Do you need a skimmer to cure live rock?
- Thread starter Batmanjay28
- Start date
Nope you don't need a skimmer.
I think most people just put the rock in a bucket with a strong powerhead and do water changes everyday.
I think most people just put the rock in a bucket with a strong powerhead and do water changes everyday.
That's not quite right. That isn't how most people cure their rock. To answer your question is no, you don't need a skimmer right away. Actually, you don't need a skimmer at all but I would highly recommend 1. If you could see what my skimmer pulls out, you wouldn't want that in your tank either.
I've read that most people don't cure rock in their main tank because if there are unwanted critters it easier to have them in the bucket than survive in the tank and have to search for them.
I have never heard about cycling in a bucket. I can understand what your saying though 
Depending on where the rock comes from, it's usually only desirable critters that hitchhike into our tanks. Granted, TBS rock is a totally different story.
Depending on where the rock comes from, it's usually only desirable critters that hitchhike into our tanks. Granted, TBS rock is a totally different story.
I cycled my Live Rock in a rubbermade container in the closet with no lights and only a power head and a heater. But I was also trying to kill off all of the Long Hair Algae that had taken over the tank with the previous owner.
Thanks for the help everyone. i'm going to be getting 60 pounds of cured fiji live rock from premiumaquatics and cylcing it in my 90G upgrade reef tank with 80 pounds of livesand.
If you decide to cycle in the tank its easier to do without the substrate, you will get a lot of die of and detritus coming off the rock, without the substrate in the tank you can easily siphon it off the bottom every few days, this is one of the reasons people cycle in rubber made tubs/trash cans, buckets ect. (the other main reason is live stock already in the tank)
I cycled some rock in a separate tank. I used a Hot Magnum cannister,2 power heads, a stealth heater,protein skimmer,and 2 months of time.
