macros during cycle?

[angieg1123]

I have had sea horse tanks before, but I have always used everything (sand, rock, water, ect.) from other tanks to start them.

Yesterday I set up a new 47G Column tank to move my Erectus into when the cycle completes. Do I have to wait for it to cycle before I add the macros to the new tank, or can they go in now? I've never started totally from scratch before so I have always added them immediatly.

Tank info:
set up date 7/16/06

Tank 47G Column 20x18x31 (l x w x h)
Filter magnum 350 deluxe
60 lbs. LR (haiti)
5 in. sand bed
Aqua-tech 30-60 hang on power filter (temporary...clearing the sandstorm)
Lighting 24w standard output (will be 1- 250w 20k MH when it's cycled)
No sump or skimmer
Temp 74
water 1.024

thanks,
Angie

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Angie,

I'd let the rock cure for about a week or so before adding algae. Algae normally lives for nitrogen but, just like over fertilizing grass, very high levels will burn it. I would say when the ammonia drops into the range of 2-3 ppm then you should be able to add it into the display.

Folks

For those of you that haven't run into me over on the Newbie Forum I do want to say something here. Do yourself a favor when curing rock and use separate curing vats. All that nasty water that results from a rock cure doesn't need to be in the display. It only promotes post cure algae outbreaks. Simple Tupperware storage trays will do for curing and will pay off in better water quality in the display.

So endeth the sermon.

 

[angieg1123]

Thanks for the curing tip, I agree 100%. I purchased 100 lbs of the LR in Feb. 2006. 40 lbs went into an existing reef tank and the rest was saved for "future use". This is the future use tank It's been curing in a large tub for about 5 months !! I'm fairly sure all of the nasty stuff is off of the rock, lol. I couldn't imagine all of the crud that came off of the rock during the curing process in my display tank. That was nasty stuff.

 

[WaterKeeper]

:thumbsup: