Do I cure base rock??

[hsanchez]

I currently have a 20g and will be upgrading to a 55 or larger withing the next 6 months. I wanted to begin making my own live rock using base rock from the lfs to save me some money in the long run. Do I have to cure the rock from the LFS?? I heard some people say to let it sit in a rubbermaid with daily water changes. Is this true?? And about how long does it take for the rock to become fully live??
Thanks

 

[joker_ca]

there's nothing to cure since its not "live"
i would proably soak it for a day or two then place it in the tank

 

[acekjd83]

also depends on your definition of "live"... if you're talking about the denitrifying bacteria, then a month or two should yield fully colonized live rock. if you mean pretty coralline algae and neat microfauna, then several months, at least, to see the new growth really take hold...

 

[fishntx]

just rinse it off and place it in the tank.it should be fine. there is no need to cure because there will be no die off because it is not live.

 

[snailheave]

i would cure it. could be stuff in there dead anyway.

 

[joker_ca]

Originally Posted by snailheave
i would cure it. could be stuff in there dead anyway.

Theres no point to cure something that has no living organisms growing on it, base rock is dried rock that is off white in color, but if you want to cure there is nothing wrong with doing that, all your going to do is just waste some time

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by joker_ca
Theres no point to cure something that has no living organisms growing on it, base rock is dried rock that is off white in color, but if you want to cure there is nothing wrong with doing that, all your going to do is just waste some time

Agree! There's no need to cure base rock. :happyfish

 

[airforceb2]

Originally Posted by joker_ca
Theres no point to cure something that has no living organisms growing on it, base rock is dried rock that is off white in color, but if you want to cure there is nothing wrong with doing that, all your going to do is just waste some time

Not all base rock is white. Mine is a dark grey mined from Utah. If it is from the ocean, you want to scrub it to make sure there isn't anything dead on it. If it is from a mine somewhere, just rinse it off in RO water real well to make sure there isn't any stray metals and dust on the rock.

 

[xjayx]

I just rinsed mine off really well and ploped it right in.

 

[mitzel]

I rinsed mine off and hit it with a vegetable brush just to knock loose any pieces that might come loose. and my base rock is a brownish red. I have had no problems so far.