Lots of ???Cycled and Now What?

[navarcus]

Okay, so I have been very patiently waiting for my tank to finally cycle. I have currently got 80 lbs of liverock in the tank that I cycled with. The rock that was originally pink and greens and purple is now looking pretty washed out and white-ish where there used to be color? Will it come back? There is alot of dead stuff still floating around from the plant and algea stuff that was originally alive in the rock when I put it in. It was uncured to start and it was also shipped to me. I noticed that these little white critters (pods?) are crawling around on the glass now too, now that its safe to come out I guess. Now that all of my readings are at zero what do I do with the nasty brown algea bloom that has just started to grow? Its on my powerheads and on some of the rock and sand? I started the tank with tap water but I have done about a 50 Percent waterchange during this entire cycling stage with nothing but di/ro water? Do I do a huge water change now? Is my liverock "cured" now? I smelled a piece of it and it still stinks? Not like ocean but like decaying liverock but not as bad as it did during the cycle.

 

[farmboy]

If all your readings are at ZERO-amonia, nitrite, nitrate-then you should be ready for a cleaner crew. Cerith snails are known to like diatoms. We added 10 of them to our crew from SWF.com.

Do another water change and mechanically filter as much "junk" as you can before adding the crew. Then watch them work. :jumping:
The coraline will return to your rock in time. It may not be exactly the same colors when it does.

 

[navarcus]

Thanks! Wow I've never cycled a tank with liverock like this before. I had no idea that it would be so messy! Can I just stir up all the brown algea on the sand to remove it or will that cause it to spread more? :happyfish

 

[petieaztec]

before you do anything get your water tested at your local fish provider. do not go on looks alone, please. this way you will not waste money.

 

[navarcus]

Okay one more question :jumping: Can I take some of my liverock out and scrub off some of the dead stuff now that the tank is cycled or will that kill the benificial bacteria? Oh then that leads to another???? :thinking: Is my liverock CURED now?