How Long To Cure 250 lbs Of Live Rock?

Robgixxer · 04/16/2008, 10:20 PM

I just started up my tank a week ago. I have roughly 250 lbs of rock. It was all dead. About how long do you think it will take to cure all this rock in the new tank. the tank is a 150 g. I started off with just the fuge on a closed loop with about 40lbs in there 3-4 weeks ago to start getting some stuff going. but now i got my other pump in i got the tank running. and was curius as to how long it would take to fully cure the rock. i had also threw a couple of damsels in the fuge from the begining to help the bacterial load catch up. any opinions or info would be great.

Robgixxer · 04/16/2008, 10:26 PM

i also have a coral beauty and a blue tang in the tank. everything seems to be ok with them. no signs of stress. eating very well and playing in the tank as normal. colors are also very vibrant. but i guess the tank is still cycling. the nitrites were elevated some. so i changed out 15 gallons of water last night. as i don't have a large storage container yet. just a couple of 5 gal buckets. i tested the water today and doesn't seem to be much difference. i'm currently making more clean ro water to change out a bit more water to try to get the nitrites down. as i do not want to harm my fish. am i doing the right thing or should i try something else.

downhillbiker · 04/16/2008, 10:38 PM

make sure you have a skimmer on there and leave the lights off. you have to cycle until the levels are 0 across the board. dont worry about your nitrates. my LFS had 80ppm the day i went in and they showed me the level, and that was the day after their water change. i would also highly recommend seeding with some live rock. a few pieces will have tons of bacteria and pods, and much more, that will transfer to your base rock. this will help the process go faster, and will give you a strong start on healthy live rock.

Robgixxer · 04/16/2008, 11:36 PM

leave the lights off on the whole tank? ok

ludnix · 04/17/2008, 01:30 AM

It seems like you might be going to fast. You shouldn't have any fish if you've started the tank so recently with uncycled rock. It's considered bad practice to cycle with damsels as well since it's harmful to the fish and there's other more humane methods of cycling a tank.

I would recommend having the fish boarded at your LFS or someone else's mature tank until your tank finishes cycling. I can't tell from your posts how far along your cycle is but, any present ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates can be very harmful.

downhillbiker · 04/17/2008, 09:59 AM

yeah i forgot about the fish. i would second having your fish boarded. you should cycle with the lights off and no fish, and seed the tank. after the levels come down it will be safe to add fish, and there is still a lot of benefit to having them then, lots of biological to establish still.

People dont realize that cycling is the first step. Then add fish, and the tank isnt mature until like 1 year.

mile sq. reefer · 04/17/2008, 10:38 AM

+1^, but you can add the fish when the levels are 0 across the board. When your tank is cycled try not to add new rock to it. This may cause a mini cycle. If you must, cycle new rock in a seperate container, no lights with a PH and skimmer.

ConsultantERP · 04/17/2008, 11:00 AM

the answer is, AS LONG AS IT TAKES, your looking for ammonia and nitrites to go to zero, and nitrates to increase to some point, after that do some water changes and you should be ready to go. Personally I give mine 3 months, that gives my copepod population time to grow, which should make the addition of bioload (adding fish) eaiser to maintain.

Robgixxer · 04/17/2008, 02:59 PM

gotcha. my amonia levels are pretty much zero. the nitrites are up slightly, as are the nitrates. i still have my 55 g running. and i can move the fish in there without a problem. see when i got the other tank i never had anyone tell me how exactly to cycle the tank 100% properly. but i always had good luck. i only lost 2 fish in there in two years and one of them had jumped out of the tank and was on the floor when i got home from work. i wanted to do this tank properly though with as much info as possible. all my other learning was just by trial and error. i did also put that bio-spira in there once it was filled, and running. Also i have a 5 stage RO/DI system plumbed straight to the tank. so no tap water usage here. but thanks for the imput i will attend to the tank accordingly.

Robgixxer · 04/17/2008, 09:15 PM

ok using a hagen test kit my amonia is 0, my nitrites are elevated, and nitrates up a little too. so i should not do any water changes till the tank is done cycling though right?

04/16/2008, 10:20 PM	#1
Robgixxer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pompano Beach, Fl Posts: 315	How Long To Cure 250 lbs Of Live Rock? I just started up my tank a week ago. I have roughly 250 lbs of rock. It was all dead. About how long do you think it will take to cure all this rock in the new tank. the tank is a 150 g. I started off with just the fuge on a closed loop with about 40lbs in there 3-4 weeks ago to start getting some stuff going. but now i got my other pump in i got the tank running. and was curius as to how long it would take to fully cure the rock. i had also threw a couple of damsels in the fuge from the begining to help the bacterial load catch up. any opinions or info would be great.

