Cured Live Rock
- Thread starter bunnyl99
- Start date
carshark
Active Member
Originally Posted by jdragunas
What kind of test kits are you using? Red sea test kits can be way off, so even if it's saying it's not spiking, it may be. I'd agree with everyone else. This may be why you said your clownfish aren't looking so good.
Jenn
well this is the first time i have ever heard red sea test kits are way off. im interested to see where you got this info. I currently use a red sea marine lab. Im also curious because i have been testing my levels forever with mardel tests. i now purchased a red sea test and lately I have been showing an inordinate amount of nitrates. never has been this bad, and all of a sudden it happened after a water change. the change water was good water, but my tests are reading through the roof. I have since done another water change and yet still nothing, but because i am in Hypo i wasnt concerned, i figured it would be natural to have a nitrate spike, and a slight ammonia raise. so the water changes arent working, and it seems that they are getting perpetually worse. I almost emptied my entire tank of fish and started over. I am adding a refugium soon so i thought with levels at 40ppm i could take that down with addition of a refugium. I better get my water down to the LFS asap
What kind of test kits are you using? Red sea test kits can be way off, so even if it's saying it's not spiking, it may be. I'd agree with everyone else. This may be why you said your clownfish aren't looking so good.
Jenn
well this is the first time i have ever heard red sea test kits are way off. im interested to see where you got this info. I currently use a red sea marine lab. Im also curious because i have been testing my levels forever with mardel tests. i now purchased a red sea test and lately I have been showing an inordinate amount of nitrates. never has been this bad, and all of a sudden it happened after a water change. the change water was good water, but my tests are reading through the roof. I have since done another water change and yet still nothing, but because i am in Hypo i wasnt concerned, i figured it would be natural to have a nitrate spike, and a slight ammonia raise. so the water changes arent working, and it seems that they are getting perpetually worse. I almost emptied my entire tank of fish and started over. I am adding a refugium soon so i thought with levels at 40ppm i could take that down with addition of a refugium. I better get my water down to the LFS asap
J
jdragunas
Guest
I use the red sea marine lab too (the only thing the lfs sells, and i'm not going to pay $15 S&H for a $15 test kit), but i also have the LFS test it too.
I've read numerous times on this website that the red sea test kits have been known to be off. On the nitrites, i know you have to shake the one bottle vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Did you do this?
I just know i've read not to always trust the red sea kits because they can be wrong... as you very well may be experiencing. I don't like reading them either... the whole "look down through the top of the bottle while holding it 8" above a white piece of paper, and find the color that best resembles what you see" thing can be difficult! I use aquarium pharmaceuticals (i think that's the name) for ammonia, and it's so much easier... Add 8 drops of reagent 1, add 8 drops of reagent 2, gently shake, wait 1.5 minutes, hold vertically against the white part on the color chart and find the color closest to the test tube. I was thinking about maybe getting that brand for all of my kits, but i wanted to ask about them first. That reminds me to do that, thanks!!!
Let me know if you're getting wrong readings. I'd like to know.
Jenn
Edit:
P.S. I've had many people praise Salifert tests, telling me those are the best to have... I dunno from personal experience, but i'd try it if it was sold near me... maybe when i win the photo contest, i'll buy test kits...lol
I've read numerous times on this website that the red sea test kits have been known to be off. On the nitrites, i know you have to shake the one bottle vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Did you do this?
I just know i've read not to always trust the red sea kits because they can be wrong... as you very well may be experiencing. I don't like reading them either... the whole "look down through the top of the bottle while holding it 8" above a white piece of paper, and find the color that best resembles what you see" thing can be difficult! I use aquarium pharmaceuticals (i think that's the name) for ammonia, and it's so much easier... Add 8 drops of reagent 1, add 8 drops of reagent 2, gently shake, wait 1.5 minutes, hold vertically against the white part on the color chart and find the color closest to the test tube. I was thinking about maybe getting that brand for all of my kits, but i wanted to ask about them first. That reminds me to do that, thanks!!!
Let me know if you're getting wrong readings. I'd like to know.
Jenn
Edit:
P.S. I've had many people praise Salifert tests, telling me those are the best to have... I dunno from personal experience, but i'd try it if it was sold near me... maybe when i win the photo contest, i'll buy test kits...lol
carshark
Active Member
yeah i know what you mean, and YES i know how to use the testkit. lol. the only thing that concerned me with the aquarium pharmaceuticals test is that it is the cheapest complete marine lab test ive found. almost 15 bucks cheaper than the red sea test.. so i didnt go for that one...i was worried because of the price what was with it.. i guess i should have gone for it! yeah the salifert tests i also hear are the best.. i am going to return a heater that i bought, i might as well bring a water sample with me and see whats really going on here.. if the test reads fine, i will send hate mail to red sea and buy a salifert.. they didnt have one when i got there last time, but i can have them order one for me Im sure..
