Let the cooking begin..

[YHSublime]

I would also ghost feed.

 

What if he took it up a smidge every week or two, wouldn't that in theory help the bacteria build to support a heavier load?

[Origami]

Tom,

 

This may sound like a dumb question -

Once the cycle is complete, and there are no signs on ammonia/nitrite, do I have to feed the rock/bacteria occasionally? I plan on dumping pods from my existing tank in there once the cycle is done.

 

It helps to feed a very small amount to "ghost feed."

 

ps - That strain of pods you have must really like to do it.  I have about a bagillion in my tank now, and that clump of chaeto is like the hourly rate motel.

 

+1. That's my understanding. The ammonia - nitrite - nitrate "cycle" are just outward signs that a population of bacteria have been established. The goal is not to remove ammonia / nitrite / nitrate, but to grow a population of bacteria that will process the ammonia and its byproducts. If the bacteria have food (i.e. an ammonia source), the population will increase to meet the available food. If they don't have food, the population will decrease accordingly.

[Orion]

It helps to feed a very small amount to "ghost feed."

 

ps - That strain of pods you have must really like to do it.  I have about a bagillion in my tank now, and that clump of chaeto is like the hourly rate motel.

 

That's awesome.  I took a peek behind the tank underneath the sump area to find a swarm of pods living happily under there, and of course the pistol shrimp that's stuck back there also enjoys eating them.

 

 

+1. That's my understanding. The ammonia - nitrite - nitrate "cycle" are just outward signs that a population of bacteria have been established. The goal is not to remove ammonia / nitrite / nitrate, but to grow a population of bacteria that will process the ammonia and its byproducts. If the bacteria have food (i.e. an ammonia source), the population will increase to meet the available food. If they don't have food, the population will decrease accordingly.

 

 

Makes sense to me.  I just found a couple of small brittle stars crawling around in the bin the other day. Must have come off the rock I put in there from the display tank.  I'll throw a little food in there today.  Ammonia/Nitrite are almost 0 now, and Nitrates are starting to climb up a little.  Dr. Tim's certainly did work...

Edited October 23, 2013 by Orion

[wade]

FWIW my dry base rock took about 4 months to settle down.  Still no sign of corraline on it.  The hair algae LOVED the stuff in the beginning - even though the holding tank showed no measurable phosphates, I'm sure it was embedded in the rock.  It seems to be stable now.

 

I would also advise to cut back any really long stringy algae when it goes to display.  Most fish/inverts cannot eat really long strings of filamentous algae.  Give it a good cropping and the critters may do the rest.  On the positive side, the benthic plankton love all that habitat.

[Orion]

 

I threw some chaeto in the rock bin with a small underwater light. Also captured a few hundred pods from the display tank to put in there.

This rock will be colonized in no time.

[Orion]

I haven't updated this thread in a month, but after a month and a half of "cooking" this rock is ready to go.  I see numerous pods darting in and out of the rock when I turn off the pump.  

 

I have been ghost feeding twice a week since I started, and change some of the water at least once a week.  I have also had a small LED light running for 10 hours a day on a ball of chaeto with the rock.

[smallreef]

Very good!

You'll be ready when you get that new tank u to hit the ground running....

[wade]

Don't be surprised to get some surface algae growing when it first goes into the tank.  I tried to do the same with my rock and I still got a burst of growth on the surface of the rocks... that stuff is available on contact, but not freely dissolved into the tank. However, I think it makes a big difference to have the bacterial populations already in place doing a method like this.

[Orion]

Don't be surprised to get some surface algae growing when it first goes into the tank.  I tried to do the same with my rock and I still got a burst of growth on the surface of the rocks... that stuff is available on contact, but not freely dissolved into the tank. However, I think it makes a big difference to have the bacterial populations already in place doing a method like this.

 

 

I am expecting it once I put up the real lights, its all part of the initial start up.  Once the tank settles down, and gets established the algae will start to go away.  My biggest concern doing this was growing a big enough pod population for the dragonet that's in my 30 gallon.  Doesn't look like it'll be an issue though.

[howaboutme]

Do you have PO4 update? You mentioned that you were going to validate their claim of no/low PO4. Being that it came from Florida and inland, I wonder how true that is. I bought mine from reefcleaners, which gets their rock inland in FL too. Just wondering..would be helpful for others looking to get base rock. Thanks.

[wade]

I got the Caribsea stuff - also mined in FL.  And it was definitely high in PO4 (though they claim otherwise) after setting in a water tub outside for a week.  I wound up flushing it for 4 weeks and using some lanthanum in the early stages.

[Orion]

Do you have PO4 update? You mentioned that you were going to validate their claim of no/low PO4. Being that it came from Florida and inland, I wonder how true that is. I bought mine from reefcleaners, which gets their rock inland in FL too. Just wondering..would be helpful for others looking to get base rock. Thanks.

 

Phosphate today is .03

I never had anything above .08 since I started.

 

My theory on the phosphate is its coming from the food when I ghost feed, and probably coming from the small pieces of live rock that came from the other tank.