Curing & Cycling with Live Rock???

gen1dustin

Member
Ok so I'm starting my 55g up soon. Which this is my first SW if you didn't read my other post. I believe it's probally a good thing I've decided to go with live rock in the aquarium. I will e adding the live rock I guess a day or two after the tank has been running. So if I buy uncured live rock to put in a brand new aquarium do I need to cure it elsewhere or could this be done so in the main tank since it will be cycling & no fish in there at the time?
Also I know there are a few different ways to cure live rock so does anyone have any suggestions on how they do it?
Thanks in advance ya'll.
 

gen1dustin

Member
Ok well I just found this article..............
Method B: Curing process of live rock for the new aquarium that does NOT contain fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Live rock may be used to cycle a new marine aquarium. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the installation of all filtration devices and accessories. Fill aquarium with water and add salt to achieve the desired specific gravity of 1.023-1.025. Activate all filtration equipment, check for leaks, and set heater and/or chiller to the desired temperature of 72-78°F.
Rinse each piece of live rock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose organic matter, debris, or sand.
Place live rock into the aquarium to create a stable foundation for corals or decorations.
Keep the lighting system off during the cycling period in order to reduce the likelihood of undesirable algae growth.
Scrub the rocks periodically with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush to remove any white film or dead material.
Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
Check the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
When both the ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.
Depending on the equipment that is installed, most aquariums will cycle within 2-4 weeks using this technique.
Does this sound like a good idea?? Or should this only be done with rock that has been cured, just if your recuring it as they recommend since die-off hapens during transportation??
 

gen1dustin

Member
Originally Posted by n2theblue
dude, not cool linking to a competitors site... we'd all like to be able to keep these forums running
Oh yeah I didn't even think about that. I'll edit that.
 
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