curing live rock

mindistortionx · 09/12/2007, 10:12 AM

so I bought roughly 100lbs of live caribbean live rock for my 55G soon to be reef. When I got the rock....well it looked like alot. I am really wondering if I am going to be able to fit it all in the tank with enough room for fish to swim.

I have been dooing 100% water changes every 2 days. I have the rock curing in a big container. The ammonia levels have been dropping. it has been curing now for like a week and a half. I am assuming that it will take like 2+ weeks to cure fully.

So I guess my question(s) is am I curing the rock the right way? (my 55G is set up with like 5 fish in it....it has live sand in it too. that has been set up for over a month now)

Also is like 100lbs of live rock too much for a 55G?

der_wille_zur_macht · 09/12/2007, 10:14 AM

IMHO 100lbs of rock is too much for a 55, but I prefer the look of open rockwork. Just add the pieces you like until it looks good to you, and sell the rest of put it in your sump.

Your curing plan sounds OK. Is there anything on the curing vat to supply light, heat, or water movement?

mindistortionx · 09/12/2007, 10:19 AM

I dont have any light over the tub that the rock is curing in because I heard that it would spark an algea bloom. I have the water temp at 80 degrees and have 2 350 GPH powerheads on in the tub too. I am glad that I got all the rock that I got because I could only buy it in larger quanity's but I got some awesome larger rock it came with some small rock too that I will not use. Where would you sell the LR?

der_wille_zur_macht · 09/12/2007, 10:23 AM

If you have a local fish shop, they might take it. Otherwise, list it in a local forum on here or in the classifieds section.

Personally, I would put light over the rock. There is likely a ton of beneficial algae on the rock (mostly coralline) that will die off without it. Dealing with an algae bloom won't be an issue with the water changes you're doing, since you are pulling out most of the nutrient load that way. Even if you do get a little pest algae, now's the time to get it - you can manually remove it from the rock now, which will be a pain once it's in an established tank.

5 fish in a 55 at only a month old sounds like a very rapid load, how are things doing in there? When you decide to add the rock, I would do it one or two pieces at a time, with a few days in between. That'll give your system some time to adjust. Even with cured rock, there will still be some shock to the system.

kaihonu82 · 09/12/2007, 10:24 AM

do you have a local reef club? someone there might glady take some cured rock off your hands

you don't really need lights on for curing rock, IMHO. heat and circulation are key tho, so good job

edit...in reading the above post, i can see the benefits from running lights

mindistortionx · 09/12/2007, 10:30 AM

my tank is dooing great....water is crystal clear and the fish seem to be really happy....I just think they want some rocks and stuff to play in.

I will have to add the light today then to the curing tub

mindistortionx · 09/12/2007, 10:34 AM

I dont know if I have a local reef club....I live near a awesome fish store though. That fish place that pet place. thats like my 2nd home lately.

der_wille_zur_macht · 09/12/2007, 10:36 AM

That's a wonderful store. I'm sure they'd take the extra rock off your hands if you couldn't get rid of it otherwise.

WaterKeeper · 09/12/2007, 10:40 AM

mindistortionx,

There are many who suggest that much rock in a tank. I usually use somewhat less but it all depends on the look you want. I would suggest you cure the rock for at least a week after the ammonia level hits zero. That is insurance as you have fish in the tank that could be killed with even a small ammonia spike.

mindistortionx · 09/12/2007, 10:46 AM

I probably will not use it all but I like the big peices....I am just debating weather or not to use a light over it.

09/12/2007, 10:12 AM	#1
mindistortionx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 103	curing live rock so I bought roughly 100lbs of live caribbean live rock for my 55G soon to be reef. When I got the rock....well it looked like alot. I am really wondering if I am going to be able to fit it all in the tank with enough room for fish to swim. I have been dooing 100% water changes every 2 days. I have the rock curing in a big container. The ammonia levels have been dropping. it has been curing now for like a week and a half. I am assuming that it will take like 2+ weeks to cure fully. So I guess my question(s) is am I curing the rock the right way? (my 55G is set up with like 5 fish in it....it has live sand in it too. that has been set up for over a month now) Also is like 100lbs of live rock too much for a 55G?

09/12/2007, 10:14 AM	#2
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	IMHO 100lbs of rock is too much for a 55, but I prefer the look of open rockwork. Just add the pieces you like until it looks good to you, and sell the rest of put it in your sump. Your curing plan sounds OK. Is there anything on the curing vat to supply light, heat, or water movement? __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

09/12/2007, 10:23 AM	#4
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	If you have a local fish shop, they might take it. Otherwise, list it in a local forum on here or in the classifieds section. Personally, I would put light over the rock. There is likely a ton of beneficial algae on the rock (mostly coralline) that will die off without it. Dealing with an algae bloom won't be an issue with the water changes you're doing, since you are pulling out most of the nutrient load that way. Even if you do get a little pest algae, now's the time to get it - you can manually remove it from the rock now, which will be a pain once it's in an established tank. 5 fish in a 55 at only a month old sounds like a very rapid load, how are things doing in there? When you decide to add the rock, I would do it one or two pieces at a time, with a few days in between. That'll give your system some time to adjust. Even with cured rock, there will still be some shock to the system. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

09/12/2007, 10:24 AM	#5
kaihonu82 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: bay area, ca Posts: 454	do you have a local reef club? someone there might glady take some cured rock off your hands you don't really need lights on for curing rock, IMHO. heat and circulation are key tho, so good job edit...in reading the above post, i can see the benefits from running lights __________________ lindsay

09/12/2007, 10:36 AM	#8
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	That's a wonderful store. I'm sure they'd take the extra rock off your hands if you couldn't get rid of it otherwise. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

09/12/2007, 10:19 AM	#3
mindistortionx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 103	I dont have any light over the tub that the rock is curing in because I heard that it would spark an algea bloom. I have the water temp at 80 degrees and have 2 350 GPH powerheads on in the tub too. I am glad that I got all the rock that I got because I could only buy it in larger quanity's but I got some awesome larger rock it came with some small rock too that I will not use. Where would you sell the LR?

09/12/2007, 10:30 AM	#6
mindistortionx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 103	my tank is dooing great....water is crystal clear and the fish seem to be really happy....I just think they want some rocks and stuff to play in. I will have to add the light today then to the curing tub

09/12/2007, 10:34 AM	#7
mindistortionx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 103	I dont know if I have a local reef club....I live near a awesome fish store though. That fish place that pet place. thats like my 2nd home lately.

09/12/2007, 10:40 AM	#9
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	mindistortionx, There are many who suggest that much rock in a tank. I usually use somewhat less but it all depends on the look you want. I would suggest you cure the rock for at least a week after the ammonia level hits zero. That is insurance as you have fish in the tank that could be killed with even a small ammonia spike. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

09/12/2007, 10:46 AM	#10
mindistortionx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 103	I probably will not use it all but I like the big peices....I am just debating weather or not to use a light over it.