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bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:09 PM
Hello all, after I started my cycle when do I take the raw shrimp? does it just decay down there or should I remove it at some point?
Sorry Rob I listened to all the Cycling podcast like 4 times each and didnt hear if you mentioned it or not.

PiscesGirl
07-11-2006, 10:13 PM
I'm new at this..but I listened to the Podcast's too.
Are you testing?
IF so I think your levels should all be at zero...meaning everything is balanced. I think that means you can take it out and add some livestock??

I'm curious on this too. :)

Not much help, but your post caught my eye. ;)

Resa

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 10:13 PM
that shrimp is a goner. no hope of saving it for yourself. let it go man. lol. it is probably gonna long dissolved by the time the cycle is complete.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:21 PM
So in other words I dont have to remove it?
That sucks I was gonna send it to Evan for a taste test! :p

CarmieJo
07-11-2006, 10:21 PM
Once you see ammonia start climbing you can remove the smelly, fuzzy, slimy or choose your own adjective shrimp. You don't have to wait to add the LR, you can do that at the same time you add the shrimp.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:26 PM
Well the LR is already in.
I already have Pods climbing all over my rocks and actually have a Xenia.
I was lucky and got all my LR from a friends tank so its all established. I am adding about 40 -50 lbs more of cured LR but it is being shipped so it will have some die off. I hope I dont mess up the cycle to bad by adding more LR to the refugium

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:30 PM
Oh on a side note, I messed up ordering my test kits :cry:
They should be here tomorrow. I planned to pick them up locally but my LFS ran out of the paticular brand kit I wanted. So I had to 2 day order them from Marine Depot. Im so bummed that I cant be testing until tomorrow.
My LFS does free testing but Im not sure what I can bring the water to the store in. Any Ideas?
Also if I take the sample in at say 8am but cant take it to the store until 11am when they open up is it going to be ok? It would stay about 70-80F

CarmieJo
07-11-2006, 10:31 PM
Aaron,

You might extend the cycle but you won't mess it up.

pham411
07-11-2006, 10:36 PM
id say a day or two at the longest. there is no need to keep it longer than that. if you have live rock, there really is no need to do this process.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:38 PM
I bought the LR from a company that has a VERY good reputation for good cured Fiji rock. If it has smell to it or something I will propably try to cure it in a Bucket. If I do that it may have to happen in a trashcan in the guest bedroom. If I do it this way about how long and can it be dont without a skimmer?

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 10:38 PM
ziploc plastic bag. try to squeeze all the air out of it.

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 10:40 PM
I bought it from a company that has a VERY good reputation for good cured Fiji rock. If it has smell to it or something I will propably try to cure it in a Bucket. If I do that it may have to happen in a trashcan in the guest bedroom. If I do it this way about how long and can it be dont without a skimmer?
i would recure it myself. a skimmer is not nessary, but you need flow.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:41 PM
What is the "Rule of Thumb" for curing time ?
Is it just the way it looks?

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 10:44 PM
What is the "Rule of Thumb" for curing time ?
Is it just the way it looks?
if you change water, it will cure faster and smoother. the best test for me is the smell after a few days, not the smell when i comes out of the box.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:47 PM
Wait a min... I have a 50 gallon refugium that this rock is going into. Why cant I just cure it in that?
Its connected into the system but its not going in the main display tank. Does this make a diffrence? I could put a micron bag in the return from the fuge to catch anything big that may float around.

pham411
07-11-2006, 10:49 PM
i got my rock uncured. my curing process was 6 weeks. with a skimmer is better, lots of flow, and change your water often. pre cured live rock wont take as long.

pham411
07-11-2006, 10:51 PM
Wait a min... I have a 50 gallon refugium that this rock is going into. Why cant I just cure it in that?
Its connected into the system but its not going in the main display tank. Does this make a diffrence? I could put a micron bag in the return from the fuge to catch anything big that may float around.

if your system is already up and running then you dont want to cure rocks in your existing set up. if its new then it would be ok. you dont want the amonia to rise in your tank while curing in your refugium. i guess this will do if you can cut off your refugium from your main tank for a while.

