Curing Live Rock: Lights On? Lights Off?

[Mark Henry]

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in a post earlier this week my new 65g marine tank is in
its second week of cycling. I've got 90# of live rock in it and have had
the lights running on their timer ever since I set the tank set up and
everything in the tank (and I do mean everything) is covered in algae of
one kind or another. From much of what I've read this is a normal part
of the curing and cycling process.

However, today I stopped in my LFS and talked to the guys there. It was
their opinion that I should be curing my rock and cycling the tank with
the lights off to avoid growning algae. They said that if the algae grew
too thick on the rock it would kill off any of the "good stuff" that
shipped with the rock.

So, which is it - lights ON or lights OFF? Do I want/need/care if algae
grows during the curing/cycling process?

tia,

mark h

[TheRock]

Lights out.. at least that's what I did.
Throw some little hermit crabs in there to munch down some of that algae.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=623
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=621
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=613
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=620

When you buy live rock 75% of "the good stuff " is dead, hence the die off
and spike in ammonia.
Bettcha it smells nice !


Chris

"Mark Henry" > wrote in message
...
> Hello everyone!
>
> As I mentioned in a post earlier this week my new 65g marine tank is in
> its second week of cycling. I've got 90# of live rock in it and have had
> the lights running on their timer ever since I set the tank set up and
> everything in the tank (and I do mean everything) is covered in algae of
> one kind or another. From much of what I've read this is a normal part of
> the curing and cycling process.
>
> However, today I stopped in my LFS and talked to the guys there. It was
> their opinion that I should be curing my rock and cycling the tank with
> the lights off to avoid growning algae. They said that if the algae grew
> too thick on the rock it would kill off any of the "good stuff" that
> shipped with the rock.
>
> So, which is it - lights ON or lights OFF? Do I want/need/care if algae
> grows during the curing/cycling process?
>
> tia,
>
> mark h

[Ray Martini]

I added my live rock, lights out and covered the tank with garbage bags not
to allow ANY light in for a month.

Cycled perfectly.


"Mark Henry" > wrote in message
...
> Hello everyone!
>
> As I mentioned in a post earlier this week my new 65g marine tank is in
> its second week of cycling. I've got 90# of live rock in it and have had
> the lights running on their timer ever since I set the tank set up and
> everything in the tank (and I do mean everything) is covered in algae of
> one kind or another. From much of what I've read this is a normal part of
> the curing and cycling process.
>
> However, today I stopped in my LFS and talked to the guys there. It was
> their opinion that I should be curing my rock and cycling the tank with
> the lights off to avoid growning algae. They said that if the algae grew
> too thick on the rock it would kill off any of the "good stuff" that
> shipped with the rock.
>
> So, which is it - lights ON or lights OFF? Do I want/need/care if algae
> grows during the curing/cycling process?
>
> tia,
>
> mark h

[miskairal]

Did you have any coral grow on your live rock?
I had lights on but ended up with a major hair algae outbreak. That
seems to be finally settling but I ended up with quite a few corals on
my live rock including this one
http://goatdairying.com/fish/marine/live_rock_stuff/left_back.jpg
which went totally white and took a few weeks to start getting colour
again. Would it have survived with lights out?

BTW Is this a closed brain coral?


Ray Martini wrote:
> I added my live rock, lights out and covered the tank with garbage bags not
> to allow ANY light in for a month.
>
> Cycled perfectly.
>
>
> "Mark Henry" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hello everyone!
>>
>>As I mentioned in a post earlier this week my new 65g marine tank is in
>>its second week of cycling. I've got 90# of live rock in it and have had
>>the lights running on their timer ever since I set the tank set up and
>>everything in the tank (and I do mean everything) is covered in algae of
>>one kind or another. From much of what I've read this is a normal part of
>>the curing and cycling process.
>>
>>However, today I stopped in my LFS and talked to the guys there. It was
>>their opinion that I should be curing my rock and cycling the tank with
>>the lights off to avoid growning algae. They said that if the algae grew
>>too thick on the rock it would kill off any of the "good stuff" that
>>shipped with the rock.
>>
>>So, which is it - lights ON or lights OFF? Do I want/need/care if algae
>>grows during the curing/cycling process?
>>
>>tia,
>>
>>mark h
>
>
>