cureing live rock??

[Myteemouse]

I've got about 100lbs of dead dry rock in a tub with a power head and a heater and a skimmer.
I put a few silver sides in to spike the ammonia.
I tested today, Ammonia is SKY HIGH.
How long should it take for the ammonia to go down and the nitrites to spike and then those go down??
I've read a month or so??

 

[gotfish]

I'm not positive, but I in my time of starting freshwater fish tanks from nothing to being fully cycled, it would take about 2 weeks. I wouldn't imagine it would be any different with what you're doing. The only difference is in the tank the bacteria is growing on glass and sand versus dead rock.

 

[windwaterwaves]

You should pick up a bottle of bacteria to jumpstart it...

 

[Myteemouse]

I'll look into it??
I could throw a piece of live rock from my sump into it!!

 

[gotfish]

I'll look into it??
I could throw a piece of live rock from my sump into it!!

That would be better then getting the bacteria.

 

[Myteemouse]

DONE!!
Got lots of rock in my sump that's been there for months!

 

[tamarindthai]

throw in some live sand will start to speed up the cure.

 

[Myteemouse]

O.K. update
Tested today
Ammonia is down to around 2
And the NITRITES are off the charts high!
I think this is working good?
I believe I am supposed to have a ammonia spike then a nitrite spike to get GOOD beneficial bacteria.
Am I correct??

 

[Krish]

Yes you are. The decrease in ammonia and rise in nitrite means that the aerobic bacteria responsible for converting ammonia to nitrite is colonizing your tank and doing its job. Next you will see a decrease in nitrite and an increase in nitrate as another aerobic bacteria starts to colonize your tank

 

[tike]

You are correct! Now those levels will start to drop and your trates will start to show up.

 

[Myteemouse]

So in this big tub of rock!
I need to wait till the trates show up before I do any water changes??
I do have a BIG skimmer in there with the rock!!

 

[tike]

Yes wait for the trates. The big thing is to wait till ammo and trite read zero.

 

[Myteemouse]

BTW this rock is in a tub not a tank!! Still the same NO water changes till the two tests are 0 ???

I think this is supposed to help me in my tank, My first setup never had a ammonia spike and it took two months for the trites to get to 0.

 

[tike]

yep! you are starting from dead rock so you don't have to worry about anything dying like you would with uncured live rock.

 

[NC2WA]

With trates equates a cycle that has completed.

ammona--> nitrites--> nitrates

"-->" equates to a by-product of each stage.

 

[Myteemouse]

So when Is it ready to go in a new tank??
Nitrates need to be manually romoved correct??
I think nothing gets nitrates down except water changes and delution??
And maybe good skimming?

 

[Michael39924]

Yeah, a frequent large water changes will help for sure. I am not sure if it's too late but I would scrub all rocks to get the dead stuff off with a toothbrush. That ammo spike was most likely from dead organisms on the rock.

 

[Myteemouse]

Yeah, a frequent large water changes will help for sure. I am not sure if it's too late but I would scrub all rocks to get the dead stuff off with a toothbrush. That ammo spike was most likely from dead organisms on the rock.

AND the dead fish I threw in there!!
Most of the rock was boiled in first!
Some wasn't but I got a few weeks befoer the tank is even ready!

 

[gotfish]

So when Is it ready to go in a new tank??
Nitrates need to be manually romoved correct??
I think nothing gets nitrates down except water changes and delution??
And maybe good skimming?

Macro algae.

 

[Myteemouse]

O.K. the trites are 0 the amonia is now 0 after both being off the charts..
trates are still only around 5
My tank is not here yet.
I should just let it "COOK" for the few more weeks till the tank is ready right??