dilema pleaseee help

[yousound like a white boy]

i have a 30 gallon aqarium that i let cycle for about a month and a half- two months the rock however i did not know i was supposed to cure? ive been reading up on it and hear that its a MUST for life to sustain ive heard mixed opions about this how ever that cycling and curing are pretty much the same thing and that that should have taken care of everything being cristmas my brothers went and bought me fish alage is growing in the tank and after christmas i am planning on upgrading my lighthing so any ideas with that aswell would be great im 16 so my budget is limited to about 150 and the lights i have seen that would fit my tank are around that price range and have lunar lights too.

white spot puffer
small yellow tang (dont jump on me)

they are doing fine at the time and have been in the tank for about 5 days i would hate to start back over with the curing but w/e it takes cause i really enjoy this hobby please any opinions/comments/addvice is appreciated greatly

 

[Jennie]

:welcome to Nanotank
:mrgreen:


If you placed your rock in the tank when you first started, then maybe the tank has already cycled out. The only sure bet on that is to actually test your parameters. Here are a few questions you can answer to help us all help you.

1. What are the current test results
2. How many pounds of LR are in your tank
3. What is your current lighting

The tang issue is an old one, and seeing as to how they are a beautiful fish, I'm aware of how tempting they are to someone that is just starting in the hobby. The advice I'd like to give it to return it to the store you purchased it from. As the tang grows, the space in the tank for it to swim around in decreases. Think of a shark in a kiddie pool :shock:

Can't wait to see pictures of your tank!
& Again, welcome to Nanotank dear!

 

[yousound like a white boy]

current lighting is nothing special just a stock light that you would find on a hood for a fresh water tank i guess?
my ph is right and so are my salt levels
there are i would guess about 20 pounds of live rock in the tank everything looks fine
alage and coral line are coming in. i need to get a clean up crew in there pretty soon but its looking good i just wasnt sure and didnt want to add anything else
im looking at a 24'' dual satilite fixture with lunar lights

thanks again i will post pictures when i get my new equipment and such thanks again

 

[yousound like a white boy]

some extra information i forgot to put in
my heater is on and the temp is 78-79
the power head i have in there is pretty stong stirs up alot of sand but that
will change after christmas im looking at getting two power heads one in each back
coner any suggestions? for this size tank

 

[2manytanks]

What Jennie meant when she asked for test results was the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate in your tank.
Also, a cleanup crew now will help with the algae

 

[islandcreation]

Main thing with live rocks and not being cycled is your ammonia. Plus, since its been awhile do you have a skimmer? The tank is pretty big to do water changes,actually you can but its a pain. So I'm hoping you have skimmer, unless your alright with frequent water changes?

For curing live rocks, I really like Jesse's or J&D. (Which I didn't do myslef) He boiled the live rock and killed everything on it then cycled. It basically releives one from anything bad the hitched on the rock. Another individual suggested rather than boiling the rock, do a iodine dip! Made since to me... Basically, if everything still living thats a good sign. But check parameters ASAP! :mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

For curing live rocks, I really like Jesse's or J&D. (Which I didn't do myslef) He boiled the live rock and killed everything on it then cycled. :

"cooking" does not mean boiling - it is a method of using bacteria and frequent water changes to remove unwanteds from rock while also redusing the amount of PO4 in the rock. it has to be done in a dark environment to ensure bacteria not algae growth.

from my post:
Quote:
here is marine depots version of curing - good info but to it i would add:
1 month min 2 is better
use 2 pails and move the rock back and forth with each 100% water change
and NO light!
it is important that the process be bacterial driven not algae
and scrub rock, rinse, and inspect once a week to get rid of the nasty shrimp, crabs, aptasia and other pests you may not want. thats why 2 buckets
http://www.marinedepot.com/education_ce ... veRock.asp
you will lose some biodiversity - but avoid many problems


i think that many people feel that in some way they are curing their water hence the no water change theory, but your not, other then aging your water a day or two to stabilize its chemistry its good to go, so.......
what i would do is just that - you may get away with a shorter period though if it is "fully cured", but remember fully cured doesn't mean pest free. set up another bin just like you have - in a week do the rinse and light brushing and put it in the new water and bin, the second bin ensures no time out of water for the rock (make sure its aged 2 days and the salinity and temp are equal). look in the bottom of the first bin - the amount of detritus will be an indication of how long you have to do this, once or twice may be enough. make sure you check every nook and hole to see if there are any nasties during the rinsing. unless there is actually corals on the rock - almost everything good will survive ie sponges, worms, bivalves, tunicates, and even the coraline and pods, and you won't end up fighting algae for the next 6 months. you can set up your new tank with water and sand right away when you get it and get the temp and salinity set with the lights on a cycle etc., and if you go very slowly you can then begin stocking almost right away once you place the rock in your tank
just my opinion though.....


and this is the thread jesse posted:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... did=980514