rock is turning brown

bdr · 02/01/2012, 05:21 PM

so im a month into waiting for the cycle to start, the shrimp is a moldy mess and i havent seen anything over .2 or so on the ammoniaand that may be pushing it. i read another thread on dating my test kit from date of manufacture and it is 13 months old. i have 85 lbs dry rock and 5 lb lr. the dry rock closest to the top of the tank has all started to turn a darker brown. is this just the next stage of the dry rock turning into lr or should there be some sort of a cuc? i was just playing in the tank to see if it was hard or now and is seems to blow off a bit with a turkey baster so next question is leave it our blast it off?

RubberFrog · 02/01/2012, 06:10 PM

That shrimp has definately produced all the ammonia you need. Toss it. What do your nitrites look like?

philosophile · 02/01/2012, 06:11 PM

Your shrimp shouldn't be moldy... Probably best to take it out. The brown is probably diatoms, so now would be good to begin adding your cuc. Just don't add it all at once. Add a few snails, or hermits, or whatever you're planning.

bdr · 02/01/2012, 06:17 PM

i used two differnt test kits and all still seems to be 0 ammonia very slightly over maybe but it hasnt changed in weeks. so what do you guys suggest for the beginning of a cuc and for the noob question of the day do you need to qt your cuc?

saltycoastie · 02/01/2012, 08:26 PM

Good question on the CUC in QT

maybe its not right, but ive never QT a CUC....ever. Now livestock yes, corals depends.

02/01/2012, 05:21 PM	#1
bdr Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: kingston ontario Posts: 375	rock is turning brown so im a month into waiting for the cycle to start, the shrimp is a moldy mess and i havent seen anything over .2 or so on the ammoniaand that may be pushing it. i read another thread on dating my test kit from date of manufacture and it is 13 months old. i have 85 lbs dry rock and 5 lb lr. the dry rock closest to the top of the tank has all started to turn a darker brown. is this just the next stage of the dry rock turning into lr or should there be some sort of a cuc? i was just playing in the tank to see if it was hard or now and is seems to blow off a bit with a turkey baster so next question is leave it our blast it off? __________________ 75g display, 40g breeder sump. 85 lbs lr 2 korillia 1050gph powerheads, vertex 100gpd rodi, brs media reactor water went in jan 3 12 Last edited by bdr; 02/01/2012 at 05:48 PM.

02/01/2012, 06:11 PM	#3
philosophile Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,149	Your shrimp shouldn't be moldy... Probably best to take it out. The brown is probably diatoms, so now would be good to begin adding your cuc. Just don't add it all at once. Add a few snails, or hermits, or whatever you're planning. __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef XPS1000SSS skimmer, 2 radions gen 1, tunze osmolator w/ kalk dispenser, 70 lbs pukani, mp40w x2; 1 tomini, 1 clown 2 mandarins. Vinegar dosing, and micro bubble scrubbing.

02/01/2012, 06:17 PM	#4
bdr Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: kingston ontario Posts: 375	i used two differnt test kits and all still seems to be 0 ammonia very slightly over maybe but it hasnt changed in weeks. so what do you guys suggest for the beginning of a cuc and for the noob question of the day do you need to qt your cuc? __________________ 75g display, 40g breeder sump. 85 lbs lr 2 korillia 1050gph powerheads, vertex 100gpd rodi, brs media reactor water went in jan 3 12

02/01/2012, 08:26 PM	#5
saltycoastie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Liberty Texas (east houston) Posts: 42	Good question on the CUC in QT maybe its not right, but ive never QT a CUC....ever. Now livestock yes, corals depends. __________________ I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, try to keep up. Be nice to the people who smoke. Every cigarette may be their last. Current Tank Info: 55 gallon cichlid, 10 gallon nano reef with 10 gallon sump

02/01/2012, 06:10 PM	#2
RubberFrog Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 286	That shrimp has definately produced all the ammonia you need. Toss it. What do your nitrites look like?