rossco Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 I am thinking about getting a bigger tank so my sailfin's sail doesn't stick out of the water so much . I want to cycle some rock well ahead of time to add to my current rock (and perhaps purchase some really mature live rock). Can you cycle the rock enough to avoid that maturing tank thing when the tank goes through the algae cycles and settling down period. eg coralline algae taking a few months to start to grow. Does it cycle quite well in relative darkness with a bit of flow around it? Do we neee to add lights to cycle later or else algae will bloom when the rocks see the light of day in the new tank? Can we put together a 'new' tank that reaches the mature stage a lot quicker???? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Done properly the cooking process (which is nothing more than a specific method of cycling rock), will result in rock which will not go through the algae stages which people call the "normal progression of algae", when added to the tank. So basically keep the rock in clean water in the dark for a few months (depending on temperature, how clean you keep the surrounding water, and how clogged with crap the rock is), until the amount of detritus produced is minimal. You're letting the bacteria purge the rock of the algae fuel before you add light. If you put it in your tank and you get an algae outbreak, it wasn't finished cooking (cycling) properly. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I am looking at this as well. Will adding a heater and turning it up help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Well higher temperature increases bacteria metabolism (up to a point obviously) which will speed reproduction and therefore the "purging" rate. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Layton you are wrong!!!!! Nah just kidding!!! :lol: . My little joke . You've got it together with rock cooking, good post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossco Posted April 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Cool. I'm off to cook some rock...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 To speed up the "cycling process" put a small dead mussel in at the beginning. It gets your ammonia going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossco Posted April 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Mmmmmm...I sense a new mussel chowder recipe coming on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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