Tested my water last night. Phosphates at 1 mg/L so there are some phosphates in the rock.
The water looks like it’s turning a little green (probably from the phosphates feeding algae). I’m going to do a 100% water change on the bucket and start filling the display tank!
Question:
Should I be doing water changes on the rock while it’s cycling? My ammonia has been around 1 ppm for a few days. I am wondering if my water changes are just prolonging the cycle?
If anything at least it is removing phosphates from the rock but if I don’t need to be doing water changes I’d just as soon put the rock in my display tank and just let it go from there.
yes that is the reason to do your rock seprate so you can do 100% water changes without effecting the tank cycle, after your rock is done leaching phosphate you can add it to you cycled tank and just have a mini cycle.
Yah but my tank is empty. It’s not going to be cycled at all. It’s actually cycling in the tubs. Is that normal or should I jus put them into my tank in lieu of a water change in a few days?
I would put sand and water and a table shrimp in the tank and let it cycle and then add the rock after it stops leaching phosphate. But there is many ways to cycle a tank so that is just what I would do.
Up to you rock or tank. One thing to note it takes several months for the phosphate ti leach out. It will typically only leach out if there is low to very low phosphates in the water. You’ll likely get to the desired result faster using a bit of GFO(and although GFO isn’t free it would likely be cheaper then the many water changes you would need to do).
A small amount of phosphates in the water during the “cycling” process in your aquarium isn’t disastrous, but certainly keep the lights dim for a little bit until it is lower.
I don’t see a major advantage of keeping the rock in a tub when you don’t have anything in the tank. Typically people will cycle it in a tub so they don’t harm what is in the tank and I believe you don’t have anything in the tank to harm right?
My biopellet reactor should be here tuesday, new skimmer on monday, so I think I will plumb those in tuesday and then move the rock up once those are running.
The biopellets should help remedy the phosphates by the time the rock is done cycling. I am a little concerned that the ammonia is still around 1 ppm though.
@hudzy i am going barebottom, so I can increase flow without a sandstorm for SPS.
@Gords, no, the tank is empty and it kills me a little everyday to stare at an empty tank 
How much quicker will the tank cycle if i get about 10 lbs of LR to seed it? I have around 70 lbs of rock cycling right now.