another live rock question

[dustin_P74]

my live rock is curing in my main tank while its cycling for going on a little over a week and a half and now the live rock is starting to get covered in a burgundy looking stuff (i know the grammar is horrible but im too lazy to fix it). its basically turning the live rock burgundy. so is this normal and if so is the curing going at a normal speed, is it ahead of where it normally should be?

 

[Piggy]

Does it rub off? If so it's red algae. Are you cycling with powerheads in the tank? Are lights off or on? Got a protein skimmer running?

 

[reeffreak]

Perfectly normal to get diatom/brown algae during and after the cycle.Wait til ammonia and nitrite to spike then return to zero.Do a water change once it reach zero,add a fish and a variety of snails to take care of the diatoms.

I don't believe its cyano/red slime algae.That usually happen a month or two later.

 

[dustin_P74]

Does it rub off? If so it's red algae. Are you cycling with powerheads in the tank? Are lights off or on? Got a protein skimmer running?

have not tried to rub it off. im cycling with power heads on, lights are on some of the time all day and when i have everything turned of i still have the moonlights on. and yes i do indeed have a skimmer

 

[dustin_P74]

Perfectly normal to get diatom/brown algae during and after the cycle.Wait til ammonia and nitrite to spike then return to zero.Do a water change once it reach zero

the ammonia right now is completely off the charts right now and i havent test for rites or rates cause of the ammonia

 

[Bifferwine]

Nothing much you can do right now except wait and wait and wait. Algae is normal for a new/cycling tank.

 

[reeffreak]

Yeah there isn't anything you can do right now....your only on Phase I(brown diatoms).There's still Phase II(green diatoms/green coating on the rocks),Phase III(hair algae) and last but not least Phase IV(cyanobacteria,red slime algae).If your one of the lucky ones you will skip one or more of those phases.

 

[dustin_P74]

i took a look around the back of the rock today and saw some hair algae growing and something purple growing on alot of the rocks but figured it was normal since i have fiji live rock

 

[Bifferwine]

Early on, you'll get all sorts of stuff growing on your rock. Different types of algae are all normal.

 

[dustin_P74]

i dont feel like starting a new thread so ill just ask it in here has anyone ever used this timer http://www.aloha-aquariums.com/servlet/the-294/Coralife-Timer-DUAL-AM-dsh-PM/Detail

because i dont know how to set it because when the guys installed my tank they set it up and screwed it to the stand so i cant figure out how to fix it and it has had my main lights running on for close to 36 hours straight

 

[RyanG]

Set the timer to the correct day time. Push down each little tab(10or 15 minute increments) for the time that you want your lights OFF. Plug you lights into it, spin the dial to test that you lights will come on and off when you want. Reset it to the current daytime.

 

[Bifferwine]

Or call the guys that installed your tank for you.

 

[fatman]

You do not need a lot of ammonia to cycle your tank. Get rid of a lot of the nutrients now through doing a water change of 25% to 50%. You will still have more than enough nutrients in your tank to cycle it more than adequately, and it will be a lot easier to get the algae under control later if you eliminate the nutrient excess now. You really do not need your tank to be storing away a bunch of nutrients in any manner, so get rid of a lot of them. I assume you are not using RO or RODI water for your tank mixing water. If that is the case you should look for a source of good cheap RO water, or research purchasing a RO filter. Them nutrients had to have come from somewhere, and with a new tank it is often the water.

 

[dustin_P74]

i actually only use RO water

 

[fatman]

If you want "good" directions for cycling a tank with fresh live rock read the article at this site for curing live rock, and follow the simple directions. Curing live rock in a tank is virtually the same as cycling a tank, with live rock. http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com The best live rock available, and the most sane way to cycle a tank and cure live rock. The object is to both keep every thing a live and to cure your rock while cycling your tank. Wouldn't it be nice to keep every thing alive that you bought with your live rock, even if it only meant you did not have to buy it again later.