Day 2 of cycle with one raw shrimp...

[AquaReefer]

Dont worry about the cloudiness It will pass. That is some nice LR. Along with adding the LR and LS that will help kick start your cycle along with the shrimp. Do not do any water changes untill your cycle has completed itself and all it is showing is nitrates.

[jasno999]

That is not a lot of rock. Ok to have that amount but the cycle may takea little longer.

Jsut give it time. Sucks but you are goign to have to wait the cycle out to make sure all your levels are good before addign anyhting new to the setup.

[Good Crab]

If I don't do water changes won't the high levels of ammonia kill the life on the rocks?

[melosu58]

No the life that you want is the nitrifying bacteria that will grow on and in your rock this is what the cycle is about. Any other life on your rock will be OK

[Good Crab]

Originally Posted by melosu58

No the life that you want is the nitrifying bacteria that will grow on and in your rock this is what the cycle is about. Any other life on your rock will be OK

All of this life will be fine?

[pkremer]

OK, I feel the need to post here because I am constantly receiving conflicting advice on this topic. I too will be curing live rock in the next few weeks, and this particular thread seems to say NOT to do water changes, even with excessive ammonia levels...however, in the articles section of this web site, which I am frequently referred to, I read this:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...aq=2&fldAuto=6

"The reason I do the water changes is; the ammonia and nitrite levels in the curing vessel will rise high enough to kill, not only the organisms alive on the rock, the nitrifying bacteria that mineralize the ammonia and nitrite. The water changes keep the ammonia levels from going high enough to be toxic to the nitrifying bacteria, with the added benefit of saving some of the life on the rock. Some say, water changes slow the nitrogen cycle, I disagree...Even changing 50% of the water every other day, there will be enough ammonia to feed the bacteria population. The water changes are, simply, a stopgap measure until the rock can take care of the ammonia."

Both of these ideas can't be right...who is? Either the ammonia will get so high it will begin to kill the life on the rock and even suffocate the bacteria you want, or it won't! I be confused!

Paul

[h8z2luze]

I was told to much ammonia is not good also. Also to do a water change every other day or every few days. This was from a very trusted LFS.

[jasno999]

I think you need to stay on top of the readings. Check each day and if your levels get too high then do a small water change. If levels don't get super high then let it go and see what happens. Shoudl be fine cause levels shoudl spike and then come down. But yet if you geta supper high level it could kills stuff.

[Florida8]

How is the cycle going? What re your levels? Nice LR.. where did you order it from?

[Good Crab]

Originally Posted by Florida8

How is the cycle going? What re your levels? Nice LR.. where did you order it from?

Thanks for all the response on this subject.

I have been doing water changes every day--25%. The ammonia scares me. It is still around 2.0 even with the water changes. I was told to keep it below 1.0 or the rock will die!

I just wouldn't want the rock I just paid good money for to die. It is too good looking.

I picked up the rock from Richard this past Saturday at Tampa Bay Saltwater He is up and running again!!! I live in Florida so I am lucky...