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 10:51 PM
Wait a min... I have a 50 gallon refugium that this rock is going into. Why cant I just cure it in that?
Its connected into the system but its not going in the main display tank. Does this make a diffrence? I could put a micron bag in the return from the fuge to catch anything big that may float around.
didn't you say that your fuge can be taken offline? that would be best.

pham411
07-11-2006, 10:53 PM
Its connected into the system but its not going in the main display tank. Does this make a diffrence? I could put a micron bag in the return from the fuge to catch anything big that may float around.
bmwaaron when you "cure" rock it is so you can allow thing to die off in the rock without it harming your tank. when things die off in the rock it will cause an amonia spike and thats bad for your fishys. you dont really need to worry about catching anything floating.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:56 PM
I dont have ANY fish or Inverts or Corals... :)
This is still a new tank just started cycling. I guess I will have to just check the rock when I get it and determine the condition it is in. If its just a little die off and its clean I will put it in the fuge with no worries. If it looks bad or something I will post pictures and see what you guys think.

bmwaaron
07-11-2006, 10:58 PM
didn't you say that your fuge can be taken offline? that would be best.

Yes is can be taken off line. But when its off line it doesnt have any access to a skimmer.

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 11:08 PM
Yes is can be taken off line. But when its off line it doesnt have any access to a skimmer.
you can always get a cheapie. never hurts to have an emergency skimmer around.

CarmieJo
07-11-2006, 11:14 PM
Aaron, isn't your LR supposed to be shipped cured?

Everyone else, if it is shipped cured and his tank is just starting to cycle why not put it in the 'fuge and let it go at that? I know that there will be some die-off and it could extend the cycle but this sure seems easiest to me.

fat walrus
07-11-2006, 11:24 PM
fair answer carmie. but my take is if you can, why not avoid it?

CarmieJo
07-11-2006, 11:28 PM
Well, I used to work with a lady who said "If there is an easier way to do it Carmie will figure it out!" :lol: It's not that I am an efficiency expert, I just am lazy!

pham411
07-11-2006, 11:28 PM
wait... if your tank is cycling now just add it to your fuge. let the rocks cycle with your tank. easyiest way that i can think of doing this. makes total sense to me.

PSH
07-12-2006, 02:36 AM
Plus if you let it cure in the tank you only have to do one water change instead of doing a tank water change then a rock curing water change.

pham411
07-12-2006, 04:53 AM
Plus if you let it cure in the tank you only have to do one water change instead of doing a tank water change then a rock curing water change.

good point, im definately a fan of less work.:agree:

Rob
07-12-2006, 02:00 PM
ok, well im a bit late on this thread, and it loosk liek most things have been answers, but here i go anyways...

for the shrimp, it only needs to stay in there to cause the ammonia spike. after 2-3 days, it can be removed and discarded. leaving it in there longer will just cause a larger ammonia spike, and extending the cycle start up time.

for the rock, MOST LR that is shipped is uncured. if this is the case it would be cured outside your display tank. in a extra tank, ot even a Rubbermaid storage container with some powerheads. if it is cured, then it "can" be placed right in the tank, but personally i am VERY careful with LR, as i have found it is the most likely carrier of pest and bad hitchhikers, so i got into the habit of QT the LR before putting it in, so i could observe whats in/on it.

hope that helps.. :)

bmwaaron
07-12-2006, 08:19 PM
Ok Rob you mentioned the Amonia spike so here it goes
What should it spike to? These are my readings
Temp 78
PH 8.2
Ammonia .125
nitrite 0
nitrate .05
Alk 2.74 meq/L or 7.7 dKH

This is after the shrimp and rock have been in there 3 days with Live rock from an established tank.

pham411
07-12-2006, 08:21 PM
its different in all tanks bm. when your nitrite starts to rise that is when your ammonia will start falling. same with nitrite. when that starts to fall your nitrates will start rising.

Rob
07-12-2006, 11:31 PM
yes, its hard to say..
i wouldn't leave it in more than 4-5 days though.
remember when you take it out there will still be stuff left in there to add to the ammonia..

so you should be ok