Can i put liverock into a brand new tank without having to wash/clean it first?

[gosupaintballe]

I'm in the process of setting up my first tank ever. And i have read and seen where you are suppose to rinse off liverock and clean it, etc. etc. But had also read something about not having to do that if it's a brand new tank? The only thing i have in my tank right now is sand (not live) and the water. I've got 100 pounds of Marshalle liverock coming either Tuesday or Wed. to put in my 90 gallon and just curious if i have to rinse/scrub it down or can i put it right in?

 

[gregzbobo]

If you have a protein skimmer and a heater in the system, and no livestock (corals, fish, etc.), you should be able to cycle the tank with the new live rock, in fact, you'll likely end up with a more diverse amount of life than if you cure it separately. Just be on the lookout for pests, ie mantis shrimp, aiptasia, so on and so forth. If you DO decide to rince the rock in any matter, be sure you do it with properly mixed saltwater, freshwater will of course kill off the organisms on the rock. Its never a good idea to place uncured rock in an established system though.

 

[gosupaintballe]

thx