Curing Live Rock

bigcity

Member
Are you putting it in an established aquarium? How much time do you have? There are at least 5 different ways to cure rock... all depends on what other variables there are.
 

thakr21

Member
Yes it is going into an established tank. I have had in it a ten gallon tank for about 2 weeks. I put an ammonia meter in it about an hr ago and it is reading that it is now at a safe level. But im still worried it might mess my tank up. Thanks...
 

foulbrew

Member
Trevor,
I always follow the following steps when curing rock :
1) I create a High Salinity dip bucket (SP between 1.035 and 1.040) for a hitchhiker dip.
2) I create a regular salinity (1.025 at 78deg.) scrub bucket.
3) I fill one of my large rubbermaid containers with regular salinity water and place a heater, and powerhead in it.
4) I place a piece of live rock in the hitchhiker dip for a minute.
5) I take that piece out and put in another. While that one is soaking I scrub the first piece in the scrub bucket using brush. Making sure to get all the dead stuff off. I do not worry about scrubbing off good stuff, it will grow back.
6) I put that piece in my big rubbermaid with the powerhead and heater.
Then I repeat 5 and 6 until done.
I then check my critter dip for critters I don't want destroyed and put them in one one my tanks.
Once I have all the rock scrubbed and in the big, heated, swirling rubbermaid container I wait, (turning the rock regularly and doing water changes) until no ammonia and nitrates register.
I turn the rock to keep as much corraline (and other stuff) alive as long as possible, if stuff dies the cycle will take longer. I also provide light.
Curing to put in an established tank takes between 2 week and 6 weeks, depending on what's dead on and inside the rock.
Goodluck.
 

saltyshark

Member
Test again...once ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and Nitrate is at a safe level you may safely introduce the rock to your tank. To be on the safe side you may want to add it little by little to your tank to avoid any potential problems.
HTH
SaltyShark
 

thakr21

Member
OK, ammonia test fine and the smell is pretty much gone.. Im going to test for Nitrate right now.. Hopefully we'll be ok
 

thakr21

Member
I guess its goin in.. I think i'll just add it slowly though like suggested.. Thanks everyone. We'll see what happens...
 
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