Is this a good way to cycle live rock?

Hey guys, im planning on a new tank after a year of gap, my last 2 tanks had apitasia issues and phosphate in the rock with all macros growing every where ( i hate micro and macro algae) and not water colum... so this time, im coming up with this new idea of cycling... need to know im right or wrong?

1) once i get my lr, im gona put them in a dark plastic drum with no light for 15 days, high water flow and salinity at 1.050

2) do a 80% wc and keep them for another 15 days at salinity 1.010 and no light high flow

3) now after total of 30 days, ill drain all the water and keep them jus moist by covering the drum for 12hrs and then add sw at 1.024, high flow and just a blue led light with a uv light which wud help in coralline algae and some plankton

THE FIRST 3 STEPS ARE FOR TAKING CARE OF THE PESTS LIKE APITASIA AND BRISTLE WORM AND MACROS

AS FOR PO4 in the rock

4) now ill add a pump with a pipe attached going in a filtersock above the drum, and add lanthanum chloride bit high dose to remove po4 from the rocks for 15 days, checking and cleaning filter sock every day. Also testing po4 every 3 days

5) after 15 days ill again drain full drum keep the rocks moist for 12hrs and fill with all new water at 1.024

6) for another 15 days, will start testing all the parameters and also continue with lanthanum with a very small dose using the same filtersock method.

7) the lights will remain on for around 6 to 8hrs on timer, jus the blue and uv.

8) now ill transfer the rocks to dt half filled dt or spare tank and for 1 week will jus look pests if any...

9) add rest of the water, add skimmer, add reactors (phosguard/gfo, carbon, purigen and bio pellets)

10) add the white lights 6hr period and blues 8hr periods test everyday for a week and then add fishes

I know its a long wait but i have patience.... what i guys think of this method?

 

Sounds like a huge waste of time imo. Your problem with nutrients and algae are from overstocking imo.Unless you keep your stocking low you will continue to have problems with exporting nutrients.That is where to expend energy.If you are worried about pests why not simply bleach the rocks and add a very small piece of lr or none at all?

 

^^^ +1
Imo, the unfortunate problems you were having were because of the high content of unwanted nutrients in your tank, eliminating existing pesticides from your lr won't guarantee that they cant grow in your tank or even exist at all. If you truly wanna have a stress free system (as far as lr pests and macro problems) just go with some dry rocks which are great for starting new tanks or like vinnyboombatz said simply bleach the rocks. Anyways, hopefully all go good and you can start to enjoy this great hobby once again,
Yoel

 

Well the problem is we dont get much dead rocks here in my country... and buy lr ad killing them wont make any since, all i want is coralline and bacteria in the rocks... well if u see what iv mentioned about filteration, its gona be a low nutreint system.. with mix corals and very few fishes. i have 2 tanks, 50g and 150g. If i go for 50g, im gona add a pair of clown, 2 tangs, 1 dart fish, 1 algae blenny, 2 skunk cleaners and a few snails and if i go for 150g, ill go for a pair of clown, 4 tangs, 3 to 4 darts, 3 to 4 gobbies, 2 algae blenny, around a dozen different types of shrimps, few snails... i hate agressive fishes and my plan is 40% softies, 40% lps and 20% sps. I know i cant get rid of all the pest problems, but atleast majority and then in a low nutrient system... also even if i bleach rocks, what about phosphates in the rocks as iv read that its hard to get rid of phosphates leaching feom the rocks...

 

Any better way you all can suggest for cycling?

 

Phosphates in the rock would likely be only a small portion of the phosphate. The majority comes from fish and feeding. The phosphate that is in the rock is bound up in the calcium/carbonate. It would only be released in low ph, though it may slowly leach out. An acid soak seems like it would take off the outermost layer of calcium carbonate, and with it, the phosphate. The odds are that there is not a thick layer of calcium carbonate/ phosphate from the limited time it was in your tank. Calcium carbonate generally only would precipitate as a result of heavy dosing. There may not have been any significant precipitation. As I see it, the only thing that would make a difference would be acid.

 

Phosphates seek equilibrium in the tank so whatever is locked up in the rocks will quickly leach out. You need to keep the levels low.If your importing more then exporting you will have algae issues.Simple as that.Recycling shouldn't be a problem.You are not in a rush right??

2 tangs in a 50 gallon is not a good idea imo.
4 in a 150 is not good either.If you don't learn from mistakes you will continue to make them.

 

Yes im not in a rush... well so 1 tang in 50g? 2 tangs in 150g?

 

What acid?

 

IMO No tang in the 50.1 in the 150 (maybe 2 of the smaller Tangs but aggression may be a problem)