Killing Live Rocks to get rids of Hydroids advice plz

[mrvincent]

This is what the OP said today.
"No I just put the bleached rocks into old saltwater tank. I have no more LR in my tank. I didn't put raw shrimp, as thoses rocks are leaching ammonia..."
Obviously, you did missed something or did I?

Sorry, I mean I've put the bleached rocks in a 5g bucket with a powerhead then added old tank saltwater...

The tank is still cycled even if I removed the 20 pounds of LR... I feed my fishs as I would do normally, and I feed my corals once a week. No NH3 or NO2 spikes... So I don't think I need to put thoses rocks back to the tank...

If you insist that the tank has enough bacteria then you simply mean that you do not need the rocks back in the tank.

But the tank look so much UGLY like that... And the clowns doesn't have a home anymode (hiding places)

Before

After

So my questions was should I wait for the complete mix of BB on the rocks, or should I just rinse the rocks until ammonia read zero...

Cycled seems to have started, nitrites were 0ppm there's two days, yesterday it was between 0 and 0.25, today it's between 0.25 - 0.5ppm... It just started as I raised the bucket water from 21C° to 28.5C° and added 1/4 cup of my live sand...

 

[jeffaquarius]

The key to success in reef keeping is patience. You just have to wait until the nitrite is reduced and close to zero. Changing water will just even slow it down cause you need those ammonia to feed your beneficial bacteria. Let the bacteria remove ammonia and not by changing water.

 

[Mebbid]

Sorry, I mean I've put the bleached rocks in a 5g bucket with a powerhead then added old tank saltwater...

The tank is still cycled even if I removed the 20 pounds of LR... I feed my fishs as I would do normally, and I feed my corals once a week. No NH3 or NO2 spikes... So I don't think I need to put thoses rocks back to the tank...

But the tank look so much UGLY like that... And the clowns doesn't have a home anymode (hiding places)

Before

After

So my questions was should I wait for the complete mix of BB on the rocks, or should I just rinse the rocks until ammonia read zero...

Cycled seems to have started, nitrites were 0ppm there's two days, yesterday it was between 0 and 0.25, today it's between 0.25 - 0.5ppm... It just started as I raised the bucket water from 21C° to 28.5C° and added 1/4 cup of my live sand...

You said it yourself, the tank is fully cycled. I stand by my statement that theres no reason to wait to cycle the rocks. Just finish curing them (wait until they stop leechin ammonia) and put them back in the tank.

 

[jeffaquarius]

The length of time will be the same for ammonia to stop leaching when curing or cycling. So why settle for rocks with no bacteria?

 

[Mebbid]

The lengt of time will be the same for ammonia to stop leaching when curing or cycling. So why settle for rocks with no bacteria?

Not gonna keep arguing about this with someone that's arguing just because they enjoy it. I said I stand by my original statement and I am going to leave it at that.

 

[mrvincent]

I think I'll go with the lazy way... Wait until ammonia and nitrites read zero, then 100% water changes, then wait nitrates to stop raising to prevent potential main tank algae explosion. There's a LOT of dead stuff in thoses rocks... There was an infestations of brittle stars and bristles worms in it... Without counting the massive population of amphipods and snails hidden in the rocks...

I assume cycled rocks doesn't mean they stop leeching ammonia (converting straight to nitrates when released)...

 

[mrvincent]

And what about phosphates ? I have nothing to read NO3/PO4 (API test kits count like nothing for thoses params lol).

 

[jeffaquarius]

When you don't get any reading for NO3 during cycling it only means you still do not have the type of bacteria responsible for consuming nitrite.

 

[mrvincent]

When you don't get any reading for NO3 during cycling it only means you still do not have the type of bacteria responsible for consuming nitrite.

Yes, but I mean... API test kits can read >40 ppm of nitrates... That's not a problem... But I don't want any traces of nitrates or phosphates in my main tank, this will result an algae bloom... The light is so strong (R420R)...

 

[Mebbid]

And what about phosphates ? I have nothing to read NO3/PO4 (API test kits count like nothing for thoses params lol).

The only way to know is to get a better quality test kit. Personally, ive never had any issues with freshly bleached rock leeching phosphate over a long period of time.

 

[mrvincent]

The only way to know is to get a better quality test kit. Personally, ive never had any issues with freshly bleached rock leeching phosphate over a long period of time.

So without testing I should I be ok with two 100% WC after the rocks are cured ?

 

[Mebbid]

So without testing I should I be ok with two 100% WC after the rocks are cured ?

Two 100% water changes on the display or the container you're curing your rocks in?

 

[mrvincent]

Two 100% water changes on the display or the container you're curing your rocks in?

Lol in the bucket I never do more than 25% WC on the main... Usually 15%.

This was my tank straight before I discovered thoses hydroids everywhere...

 

[mrvincent]

Is 5-10ppm nitrites too much to continue cycle progress? Ammonia went from 1.5ppm to zero, nitrites near >5, nitrates went to 20ppm... I don't know the initial value of nitrates... So can't compare. PO4 undetectable (Cheap test kit)

 

[jeffaquarius]

Ammonia has now stopped leaching and rocks are inhabited with one type of beneficial bacteria. If you leave it as it is, your nitrate should go up some more up to 80 ppm while nitrite will start going down. Then you can replace water 100% and see if ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will remain close to 0. Phosphate is irrelevant during cycling or curing.

 

[mrvincent]

Ammonia has now stopped leaching and rocks are inhabited with one type of beneficial bacteria. If you leave it as it is, your nitrate should go up some more up to 80 ppm while nitrite will start going down. Then you can replace water 100% and see if ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will remain close to 0. Phosphate is irrelevant during cycling or curing.

Don't know if they stopped leeching ammonia... It's just been automatically converted to nitrites if they still leech ammonia... For sure, this water is viscous and dirty... There's a kind of brown color.. everywhere... (diatoms?) So I'll wait for nitrite --> trates step, and 100%WC.

I'm impatient to see if thoses rocks will lead to algae bloom when I put them back into the main...

 

[jeffaquarius]

Your nitrate should be higher now than yesterday. Since your test kit is not that accurate, you can find out if ammonia has stopped leaching by replacing the water 100% and then take the readings the following day. Algae bloom is caused by another condition in your tank like excess nutrients due to over feeding and the lighting.

 

[mrvincent]

Your nitrate should be higher now than yesterday. Since your test kit is not that accurate, you can find out if ammonia has stopped leaching by replacing the water 100% and then take the readings the following day. Algae bloom is caused by another condition in your tank like excess nutrients due to over feeding and the lighting.

For algae bloom I mean GHA, sorry.

I'll wait for nitrites to go near 0 then 100% WC and mesure nitrates.

 

[mrvincent]

Nitrites now at 0.

I'll wait for the main waterchange time and do 100% WC in my bucket with old tank water then put them back. Thanks for advices !

 

[mrvincent]

Chill, 100%WC done, 0NH3, 0NO2, 0NO3, 0PO4.

Ready to go back to the zoo ! Thanks guys !