question pod explostion within 2.5 weeks

[tbone]

now my tank's been setup since jan 17/06 2.5 weeks now. cycled in about 1 week..

i got out of the hobby 2 years ago. but i didn't drain the tank or anything. i'd just let it sit for about a year before i'd moved. the salt was so concentrated that the water didn't want to evaporate anymore.

anyways once i've moved and got the tank setup up again. i'd wash half the sand and just dump the other in the tank. then got a power head and mix all the sand together to get the silt out. waited for about 2 days before putting in my so called dead rock that was once live didn't wash it either.

water cleared up within a weak, put 3 damsels in the tank then 1 week later i got a bi color angel and 10# of LR on jan 28/06. i started to feed heavily and had small cynao bloom.

strange thing happened today that i didn't notice before. i had tons!!!! of lil pods all over my glass. i also notice that the pods was eating the cyano cuz the pods all look light red.

my question is. is this normal? for a pod explostion within 2.5 weeks?
could it be the rocks that i got? or maybe over feeding the tank?
i think something has survive in the tank even when i'd shut iof my tank.
maybe in the sand and rocks.
i can even see little lines in my sand bed as well.

i'm happy with how my tank is going looking good.
tho i have read reusing old sand may cause major algae out break.
i'm looking forward to it
here's so info.
90 gallon tank with 40 gallon sump.
800gph return.
turbo floater skimmer.

[Beverly]

Don't know if the old rock and sandbed will cause algae problems, but overfeeding sure will. Slow down on the feeding and save yourself major algae headaches down the road.

HTH

[TheReefGeek]

Crazy! Perhaps some life came in with the 10lbs of LR, but not as much as you seem to be describing. Do you have any pics of these red pods?

[tbone]

i could take some pics tonight.

but i don't there would be as much as before. cuz i've cleaned the glass.

when the lights turn on i notice my cyano almost gone. very light pink.

what surprise me is that my tank cycle within 2 weeks. clear.

but i turn off the pump. i see alot of pods swiming around. very cool to see.

[TheReefGeek]

With dead, or dry rock that is seeded with say 10% cured rock (like what you did, used your old rocks and added 10lbs live), cycling can be faster than with all "live" rock because of all the die-off that happens from the time the rock leaves the ocean to the time it is in tank water.

Same principle as you can add as much dry rock to your tank at one time as you want, but not as much "live" rock, because the die-off from too much live rock at one time can cause a harmfull spike in your tank.

This is why I recommend people who use dry rock in a new tank to use 10% live rock in addition to the dry rock. If you use fully cured rock (no die-off at all), then you have to jump-start the cycle process by introducing some waste, a piece of shrimp or feeding a tough fish such as a damsel works.

[tbone]

but i'd added the rock just last week. but to see pod pop exploding is un real.

i remember when i got the tank used and got the tank setup and everything i didn't notice anything for the first 1 month. i had Major cyano bloom.

[TheReefGeek]

Very strange.

Did you test your levels daily and record an actual cycle? Ie, rise in ammonia then decrease, then rise in nitrite then decrease, then rise in nitrate.

[tbone]

no i didn't. just once which was the day that it cycle ended.

[TheReefGeek]

Hard to know if it actually cycled based on 1 test.

I would test every day for the next week and record/chart the values. Ph as well.

[tbone]

i'll do that once i get home tonight.