How to cure live rock?

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airbrnebkr

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Apr 19, 2004
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I know this has been dicussed on here before but I cant seem to find the thread. Can I get some recommendations on methods for curing live rock, how long and how do I know if it needs to be cured

Thanks again for the help,
Doug
 

mogurnda

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Apr 29, 2003
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If you have nothing in the tank, you can cure there. Just put it in, and let the dead and dying stuff decompose. Siphon off the debris as it collects. Skimming and water changes will help keep things alive on the rock.

You can also cure it in a plastic garbage can. Again, a skimmer and water changes will help keep the ammonia down and the remaining critters alive.

In either case, keeping the lights low or off will help keep algae from getting out of control.

If it is being shipped to you, it will need to be cured. Even "cured" live rock will have die off during shipping.
 

skippy2

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Be sure to rinse your baserock before you put it in the tank. I ordered mine from hirocks and rinsed it in the tub. What a godawful mess. You sure don't want that in your tank.:shake:
 

Dale W.

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If this is a new tank that does not have anything in it, I wouldnt cure it outside the tank at all. Has your tank cycled at all? If yes, how did you cycle it? How long has the tank been set up? What is your substrate?
 

Dale W.

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Hey Doug,

I should have two and two together from your other post.

OK, heres the deal. Since you are cycling with 3 damsels in a 55g tank, your cycle is going to be very weak as you are only setting up a bio mass for the bio load. In other words, you are cycling the tank to house 3 damsels. Being that you are only 2.5 weeks into it, the tank should be peaking out in amonia about now or very soon. If you are not attached to the damsels, you might want to see if the LFS will take them back so you can do a larger cycle. I would completely cycle the tank before adding any LR and especially fish. If you can take the damsels back, use Monty's method of fishless cycling to continue the cycle.
 

airbrnebkr

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Yes I think my ammonia has peaked and is on its way back down. I tested the day before yesterday and the numbers where as follows:

78 temp
1.024 salinity
8.2 PH
.25 ammonia ( never got abve 1.0 and has been at .25 for a couple of tests)
2.0 nitrites ( got up to 5.0 and is going back down)
20.0 nitrates ( been there for a couple of tests)

How is this looking? And where would I find Monty's method of fishless cycling? What is the danger of finishing my cycle the way it is? (cycle will not support further life?)

Doug
 

benjen

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I believe Monty's method is where you buy two shrimp from the grocery, toss them in your tank and let them decompose until they vanish/disentigrate.

That's in the sticky at the top of the page. :)
 

theevoys

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