Live rock cycling accidentally?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Finley

Hey All,

I removed half of my live rock to redo the aquascape in my display about 5 days ago. I placed it in a bin with a pump and a heater under water and covered the top. Went out today to a lovely smell in the garage from the live rock. Obviously things are dying off etc. Have unintentionally initiated a cycle? I'm thinking now I need completely re-cycle the live rock before placing it back in my display. Or can I I give it a scrub rinse it well and continue?

How long was it in your tank before you disturbed it?

You definitely set off a new cycle from die off for some reason. "Cycling" really just means that there is ammonia currently present. Maybe the rock was out of water too long? Do you have a heater in with it? Whatever happened, yes the smell indicates that it is cycling again and you'll need to test for ammonia amd make sure it's all gone before putting any rock back in your tank.