curing rock

[wolfe36]

I just set up a 55 gallon reef tank. I bought 65 lbs of carribean rock that I got online. the company said that I could just throw it in the tank. so I did. the tank smells really bad and has a yellowish haze to it. Do I just let it cycle and put up with the smell.
or can I do something.
also about the protein skimmer. I have a seaclone 150 which is kinda overkill on my 55, are there always suppose to be bubbles going up the cup always or should just the yellowish stuff go up there. my skimmer is filling up with brown water instead of foam.
there are also a lot of small bubbles going into the tank. I just can't seem to get the protein skimmer to be set up right
wolfe36

 

[majakarot]

everything sounds right, to get the seaclones to produce less bubbles in the tank you can open the air up a little bit, these skimmers blow bubbles unless you give them alot of air

 

[cortezz98@aol.c]

JAM SAID IT PRETTY GOOD IF YOU ARE STILL GETTING BUBBLES IN YOUR TANK (I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM) PUT SOME SPONGES THEY LOOKE LIKE A BRICK, UNDER THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE SKIMMER THIS WILL REDUCE THE BUBBLES GOING IN YOUR TNK.

 

[wastnwages]

ummm love that smell of a sucessful cycling tank especially in the morning while my wife tries to cook

 

[jonthefb]

welcome wolfe! the rock you purchased was probably raw live rock from the caribbean, meaning that it once used to be live, but was plucked to the ocean, held for awhile, and then shipped to you. now that its in your hands, it has been out of its element for awhile, and the life that once colonized it has begun to die off.(algae, sponges, tunicates, bacteria, etc) now that it is in your tnak , it will take soem time(usually 2-4 weeks) to cure. by cure we mean that the die off will halt, and the rock will become recolonized with aerobic and anaerobic bacterias, whcih act as a living filter, adn why we all purchase rock int he first place. your tank is normal to smell like a rotten egg while the rock is curing. your skimmer is also working correctly by pulling a nice brown goo into the collection cup... my skimmer has bubble moving into the cup all the time. this simply means that it is doing its job and pulling all of the waste, and excess organics out of the tank. if you are still getting tiny bubbles released into the tank, you can do as stated above and fiddle with the air control, or simply place a piece of sponge into the chamber next to your skimmer to pull out all the bubbles. just remember to test your water weekly, and you will see your tank cycling. as soon as all of your levels (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite) are at zero, you have the greenlight to begin to add clean-up critters, fish corals etc. just have patience as this is ultimately the key to this hobby. during the time that your tank is cycling read up on the critters you eventually would like to put in your tank. hang out at your lfs, and talk with the employees/customers that have been doing this for some time, and most importantly, post your questions here, as you are guaranteed to get a response from someone!
good luck, and again, welcome to the hobby and board!
jon