
No PWC's till the nitrites drop to 0, then a 30% - 50% water change, turn the skimmer on and start adding livestock SLOWLY (e.g 1 new fish per month).

I second this... every single word of it.

 

[farmz]

ive put all the sand back in now , but indeed it came with a sand storm it. the sand is really fine and im struggling to get the powerhead in a position which is direced at the rocks because its lifting u the sand two . it looks like ive got them right now though. will the sand effect the health of the rocks , as i can sea some light sand on the rocks .

 

[Innovator]

No, the sand will not deteriorate the rocks and can be blown off later after the silt has somewhat settled.

 

[farmz]

ok i have another drama .

ive put the sand in the tank but because it is so fine its gettin blwn around with the powerheads in the tank ive tried movin them around but i just cant seem to get it to stop
im thinking i should just replace the substrate with a heavier grade should i completely replace it or can i just put the heavier stuff ontop of the sand
will this effect my cycling process.

 

[cmor1701d]

NO! DO NOT replace the sand. DO NOT add a heavier grade. Add a raw cocktail shrimp from the deli counter or fish store. This will aid in getting your cycle going. As the bacteria coat the grains of sand the sand becomes heavy enough to settle. I could not see my LR for about a 4 days when I added my sand. Then I could only see the outline of the rock for a few more days. It took about a week for the sand to settle. At that time I removed my power heads, took them apart and soaked them overnight in white vinegar. That helped to remove the buildup and several rinses finally got them clean enouhg to go back into the tank.

Today I can create a major sand storm and it will clear within an hour. A minor one clears in a few minutes.

Of course if your power heads are too strong then it might never clear.

 

[farmz]

and what if my powerheads are too strong hahha. do i get a heavier grade n puty on top .

 

[cmor1701d]

How about turning off the power heads till the sand settles. If your power headsa are too strong for the tank then you should go bare bottom.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Or get powerheads with less flow.