J
jdragunas
Guest
Sorry about that... So far i haven't had any problems with mine, but i know that when i do get some high nitrates, or anything, i'll have the LFS check before i start freaking out.
*huff* I know this is totally off subject, but i just remember that i have to return some marine cuizine to my LFS today!!! I purchased it two days ago (couldn't take it back yesterday), and it was already half-used! The moron kid that sold it to me got it from the back... i guess he didn't realize that's what they used to feed the store fish!!! GRRRR
Well... i shouldn't be too angry... that moron kid also sold me an engineer goby for $9.99 because he didn't know what kind of goby it was... lol That was pretty cool!
Jenn
*huff* I know this is totally off subject, but i just remember that i have to return some marine cuizine to my LFS today!!! I purchased it two days ago (couldn't take it back yesterday), and it was already half-used! The moron kid that sold it to me got it from the back... i guess he didn't realize that's what they used to feed the store fish!!! GRRRR
Well... i shouldn't be too angry... that moron kid also sold me an engineer goby for $9.99 because he didn't know what kind of goby it was... lol That was pretty cool!
Jenn
schneidts
Active Member
This is an excerpt from the above mentioned link:
How do I cure live rock? What do I need?
Curing live rock is relatively simple, but sometimes it takes a lot of patience. It can be made considerably more easy with the proper tools.
Below is a list of tools that you will need before purchasing your live rock.
* Large plastic container (big enough to hold the rock and water.
* Saltwater mix. (enough to fill the container)
* Distilled or RO water (enough to fill container)
* Stiff-bristled brush. The stiffer the better, but not metal bristles.
* Clean toothbrush.
* Screwdriver (phillips head is better)
* Plenty of towels
* Plastic tarp
* One powerhead of around 150 gph.
* Heater large enough to heat container volume.
* Measuring cup and stirring device
You will start by filling the plastic container about 1/2 to 3/4 full of purified water. Be sure to mix the correct amount of synthetic sea salt to this water. Use a large plastic spoon or something similar to stir the water until no traces of undisolved salt remain suspended. Set your heater to around 75 and place it into the container. At this point you can set up the powerhead if you wish, careful to place it at a level where it will not squirt water out of the container should some evaporation go unnoticed.
To clean your live rock you will need to set up a plastic tarp or shower curtain on the floor near your plastic container. This will be used as a surface on which to clean the live rock. You will need to clean your live rock as much as possible before it is put into your plastic tub. I recommend having all of this set up in the bathroom as spills are more than likely going to occur. The actual process of cleaning the live rock is very messy as well.
Your first step to cleaning your live rock is to manually pick off any debris that you can by hand. After removing the large pieces, you will need to use your stiff-bristled brush to scrub the rock. Do not be gentle; give the live rock the same degree of scrubbing as you would a stain on a carpet. Although small pieces may break off, this is to be expected. After you have used the brush to scrub the rock as best as you can, you will now use the toothbrush to scrub the hard to reach places and holes in the rock. Scrub with the same abrasiveness as you did with the large brush. Remember, this is a calcium-based rock, not a porcelain doll. Once you are done scrubbing you can rinse the rock off with purified water. Although I am sure you can use tap water for rinsing, I would be highly concerned that it would cause even more die off.
The next step is to remove the dead or dying things that you were unable to remove with scrubbing alone. This is where the screwdriver comes in. Use the screwdriver to dig out any roots or dead organisms that are difficult to remove. I have mainly found small, rounded, black bumps that fall into this category. Other parts that may require the use of the screwdriver are growths with blackened areas underneath them. Just pop the growth off and give the blackened area a vigorous scrubbing.
An important thing to keep in mind when cleaning your rocks is not to fall victim to the "this looks neat" syndrome. If anything is squishy, black, or soft, remove it. Do not think that leaving it on the rock will result in a nice addition to your tank. Anything squishy, soft, woody, including soft algae, has a very high chance (90% or so) of dying in your curing container and fouling the water. This will inevitably lead to more die off.
After all of your rocks are rinsed, scrubbed, picked clean, and rinsed again, you can add them to your plastic container. This is where patience is a virtue. The next step is to let the live rock sit in the plastic container for a week.
After a week, remove the live rock and inspect it. If it has no squishy, soft, or scummy parts, and smells like the ocean, then it is cured. If it has a foul smell (even slightly), then you will need to scrub it all down again, make a new batch of saltwater, and place the rock into the bucket for another week. This entire process almost never takes more than four weeks. You can test for ammonia to help see if your live rock is cured as well, but this is a sketchy assumption at best.
