Curing LR

hifi

hifi

Member
Im curing 16.5lbs of premium fiji LR & was wonding if I should scrub it first or cure it first then clean it? I don't want to clean it now because it stinks so bad it will make you cry
. Any other suggestion to help cure it, does it need light? I have a heater in it & a power head (its in a pail) but man does it stink, my wife is not happy with me, I spent $165 for smelly rock, she said she could sell me smelly rock for $5lb :hilarious
 
27mtaylor

27mtaylor

Member
If it were me, I would scrub it down to remove all the dying or dead fleshy stuff. It will help it cure a lot quicker. You probably want to keep it dark while it cures so that algae doesn't start to grow. I just cured 45 lbs. of it. I didn't scrub it to start with because I wanted to save everything on it, but after a couple of days it started smelling bad and my water parameters got bad so I decided to scrub it. That probably helped my curing time out a lot. It took me exactly 2 weeks for my amonia and nitrites to read 0. Just got to hold your nose while you scrub it, LOL
 
hifi

hifi

Member
If it will cure faster, then I will scrub it. I read someware that doing water changes will speed it along as well, Iam not sure about that if anyone knows if it speeds it up then let me know.
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
Yes it does speed it up. If your ammo. level goes real high then yes do w/c it will help save any life on the rock. Try to keep your ammo. down to around 2.0 ,any higher change the water with prepared water.
As your ammo. goes down your trites will go up and then when they go down your trates will go up. When all read 0 you are able to put it in the tank.
Good Luck.
ps the w/c will help the smell and your wife will be easier to live with
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
Just to let you know it could take up to 4 weeks to cure if there is alot of die off...sometimes longer.
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
If your tank is astablished already with fish and coral, Your best bet is to put it in a container with heater and PH as you said.
Make sure you prepare your water ahaed of time. Use RO water and add your salt so it matches the salinity of your tank about 1.025-26 is good. Let your water and salt mix with the heater and PH for about 24 hours. Then add your rock.
Make sure you scrub and clean your rock real good b4 adding it to your prepared water mix. Remove any dead or dying black spots or soft spots off the LR. Use a NEW finger nail brush and tweezers to pull any nasty's off the LR, a screwdriver also works for getting the hard to reach places int the holes of the LR. Make sure you use gloves as the critters on the LR can burn.
After you get all the crud off the LR rinse in some SW then put it in the curing tub. The cleaning will help with the smell and aid the LR.
As time goes by check for Ammo. if it gets to high over 2.0 do a water change with prepared SW. Try to keep ammo. low as to help save any life on the rock.
You will see ammo. then the trite will show then the trates. When all readings are at 0 you can add it to your tank. Make sure they are 0, you do not want to cause a spike in your tank if there are fish and corals in it.
Good Luck.
 
hifi

hifi

Member
Thanks tinydove & 27mtaylor, I took your advice & tested the water (yestarday) amm was at 8 I had just bought the rock on Sat. I did a water change & thought this would be a good time to scrub the rock. So as I was scubbing & having trouble breathing
,that stunk, I found a clam I put it aside & finished cleaning put rock back in with new water. I went to clean up my mess & seen the clam was open I touched it & it closed. I took it & put in my tank. I figure if it can survive amm level at 8ppm dropping it in my tank would be refreshing for it. So is this a good idea, my crab tried to pry it open & have lunch already but he didn't get in
. This clam has been through alot hope he survies. I been chasing the crab away but cant be there all the time he is just a tiny thing about 1/4"long. He opens up when hes not being botherd. Is it a good idea to keep him? Oh yea I scrubbed him as well.
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
You could keep him. Do you know what kind of clam it is? Can you get a pic? Is it a cleaner clam or something on that line?
I know most clams need alot of light to survive. It would depend on the type. It should not bother your tank either way from what I have read on them.
If your lucky the crab will leave it be after a while if it can't get to it. Best thing to do is just wait and see.
Good Luck and keep me posted...lol
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
I have 1 of those also, it came with some LR from the LFS. It has been doing just fine in my tank. I think it will be fine. (if the crab stays away) Mine has been in there for about a month now. I can see it open and close evry now and then.
I am not sure what kind it is but I don't think it need a ton of light as mine is doing fine and still living. I tried to look it up on line but no luck.
If your crab does not get it then Great and if he does you lose no $ and the crab has a free lunch sort of speak.
Good Luck with it. Mine is about an inch
 
hifi

hifi

Member
Its kinda cool to watch, we have no fish yet, so the more movment in the tank the better.
Your right cost me nothing, but I hope he makes it, kinda cool. Thanks for the help

I love this boad, so helpful & just nice people
 
27mtaylor

27mtaylor

Member
Just wait till you get your live rock in and you start to notice other things growing. It's pretty neat. I can sit and look at the live rock and find something different on it everytime I look at it. I can litteraly stare at it for several minutes.:joy:
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
Any time sweetie.I hope he makes it too.
As you go along in this hobby even after years there is always something new for you to learn and that is the fun part IMO...lol With sw you never know what you will end up with

How long has your tank been up?
 
hifi

hifi

Member
Had my tank for 22 days, Finished cycle in 16 days, was told it was real fast cycle but all readings are 0 only 10ppm of nitrates & going down. No fish yet wife orderd some be here in 2 weeks :joy:
 
tinydove

tinydove

Member
Sounds Good. Is it a FO tank or are you going to do corals too? They have real nice corals on this site. I get all mine from here and fish too. Have never lost a one or had any diseased fish. Try it sometimes.
 
hifi

hifi

Member
We want to go with coral in the future, my wife is aways looking at the stock here, it is real nice looking stuff, but I live way up north & to ship stuff so it lives is real costly. We have a coulpe of good lfs we can order stuff from, really nice people to
 
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