done lot of searches still have base rock curing q's

So I just nuked 45 lbs of live rock I aquired and I have 40 lbs of base rock coming to me next week. I am planning on starting with 40 lbs live sand and 40 lbs of agronite sand. I am starting a 75 g with a wet/dry sump and small refug.

I don't really want to seed it with LR, but will find some to scrape some algae from though.

What exactly is the process of the rock seeding/curing? Since there is nothing left on the rock, nothing to die off. Do I keep the lights on or off when trying to grow the little beneficial micro organisms on the rock to turn it into live rock? What will happen during this time? I still don't quite have a grasp on algae blooms and diatoms. What and when do I add something to create ammonia to start the biological cycle? Is it good to use some food source or have a damsel in there?

Also, a timeline on these things maybe?

 

You can use a large pinch of fish food flakes, a freeze dried jumbo krill, or something as simple as that to begin to decompose in your tank and begin the cycling process. I wouldn't add a damsel or your first fish to test and continue your cycle until the last stage of cycling with no nitrites, and after nitrates start to drop back down. At that point a single fish (typically a damsel) will provide a constant bioload to feed the good bacteria you have cultured in your tank now. Don't overstock quickly, because that bacteria needs time to grow to catch up to the size of the bioload (fish poop) you are putting into the tank by stocking more fish. That's the most common mistake made early on.

 

Its really no different than using uncured live rock. All it means when "seeding/curing" is that the bacterial colonies have established themselves throughout the rock.
I prefer to use a damsel. When you use something like a cocktail shrimp the ammonia spike tends to be brief and massive, which won't set up the bacterail colonies as well as the damsels, slow, steady supply of ammonia, IMHO.

 

PackLeader so you would start with a damsel from the start? Lights on or off?

 

Lights off is fine. Bacteria of this kind does not need light to grow. A pinch of fish food a day will rot and supply a similar bioload as a damsel. I'd use a damsel too, but only after the tank has finished the nitrite cycle completely, or the damsel will most likely die.

 

I think I have started up around ~6 different tanks and in my experience a blue tail damsel from the start, I have never had one die. I trust the LFS's here and that's what they use. But then again maybe i have just been extremely lucky.

 

Justs a little LR goes a long way and then you will get all the bacteria and diffrent types of coraline.

 

Yeah I have a bunch of live rock rubble that was in a wet/dry. I guess I could use it, it wouldn't bring anything in I don't want. Doesn't have coraline on it but I could scrape some from a rock or 2.

 

I used one Damsel and a dead shrimp. They're tough. I also had an Emerald crab to eat food that drifts in cracks and crannies. There are a lot of variables .. my tank is big and a damsel is tiny...so therefore the amount of urine from a damsel in a tank that size isn't much. If they are in there before the cycle gets going they will be fine. I wouldn't put anything living in there mid cycle. My readings never got more than half way up the card.
As recommended by this website:
A Typical Break-In Cycle
... if the nitrites get too high you can do a small water change without really making the cycle much longer. Some people say don't do water changes, but it didn't seem to have any affect except lowering my nitrites and ammonia a little. I felt better for the fish.
-I left the shrimp in about 5 days in a mesh sock.
-The higher the temperature the faster the bacteria will grow.