How do I cure live rock? What do I need?
Curing live rock is relatively simple, but sometimes it takes a lot of patience. It can be made considerably more easy with the proper tools.
Below is a list of tools that you will need before purchasing your live rock.
* Large plastic container (big enough to hold the rock and water.
* Saltwater mix. (enough to fill the container)
* Distilled or RO water (enough to fill container)
* Stiff-bristled brush. The stiffer the better, but not metal bristles.
* Clean toothbrush.
* Screwdriver (phillips head is better)
* Plenty of towels
* Plastic tarp
* One powerhead of around 150 gph.
* Heater large enough to heat container volume.
* Measuring cup and stirring device
You will start by filling the plastic container about 1/2 to 3/4 full of purified water. Be sure to mix the correct amount of synthetic sea salt to this water. Use a large plastic spoon or something similar to stir the water until no traces of undisolved salt remain suspended. Set your heater to around 75 and place it into the container. At this point you can set up the powerhead if you wish, careful to place it at a level where it will not squirt water out of the container should some evaporation go unnoticed.
To clean your live rock you will need to set up a plastic tarp or shower curtain on the floor near your plastic container. This will be used as a surface on which to clean the live rock. You will need to clean your live rock as much as possible before it is put into your plastic tub. I recommend having all of this set up in the bathroom as spills are more than likely going to occur. The actual process of cleaning the live rock is very messy as well.
Your first step to cleaning your live rock is to manually pick off any debris that you can by hand. After removing the large pieces, you will need to use your stiff-bristled brush to scrub the rock. Do not be gentle; give the live rock the same degree of scrubbing as you would a stain on a carpet. Although small pieces may break off, this is to be expected. After you have used the brush to scrub the rock as best as you can, you will now use the toothbrush to scrub the hard to reach places and holes in the rock. Scrub with the same abrasiveness as you did with the large brush. Remember, this is a calcium-based rock, not a porcelain doll. Once you are done scrubbing you can rinse the rock off with purified water. Although I am sure you can use tap water for rinsing, I would be highly concerned that it would cause even more die off.
The next step is to remove the dead or dying things that you were unable to remove with scrubbing alone. This is where the screwdriver comes in. Use the screwdriver to dig out any roots or dead organisms that are difficult to remove. I have mainly found small, rounded, black bumps that fall into this category. Other parts that may require the use of the screwdriver are growths with blackened areas underneath them. Just pop the growth off and give the blackened area a vigorous scrubbing.
An important thing to keep in mind when cleaning your rocks is not to fall victim to the "this looks neat" syndrome. If anything is squishy, black, or soft, remove it. Do not think that leaving it on the rock will result in a nice addition to your tank. Anything squishy, soft, woody, including soft algae, has a very high chance (90% or so) of dying in your curing container and fouling the water. This will inevitably lead to more die off.
After all of your rocks are rinsed, scrubbed, picked clean, and rinsed again, you can add them to your plastic container. This is where patience is a virtue. The next step is to let the live rock sit in the plastic container for a week.
After a week, remove the live rock and inspect it. If it has no squishy, soft, or scummy parts, and smells like the ocean, then it is cured. If it has a foul smell (even slightly), then you will need to scrub it all down again, make a new batch of saltwater, and place the rock into the bucket for another week. This entire process almost never takes more than four weeks. You can test for ammonia to help see if your live rock is cured as well, but this is a sketchy assumption at best.
mr_bill
Active Member
Originally Posted by bunnyl99
actually--everything in my tank looks great--including my clowns
If your rock was in your main tank for over a week and your water parameters did not suffer spikes then I would say that rock is most likely cured as the LFS told you and there is no need to cure it yourself.
It is very important to let people here on the forum know the correct information the first go around or you might be taken in a direction that is unnecessary. If the rock was at your LFS and came out of a tank where there were fish with it then it is most likely cured. If it was in a big tub with only rock then it is a 50/50 chance it is cured, and you really need to ask yourself if you trust your LFS.
If you live 20-30 minutes from your LFS and you transported the rock in newpaper to your tank, you are fine. I do this all the time myself with cured rock.
actually--everything in my tank looks great--including my clowns
If your rock was in your main tank for over a week and your water parameters did not suffer spikes then I would say that rock is most likely cured as the LFS told you and there is no need to cure it yourself.
It is very important to let people here on the forum know the correct information the first go around or you might be taken in a direction that is unnecessary. If the rock was at your LFS and came out of a tank where there were fish with it then it is most likely cured. If it was in a big tub with only rock then it is a 50/50 chance it is cured, and you really need to ask yourself if you trust your LFS.
If you live 20-30 minutes from your LFS and you transported the rock in newpaper to your tank, you are fine. I do this all the time myself with cured rock.