Cycle Question

singlemalt

singlemalt

New Member
There seems to be a question or two every day from new guys like me about tank cycling. I've read most of them but can't find an answer to this. I have a 55 gal that will be FOWLR cycling now. I'm running Prizm Proteins Skimmer, a Fluval 403 and 2 Hagen 402 powerheads 24/7. Lighting consistists two flourescent tubes that are on 10 -12 daily. I bought 60 lbs of uncured NaMoli rock and scrubbed it for about 3 hrs keeping wet in a big rubbermaid container filled with salt water that I made 2 days before the rock came. I siphoned 5 gal of it into a bucket that I used to rinse the rock as I scrubbed it. The rock has been cycling for over 2 weeks and I've done 10 gal water changes 3 times so far. The amonia level is still too high to register on my test kit. From what I've read I expect that the cycle will take 4-6 weeks. My concern is that a lot of the coraline alge that came on the rock is turning white. Is this normal? Will it eventually stop dying or will I have white live rock forever?
Thanks in advance for the help. By the way this is a great board I think my wife resents all of you!! LOL
 
ocellaris_keeper

ocellaris_keeper

Active Member
OK, First things I think I know what book you were reading that told you to scrub your uncured rock. Too bad, that book is about 10 years old. OK - stop doing water changes and let the cycle settle. Turn off the lights for a few days and keep the water moving and check your levels every day.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
coraline as it dies and regrows, will turn white, no prob, it is natural and you should loose coraline during a cycle, and when curing uncured live rock, you should loose all of it, and i would turn off your skimmer and lights
normally i would stop the water changes, but i see that you have UNCURED LR, and 4-6 weeks is a good estimate with uncured lr, but don't count on it, i never count on anythign like that, when it happens, it happens,
but yes your rock will be fine and change color, maybe not back to hte color that you had, different coralines grow in different light conditioons
 
cyn

cyn

Member
Turn off the skimmer and kill the lights. Make sure you have very good circulation and wait it out. Like it has been said before, it will take 4-6 weeks, but should be worth the wait. I would not scrub anymore either. You are ridding yourself of what could be some really neat stuff. In time, the coraline will return, just make sure to keep the water moving!
Good luck!
cyn
 
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