Will be gone for a few weeks - ok to just let Live Rock cycle?

HI
We are about to start our live rock cycle.
We are going away for 2 weeks in 8 weeks time so we will not be stocking our tank ( horseit ) till we get back.
Should we be doing anything to keep the live rock healthy?
Should we install our live sand and just let the sand & rock cycle?
Would we need to add anything to the tank to sustain the rock / sand?
Please no jokes like feed it some rock Melon or a sandwich..
OK only if it a good joke!!

 

If you are adding live sand, the live rock and live sand will cycle your tank, you do not need to add anything. If you are not adding live sand and just live rock and regular sand it will still cycle by itself and the sand will become live eventually. You don't need to do anything to keep the rock healthy. You do not need to add anything to sustain the rock. You don't need to feed anything. Just do small 10% water changes once a week and add a little freshwater mid-week to kee the salinity at the same level.

 

Thanks for the quick reply Atmmachine.
Have read that when you first start with your LR you should only have LR in the tank. Once the LR has cured then the LS can be added. why is this?
Is it so that dead things that fall off the LR can be removed from the tank more easerly? But then what happens to the dead things in the LS during curing? do we need to vacuum the LS during this stage or would this damage the LS?
Lastly would we require a skimmer for the LR & LS during the cycle?

 

Yes junk from the live rock falls off while putting it into the tank, once vacuumed off the bottom you may add your sand. Also putting the sand around the rock gives the rock more stability and less posibility of when the sand shifts the rock shifts with it. I'm not sure if dead things come in ls since I did not use ls. I did not wish to spend twice as much money on ls when regular sand will in time become ls so I can not answer this question. Depending on the size of your tank determines whether you need a skimmer. If you can, buy a skimmer, it would definitely help. I'm not positive but I believe you can let your tank cycle before adding your skimmer, hopefully someone can confirm that soon.

 

Thanks for your help!
Some time there's to much information to digest and my brain turns to mush.
As for the skimmer I think we will follow the old saying.
BETTER LOOKING AT IT THAN LOOKING FOR IT!
Thank's again

 

OK Now, would a powerhead be required during the curing process?
As we are setting up for seahorses we don't want a strong current.. Our tank is 50 gallon ( 200lt )

 

You should have constant water movement while curing, yes.

 

We now have a slug type thing, that must have come with the LR.
have tried to get a photo, but its to small, it is 1/2" long, 3/8" wide, white and is on the front glass. it moves, slowly and you can see its track ( gut ) DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT MAY BE?

 

does it look like something here

 

does it look like something here

What a fantastic link! So now I know I have, Spaghetti/Hair worm, Bristle Worm ( white, his dug into the sand now ) and Foraminiferans. Should I be adding any thing to the tank to feed them? as we only have the LR at this stage, so we are not placing any food of anykind in the tank.

 

No they are fine by themselves, they are scavengers and will find food on the live rock.