Live Rock Smell

[putster]

I have been cycling my LR for a couple days now and the smell is getting worse and worse. Is this normal? The tank is in my bedroom and the smell has gotten so bad, I have had to move into the guest bedroom.

 

[dreeves]

The smell is the die off associated with disturbing the rock and exposing it to air. How are you curing it? Change some of the water in the curing container.

 

[thomas712]

Here is where I would be using a very good protien skimmer, also even scrub some of the rocks in saltwater before placing back into the tank. I agree with the water change, if it is that bad do 30% this week and again next week if it is still bad.
Thomas

 

[brianrish]

I would agree, unless the purpose of curing the rock in the tank was to let the tank cycle.
Won't doing a water change prolong the cycle?
If it has been going for a few days, I think the smell should be on the way down.
I cured my rock in the tank as a way of making the new tank cycle. And think it was a great way to make a very strong cycle and get things started on th eright foot.
I did it during the summer, though, so I just opened the windows. If I remember correctly things did get worse before they got better. But I think the smell lasted less than a week.
Clean smelling air should be just around the corner!

 

[dreeves]

Even if it is in a tank...the die off will be such a magnitude in which a 30% change of water wouldn't effect the cycle part...
When I cure live rock, I do it in buckets with circulation, heat and air...I change the water about 50% every 3-4 days, and scrub the rocks before the change with a nylon brush...I keep the heater set to about 82 degrees to aid in the process...
Personally, I never have, nor ever plan on curing live rock in a new tank...