The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms. This transformation can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. This means fish can swim in water without dying. This has nothing to do with curing your rocks.

Now, why do you want to "cure" your rock...

Rock, especially Calcium Carbonate (live rock) that has been in water with inorganic phosphate will adsorb phosphate, the depth and level of contamination will depend on a varietty of factors for example, length of time of exposure, properties of the carbonate structure and concentration of exposure.

Pukani rock is essentially dried Calcium Carbonate that once had organic forms living on it but now has perished by the harvest and drying process leaving phosphate molecule associated with a carbon-based molecule as in plants or animals. When you acid dip them, you are removing all those potential dead organic matters to eliminate the "new tank syndrome" where green hair algae can establish and feed off decaying organic matter. Through perseverance, one might be able to overcome this stage by manually removing gha, heavy water changes with combination of GFO and eventually at some point an equilibrium will establish and phosphate leaving the rock will equal phosphate entering, but this is not for the fainted heart, most will shut down.

If we remove the phosphate from the water column then it will continue to leave the rock, the length of time this takes is dependent on the factors described above, however, at some point the rock will low enough in phosphates, and if you provide other essential parameters including enough good light, watermovement, correct temperaure, correct salinity and a balanced supply of calcium and carbonate you will get the calcerous growth most reefers aim for (bascically phosphate inhibits biological and abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate).

Back to your question, no, it will not see a cycle if you don't change out your gfo.

Hello nbreau,

Acid bath has nothing to do with the cycle, your rock will cycle either way but the purpose of acid dipping is to get rid of all the dead organic matters left behind in the rock which can alleviate a lot of headaches for the future of your tank.

If your agenda is to speed up the cycle, there are ample amount of products you can use like microbak 7, zeobac, or Dr.Tims one and only.

that's what i thought thanks:)

ah now this is wording it more like it , i think people are getting confused with the nitrogen cycle and curing process....these are not the same things:)

Had to clarify it, I was getting confused myself. :redface:

Reefwars, I screwed up and wrote 'cycle' when I meant 'remove phosphates'. Rich wrote what I was thinking, but couldn't type down. Sorry if I got you hot under the collar bro, we can still be friends right? :lol:

haha but of course :)

OK so if I decided to do an acid bath what's the ratio of acid to water?

When netealize the acid Is the rock safe after that or do I need to take further steps

30% acid and 70% water, sit for 2-4 hours until everything is clean, baking soda to neutralize the solution and dispose safely.

Pressure wash or hose down rocks than let it sit in ro water for a few days drain ro water put in salt water and start curing.

OK thanks!