new reef set up cycle rock question

[John Smith]

I have a new 120 g tank that I bought used from a local guy. It was a FO
system with minimal light and no chiller and a bunch of dead coral skeleton
stuff. My LFS says he'll trade for livestock, coral, lights, etc to upgrade
my lighting and help me get a chiller. That's good I'm thinking.

Here's the Question...
I want to fill the tank a bit so it does not seem so empty and I was
thinking of getting a box of fiji and a box of tonga branch to start. The
uncured stuff seems a bit less expensive and I'm figuring what the heck it's
a new tank right? Can't I use that instead of fully cured?
I know that I'll have die off and amonia spike etc. But I don't need to add
to it for a while (not to mention it'll be a little while until the wallet
recovers ;-) )
what are the +/- of going this route beyond the cost savings?

Thanks in advance.

[Richard Reynolds]

> I have a new 120 g tank that I bought used from a local guy. It was a FO
> system with minimal light and no chiller and a bunch of dead coral skeleton
> stuff. My LFS says he'll trade for livestock, coral, lights, etc to upgrade
> my lighting and help me get a chiller. That's good I'm thinking.
>
> Here's the Question...
> I want to fill the tank a bit so it does not seem so empty and I was
> thinking of getting a box of fiji and a box of tonga branch to start. The
> uncured stuff seems a bit less expensive and I'm figuring what the heck it's
> a new tank right? Can't I use that instead of fully cured?
> I know that I'll have die off and amonia spike etc. But I don't need to add
> to it for a while (not to mention it'll be a little while until the wallet
> recovers ;-) )
> what are the +/- of going this route beyond the cost savings?

the biggest - is the smell a large amount of uncured LR curing in your home can smell
really BAD. run a skimmer, open a window and keep the ammonia levels down and have at it.

another thing you do want to keep the ammonia low so that not all the stuff on the LR
dies, you only want the dead stuff to go away, not kill more otherwise you would have just
paid an arm and a leg for plain rock.

--
Richard Reynolds

[B]

http://www.athiel.com/lib/cycling.txt

an article about curing live rock

"John Smith" > wrote in message
news:q%0Ob.5602$bg1.1767@fed1read05...
> I have a new 120 g tank that I bought used from a local guy. It was a FO
> system with minimal light and no chiller and a bunch of dead coral
skeleton
> stuff. My LFS says he'll trade for livestock, coral, lights, etc to
upgrade
> my lighting and help me get a chiller. That's good I'm thinking.
>
> Here's the Question...
> I want to fill the tank a bit so it does not seem so empty and I was
> thinking of getting a box of fiji and a box of tonga branch to start. The
> uncured stuff seems a bit less expensive and I'm figuring what the heck
it's
> a new tank right? Can't I use that instead of fully cured?
> I know that I'll have die off and amonia spike etc. But I don't need to
add
> to it for a while (not to mention it'll be a little while until the wallet
> recovers ;-) )
> what are the +/- of going this route beyond the cost savings?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>