04/16/2008, 10:38 PM	#3
downhillbiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 2,831	make sure you have a skimmer on there and leave the lights off. you have to cycle until the levels are 0 across the board. dont worry about your nitrates. my LFS had 80ppm the day i went in and they showed me the level, and that was the day after their water change. i would also highly recommend seeding with some live rock. a few pieces will have tons of bacteria and pods, and much more, that will transfer to your base rock. this will help the process go faster, and will give you a strong start on healthy live rock. __________________ The friendliest GIANT you'll ever meet. Current Tank Info: 200g Marineland Deep Dimension (Lumenmax Reflectors/Dual PFO 400w/Radium 20K) and 2xFrag Tanks (One TEK T5 fixture and one MH, Galaxy/Phoenix) on same system w/100g sump w/6"x100g DSB, AquaC EV-1000 Skimmer, Reeflo Barracuda return pump

04/17/2008, 01:30 AM	#5
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	It seems like you might be going to fast. You shouldn't have any fish if you've started the tank so recently with uncycled rock. It's considered bad practice to cycle with damsels as well since it's harmful to the fish and there's other more humane methods of cycling a tank. I would recommend having the fish boarded at your LFS or someone else's mature tank until your tank finishes cycling. I can't tell from your posts how far along your cycle is but, any present ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates can be very harmful. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

04/17/2008, 09:59 AM	#6
downhillbiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 2,831	yeah i forgot about the fish. i would second having your fish boarded. you should cycle with the lights off and no fish, and seed the tank. after the levels come down it will be safe to add fish, and there is still a lot of benefit to having them then, lots of biological to establish still. People dont realize that cycling is the first step. Then add fish, and the tank isnt mature until like 1 year. __________________ The friendliest GIANT you'll ever meet. Current Tank Info: 200g Marineland Deep Dimension (Lumenmax Reflectors/Dual PFO 400w/Radium 20K) and 2xFrag Tanks (One TEK T5 fixture and one MH, Galaxy/Phoenix) on same system w/100g sump w/6"x100g DSB, AquaC EV-1000 Skimmer, Reeflo Barracuda return pump

04/16/2008, 10:26 PM	#2
Robgixxer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pompano Beach, Fl Posts: 315	i also have a coral beauty and a blue tang in the tank. everything seems to be ok with them. no signs of stress. eating very well and playing in the tank as normal. colors are also very vibrant. but i guess the tank is still cycling. the nitrites were elevated some. so i changed out 15 gallons of water last night. as i don't have a large storage container yet. just a couple of 5 gal buckets. i tested the water today and doesn't seem to be much difference. i'm currently making more clean ro water to change out a bit more water to try to get the nitrites down. as i do not want to harm my fish. am i doing the right thing or should i try something else.

04/16/2008, 11:36 PM	#4
Robgixxer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pompano Beach, Fl Posts: 315	leave the lights off on the whole tank? ok

04/17/2008, 10:38 AM	#7
mile sq. reefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 2,045	+1^, but you can add the fish when the levels are 0 across the board. When your tank is cycled try not to add new rock to it. This may cause a mini cycle. If you must, cycle new rock in a seperate container, no lights with a PH and skimmer.

04/17/2008, 11:00 AM	#8
ConsultantERP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Nicholasville, KY. Posts: 199	the answer is, AS LONG AS IT TAKES, your looking for ammonia and nitrites to go to zero, and nitrates to increase to some point, after that do some water changes and you should be ready to go. Personally I give mine 3 months, that gives my copepod population time to grow, which should make the addition of bioload (adding fish) eaiser to maintain.

04/17/2008, 02:59 PM	#9
Robgixxer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pompano Beach, Fl Posts: 315	gotcha. my amonia levels are pretty much zero. the nitrites are up slightly, as are the nitrates. i still have my 55 g running. and i can move the fish in there without a problem. see when i got the other tank i never had anyone tell me how exactly to cycle the tank 100% properly. but i always had good luck. i only lost 2 fish in there in two years and one of them had jumped out of the tank and was on the floor when i got home from work. i wanted to do this tank properly though with as much info as possible. all my other learning was just by trial and error. i did also put that bio-spira in there once it was filled, and running. Also i have a 5 stage RO/DI system plumbed straight to the tank. so no tap water usage here. but thanks for the imput i will attend to the tank accordingly.

04/17/2008, 09:15 PM	#10
Robgixxer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pompano Beach, Fl Posts: 315	ok using a hagen test kit my amonia is 0, my nitrites are elevated, and nitrates up a little too. so i should not do any water changes till the tank is done cycling though right?