Cured Liverock

[midol]

Is there a downside over getting cured liverock?

If it is cured that means it won't trigger a cycle will it?

I am getting ready to put liverock in and since my tank has been up for agggggeeeeesss i dont want to put it in a cycle causing me to wait ages.

Originally Posted by midol

Is there a downside over getting cured liverock?

Less goodies on the rock but no real downside. It generally costs more as well. Uncured rock cannot/should not be added to an established tank with animals, only to a new set up. Otherwise it should be cured seperately.

If it is cured that means it won't trigger a cycle will it?

50/50, it depends on how long it's been cured and how it's kept. The longer it's without an ammonia source the lower the bacterial populations will get. A well cured rock will not aid in kick starting a cycle for the same reason, no ammonia source. If added to a new tank in sufficient quantity along with a proper ammonia source, cured LR can definately improve the cycle time.

I am getting ready to put liverock in and since my tank has been up for agggggeeeeesss i dont want to put it in a cycle causing me to wait ages.

Feed the tank as you would if fish where in there. After about a 2 week period & no change in NH3 or NO2 (undetectable), it should be ready for the first waste producing animal.

How was the tank cycled initially? Or was it at all?

Cheers
Steve

[midol]

Took the water from the ocean everything seemed fine so i threw a prawn (Same thing as your shrimps i assume) in and left it for about 7 weeks then took the water to the shop and he said good to go and it has been about a week since, i am getting my own kit but i keep getting up there after the store has closed :S

Originally Posted by midol

Took the water from the ocean everything seemed fine so i threw a prawn (Same thing as your shrimps i assume) in and left it for about 7 weeks

If no additional ammonia source was added in that time, you will most likely see some increase in the reading once LR is added. Try to get the basic test kits if you can so when you do get the rock and later animals, you will not have to rely on the LFS to determine how well the tank is progressing. It can often mean the difference between a successful tank or one that is "just getting by".

Basic tests include: NH3, NO2, NO3, pH, alkalinity & Ca. You should already have some I'm guessing along with a refractometer or hydrometer.

Cheers
Steve

[midol]

Originally Posted by steve-s

Basic tests include: NH3, NO2, NO3, pH, alkalinity & Ca. You should already have some I'm guessing along with a refractometer or hydrometer.

Cheers
Steve

I can test for NH3, NO2, NO3, PH myself.

The Hydrometer is coming in the mail and i dont have a refractometer yet.

Another quick question, my lighting i just bought seems fairly good but half the tank is white and the other half is blue/purplish. It looks really cool but is it good for my tank?

Ohh, and my powerhead is making lots of little bubbles, any way to stop that it makes my water harder to see in???

Originally Posted by midol

Another quick question, my lighting i just bought seems fairly good but half the tank is white and the other half is blue/purplish. It looks really cool but is it good for my tank?

What kind of lighting set is it? When both are on you should get a "wash" or hint of blue color. If just the blue light is on the purplish color is normal on new lights and will commonly fade to an electric blue in a few weeks.

Ohh, and my powerhead is making lots of little bubbles, any way to stop that it makes my water harder to see in???

Depends on the powerhead model. It could be too close to the surface and it's sucking air down into it. Just move it a little lower but be sure to aim the outport towards the surface some.. If you have a venturi tube attached to it, remove it.

Cheers
Steve

[midol]

So doesn't a saltwater tank need the little bubbles?

Ummm, it is a double something housing, it has 2 switches and i got 3 lights one is a long 36 watt blue actinic light and then 2 little lights (Half the size so just over a foot and a half each a 10k actinic 420nm and a 10000K Ultra-sunlight.

Is this decent lighting or should i have got different tubes or something? That is just what the guy said he had in stock that would give the best results.

ps, is it bad to leave the lights on when there are no fish or will it stop algea growth or something because the blue one makes me sleep better :P

Originally Posted by midol

So doesn't a saltwater tank need the little bubbles?

Need, none what so ever. Aeration occurs by breaking the waters surface. Bubbles are increadibley inefficient at this. Best to use a powerhead or the returns from a sump and angle them so they briskly ripple the surface. It's the most efficient and least messy.

Ummm, it is a double something housing, it has 2 switches and i got 3 lights one is a long 36 watt blue actinic light and then 2 little lights (Half the size so just over a foot and a half each a 10k actinic 420nm and a 10000K Ultra-sunlight.

Is this decent lighting or should i have got different tubes or something? That is just what the guy said he had in stock that would give the best results.

Not sure, your description doesn't narrow it down much...

Have a look on this site and see what match's up the best. http://hellolights.com/

ps, is it bad to leave the lights on when there are no fish or will it stop algea growth or something because the blue one makes me sleep better :P

Leaving them on too long will promote algae growth over time and given enough nutrient. It won't hurt anything since there's no fish in the tank otherwise. You can easily put it on a timer so it shuts off when you would normally be asleep.

Cheers
Steve

[midol]

K, thanks for the help steve-s 8)