Red Sea Mature Cycle CUC Without Lights

[drewyreef]

I've started the Red Sea Mature Cycle on the promise of funding for lights and have been let down so now cannot purchase them for a couple of weeks. Other posts have said the cycle can be done with no lights and my ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels are about right based on the instructions. I'm currently at the point to add the clean up crew but with no visible signs of algae i'm concerned they'll starve or end up eating each other. I'm using Caribsea Natural Live Sand and Caribsea Life Rock.

I've learned a valuable lesson in patience and now know I should have waited until the lights were at least on their way but excitement got the better of me.

Thanks in advance

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Personally I think you made the correct choice on not adding the cuc.

Stay the course, consider this a pause in the program.

The lights will probably be coming soon.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Welcome to R2R! Your tank will be fine without lights and a CUC for now. Once the cycle is done using the Red Sea Mature cycle, you could ghost feed a couple of times a week until you get your lights. Keeping the tank and bacteria exercised won't hurt.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I agree with the above. If you have no signs of algae at all I would not add cuc yet.

Ghost feeding after you're done is a good recommendation as well.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

If you are doing the Red Sea Mature kit do it just like it says. I used that on my latest tank and it worked great. About one day before I was suppose to add the crew algae showed up on the rock. and it has been a month later and I didnt lose one of them. I now have 2 clowns in that tank and everything has been amazing in there. The first tank I have every had that is 100% pest free and started from all new. I love that little kit and will always use it from here on out with any new tank I get.

You could just start with a new kit and from the start once the lights are there. Or if you get them not far off, say maybe next week. Just add the crew a week late and keep going with everything.

 

[drewyreef]

Thanks for all the advice

I should be getting the lights by the end of next week so I'll keep going with the programme, get the lights setup and when I have algae starting to show I'll get the CUC.