odd cycling

[teach106]

24 jbj nanocube
additional 290g/h jet
35 lbs live rock
80degrees
ammonia 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
alkalinity 12dKH
salinity 1.025
calcium 480
The rock has been in the tank (uncured) for 10 days now. Light is on timer 9 hours a day. I know cycling depends on the tank, I have read 1-6 weeks. Ammonia spikes followed by nitrites then nitrates, algae bloom and done, buy a clean up crew.
I have been testing everyother day, I first saw a slight rise in the nitrates, then a slight rise in the ammonia, and now everything has gone back to zero. In the meantime I have also had a huge outbreak of diatoms (brown algae) and today I have these fern like plants growing off the rock? I doubt the tank cycled, but whats going on?
Questions: Anything I ought to do? Am I testing too often? Just check back in two weeks?
Is it good or bad to "gently dust off" the rock? I have been trying to fan off the diatoms to save the life thats left on the rock? It was great originally, but things are dwindling away here. I dont want the diatoms to take over and choke out the tank. Seems too soon to order the clean up crew, but if the algae is growing does that vouch for cycling stage?
Thanks

 

[sepulatian]

Was the rock cured when you bought it? It is possible that there was no die off if it was cured. Use some fish food or a raw cocktail shrimp. Put either in there and let it rot. Watch your ammonia closely. When it spikes to .25-.50, remove the shrimp. If you use flakes then there is nothing to remove. Let it finish the cycle. This is called ghost feeding the tank. If the ammonia drops within a day or so then the tank is ready for your first fish. Make it a hardy one that you plan to keep. There will still be fluctuations.

 

[rykna]

Look forward to more pictures

Looks awesome so far

 

[teach106]

Thanks I apprecaite the compliments. The rock was uncured when I bought it, which is why I am so skeptical that it has cycled this quickly. I purchased 35 pounds of LR in a 24 gallon tank, and I recently swept (pastry brush) the live rock of anything else that had died since I placed i tin the tank. There is still enough organic material going on, I think I will avoid the ghost feeding for another week here and see what happens.
What about the lights on lights off theories during curing? Even the live rock is interesting to look at so I like having the lights on, but Im wondeing if thats the cause of the algae blooms and I shold hold off on that.
Its not that the algae is bothering me cause its unsightly (natural right?) but I dont want it disrupting the cycling process.

 

[michaeltx]

lights on lights off during cycle doesnt effect anything. the "algae" that you are seeing isnt algae at all its a diatom outbreak something all new tanks go through it will pass once the food for them in the tank is gone usually silicates.
when you say that it was uncured did you buy it from a LFS or online?
Mike

 

[teach106]

The rock was purchased uncured from online. 2 day shipped, insultated box, yada yada.
Water used was RO/DI
reef salts
Calcium levels are pushing 500
Ammonia Nitrates back down to zero...