Adding live rock to Cycling tank

[karlseith]

Just added live rock to my week old cycling tank. Did I just create base rock????

Thanks,
Karl

 

[biotoxin]

Base rock is rock that doesnt have any life on it at all. Therefor not being live rock at all. And no its not too early. Is it cured or uncured?

 

[karlseith]

Well, I'm not sure if it's cured or not. If i were to guess, based on previous purchases of live rock, I would say not. It has all kinds of stuff on it, alive and what appears to be dead. So it's ok to add live rock during cycling??

 

[biotoxin]

yes, adding the live rock is what will accelerate the cycle. The micro organisms in the rock will migrate into the sand and flourish. That creates the beneficial bacteria that help break down nitrates and the nitrification cycle. If you were to not add live rock youd be looking at a 4-5 week cycle, the lr will cut that time in half. If it is uncured then the die-off will restart your cycle but not by much because of the ammonia released from the dying of organisms and plants.