Cycle question

[idog]

Hello,

I have my tank cycling with about 25 lbs of Live rock right now. It was cycling with sand for a week then I added the rock about three days ago. I have noticed that the red corraline has turned black which I understand is normal, however there is a bluish-white translucent sort of film growing on part of the rock. I am cycling with the lights off so I don't think it is algae. I tried to take pics but the flash washed it out.

Anyone seen this before and should I scrub it off?

Cheers

 

[skipm]

It sounds like some kind of bacterial growth to me, I would see how hard it is and if it is like a film or slime I would scrub it off.

 

[mutt]

It might be something dying on the rock.

Get rid of it too be safe.

 

[Jennie]

Scrubbing the rock wouldn't be a bad idea, and it sounds like you have everything else under control!

 

[riftlaker]

sounds like sponge to me sometimes cylcing without lights produce good conditions for the sponge.. it should die off after the water is in better shape and you add lights. it wouldnt hurt to srub it off wen you turn the lights on to help inhibit it but without the light it will prolly come back quick. BTW did you use live sand ? if not your tank wasnt cycling for a week it was just running for a week.

 

[idog]

I used live sand and threw in a piece of shrimp to get the cycle started and the amonia spike.
It probably is something dying on the rock it looks almost like mould. Doing a water change tomorrow and will scrape off. It seems to be spreading a bit

 

[Anonymous]

this is going to sound a bit dif then anyone else will tell you - but i would wait another week or so siphon off a bucket full of saltwater and scrub each rock off individually with a toothbrush, scrub brush, or something similar and rinse completely removing as much detritus as possible. siphon the sand and put all new salt water in (premixed and aged a day or 2 of course) - rescape your tank turn on the lights, and you'll be ready to start adding things in a week - go very slow only small biomass at a time (say a clean-up crew first) then one peice a week for a while. the "theory" behind this method is you are cycling the bacteria in your rock/sand - not the water........and BTW coraline usally turns white when it dies not black so that is likely sponge or something else.

 

[riftlaker]

oh ok sorry so many people think that a tank starts cycling soon as you put water in it hehe. the red coraline your refering to is most likely not red coraline at all and is prolly cyano bacteria, when it is very dense it can look almost black. water holds such an isignificant amount of bacteria that one should never consider water alone to be cycled, nitrosomos and nitrobacter sp? needs sometype of medium to attach on and grow, in order for a tank to cyle, as in your rock, sand, and in fish only systems the filter cartride-media.

 

[idog]

So I did a 25% water change. My Nitrates were off the chart so
i figured it was time. I scrubbed all my rock. That bluish coating was like a slime on the rock that came off as soon as the rock moved. I scraped off so much crap from my rocks it was staggering. I even found a dead clam in the bucket when I was done.

One question though. I had premixed my saltwater in a 5 gallon jug and checked the SG at 1.022. The water in my tank was about the same. when I added the new water to the tank, I took another reading and the SG was up to 1.028. I am still cycling so the water I added was at 70 degrees while my tank was 80 ( I know i'll need to heat the new water for water changes when I get livestock). The temp settled at 74 when I took the reading. How is SG affected by temp and does this account for the discrepency. There was alot of floating detritus because of the water/rock change so would this affect the reading? As the temp rises, will the SG drop? Or should I siphon from the tank and add fresh water?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[r00onmac]

are u using a swing arm hydrometer? those things are very unreliable unless you clean them regularly... and even if you do they arent so great.... that could account for the difference..

 

[EDGRAY]

Well temperature can alter the results but not that much at least +/- 0.0002-04 thats all if not wrong and well what are u using to mesure the SG ??? ...

just a tip given by Sadielynn wash it with some vinegar if hydrometer or other..let it dry and then read again and if refractrometer read it with some fresh water to check the level and then do the test again..

well if your cycle is done yet?? and nitrates still crazy try doing a big water change 75% or more recommended do a 25% water change every 3-4 days (like 3-4 times) and everything will be seattle....(my nitrates went up when i was in my 4th mount of having my tank... they were around 20-30 and after feeding less and 2 big watter changes of 75% my nitrates were stable again in 2 weeks and still are ....)

 

[idog]

I am using the Coralife swing arm style hydrometer. My Gravity is now around 1.026 so I probably shouldn't worry right?

My Nitrates are still off the chart though. I will do another big water change either tonight or tomorrow.