Curing your own LR - Ammonia!

sen5241b

Reef enthusiast
So I put a few pounds of dead white branch coral (been dry for weeks) in a small tub of salt water with a filter and air pump (for circulation). The coral was white and looked perfectly clean on the surface. I also added a few very small pieces of LR from my tank and also some live bacteria formulation. It stank for the first few days. Now its been in there 2 weeks.

I tested the ammonia tonight and its 6.0! I could clean my floors with that water. Is this right? Should I do a partial water change (which I've heard just prolongs the cycle), or wait and do nothing?
 
if u have live stock YES. but if no its just part of the cycle tested for nitrites for a couple of days and that will convert to nitrates and then do a water change.
 
If you are going to change any water in your already established tanks I would use that water for a partial water change in the container holding the rock. Not so much to lower the ammonia as to give a good shot of what you know is good active bacteria. It will also increase the oxygen level in your water, at least for a little while. Do not expect quick results with that high of an ammonia reading though. Your bacterial oxygen demand will be high with an ammonia level that high, and a air stone or circulation pump is inadequate to supply enough oxygen to the bacteria for much multiplication so basically the little bacteria that is there will have to do all the eatting and converting. Hope they are glutinous. You do have at least 5 to 10 times the volume of water that you have volume of rock I hope. Anyway, you have at least 10 to 12 times the ammonia you need to cycle the rock, so you will actually end up with a lower count of bacteria when it is done than if you do even a complete water change at this time. But, that is only science talking not the opinion of fellow reefers who have never even seen a bacterial oxygen demand test before. I gues it all depends on what you want and what your willing to try or willing to learn. If I seem too cross, I am in a bad mood, as I just got off work after 10 hours when I was only scheduled for five hours.
 
If you are going to change any water in your already established tanks I would use that water for a partial water change in the container holding the rock.
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You do have at least 5 to 10 times the volume of water that you have volume of rock I hope
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I was only scheduled for five hours.



You hit the problem exactly -its not curing with enough water.
 
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