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#1
08-30-2009, 11:03 PM
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If I were you I would put the dry rock into a separate Rubbermaid and cook it for several weeks to get all the nutrients out of it. It will leach a lot of nutrients having been dried out, and it will take quite a while to flush it all out of the rock.
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#2
08-30-2009, 11:07 PM
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Ok, and so when I add it to my display after cooking it, will it cause the tank to endure another mini cycle or what do you think? I am hoping my cycle of the DT will be done by that time, but I cant say for sure I guess?
Say I have my CUC in there once this dried rock is done cooking, it wont hurt them will it?
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#3
08-30-2009, 11:08 PM
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Also, whats the difference in cooking old LR in regular old tap water compared to salt water? Nutrients would still leach out wouldnt they? Does anyone do this? Its not like it has anything valuable on there Im trying to preserve, Im just stripping it down to its bare rock essentials... no?
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#4
08-30-2009, 11:23 PM
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You could cook dried out rock in tap water. Are you using tap water for the tank? If you are using RO water for the tank you should cook in RO water at least though since you will probably contaminate the rock with heavy metals and organics from the tap water. However, it would be wise to finish the cooking with saltwater for the last couple weeks to get the saltwater well flushed into the rock, once you do that add a few pieces of cured "real" live rock to seed the previously dead stuff with bacteria and oter life forms. If you cook the rock properly, and don't have the rock out of the tank long when transfering into the display you will not create a cycle.
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#5
08-30-2009, 11:28 PM
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Ok sweet, I can handle all of that. I'll cook it in RO since thats whats in my display. Right now its in the same water the live rock from one of the fellow reefers was in. So I'll leave it in that for like a week then go back to RO so I dont have to waste salt. Then for at least a week or two at the end it'll be back in salt with a seeded rock from the DT like you said. Thanks Myka!
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#7
09-01-2009, 05:39 PM
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So I got another question lol. Ok so keep in mind this is my first ever start from scratch tank, including my fresh water days. Ive always had some kind of seeded bacteria (such as in a filter or whatever) for FW, so Ive never gone through a brand new cycle really. Only small ones when I add stuff to the tank.
So yesterday I put in my live rock. You can see what kind of live rock I have up above. I only put in LR 'B' and 'C' from that list. LR 'A' is curing for several weeks Ive decided. Soooo, I feel like I have good LR that has been well preserved and doesnt have much die off because today I took a reading for the first time (roughly 24 hrs after putting the LR in my tanK) and right now my ammonia level is zero and my nitrite level is zero as well. Nitrate is miniscule as well at between 5-10 ppm. So obviously I have some denitrifying bacteria on my LR already. So my question is, do I have a bigger release of nutrients on the way that will cause a big cycle? I mean I thought I'd be experiencing it in my test levels by now. Am I foolish to be "dreaming" that I can add my CUC two days after adding my LR to a brand new system?
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