introducing live rock into an aquarium, some questions

mcginnisandrew · 09/28/2007, 08:05 PM

im currently curing live rock in a separate curing container, i started curing about a week ago. my aquarium is not set up yet though. im wondering, do i add the live rock into the aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater (once the rock has cured) or do i take some or all of the water from the curing tub im using to put into the aquarium, once the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate read 0?
or should i move the rock into the aquarium now (the ammonia is way off the charts at the moment) with freshly mixed saltwater and cure/ cycle it that way?
im going to be using arag alive live sand in the aquarium.
so basically what im trying to get at is where the bacteria and stuff is located, is it in the rock, or in the water?
thanks

moze229 · 09/28/2007, 08:25 PM

The beneficial stuff is in the rocks and sand. If your tank is new, you can cure/cycle the rock in the tank if there is nothing else in there. There is no reason to add the nasty water from the curing tub, otherwise there would be no reason to cure it in a separate container.

Matt

Aquarist007 · 09/28/2007, 10:16 PM

I agree don't use that water--it will be full of phosphates and nitrates---the idea of curing rock in a separte tank is so you don't get the normal spikes in ammonia and nitritates when you add the rock directly to your tank.

mcginnisandrew · 09/29/2007, 12:33 AM

well the instructions on how to cure the rock that i received with my rock which are also on this page:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/g...ral_pagesid=59
it talks about 2 ways to cycle the rock, in the aquarium and in a separate bin. method b, which is what i should have followed, says to do 50 % water changes, while in the other it says 100 % water changes. so it seems like in order to cycle it it needs to have some bad water in it.... could you explain this or something??? im still confused. the reason im not putting in the aquarium is... when i got it, it was covered in sand and what seemed like clay or extremely fine sand and tiny loose rocks the size of marbles, all that stuff is still falling off and i dont want to have to take all the rock out just to get all the crap off the bottom. so im waiting until i remove most of the loose stuff from the rocks, to put it in the tank, so that i can avoid that problem.

WaterKeeper · 09/29/2007, 07:51 AM

Let the rock fully cure in the curing vats. Ammonia levels should start dropping shortly especially if you do some water changes on the curing vats. Once the rock is fully cured then move it to nice new water in the display. Then send that nasty curing water down the drain.

09/28/2007, 08:05 PM	#1
mcginnisandrew Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 286	introducing live rock into an aquarium, some questions im currently curing live rock in a separate curing container, i started curing about a week ago. my aquarium is not set up yet though. im wondering, do i add the live rock into the aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater (once the rock has cured) or do i take some or all of the water from the curing tub im using to put into the aquarium, once the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate read 0? or should i move the rock into the aquarium now (the ammonia is way off the charts at the moment) with freshly mixed saltwater and cure/ cycle it that way? im going to be using arag alive live sand in the aquarium. so basically what im trying to get at is where the bacteria and stuff is located, is it in the rock, or in the water? thanks __________________ 55 gallon mixed reef

09/28/2007, 08:25 PM	#2
moze229 Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Triangle Area, NC Posts: 678	The beneficial stuff is in the rocks and sand. If your tank is new, you can cure/cycle the rock in the tank if there is nothing else in there. There is no reason to add the nasty water from the curing tub, otherwise there would be no reason to cure it in a separate container. Matt __________________ The best things in life are free....except for reef tanks :( "What don't kill you - make you more strong." - James Hetfield Current Tank Info: 24 Aquapod w/120w LED Bridgelux 55 X 3 - Softies and LPS

09/28/2007, 10:16 PM	#3
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	I agree don't use that water--it will be full of phosphates and nitrates---the idea of curing rock in a separte tank is so you don't get the normal spikes in ammonia and nitritates when you add the rock directly to your tank. __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

09/29/2007, 12:33 AM	#4
mcginnisandrew Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 286	well the instructions on how to cure the rock that i received with my rock which are also on this page: http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/g...ral_pagesid=59 it talks about 2 ways to cycle the rock, in the aquarium and in a separate bin. method b, which is what i should have followed, says to do 50 % water changes, while in the other it says 100 % water changes. so it seems like in order to cycle it it needs to have some bad water in it.... could you explain this or something??? im still confused. the reason im not putting in the aquarium is... when i got it, it was covered in sand and what seemed like clay or extremely fine sand and tiny loose rocks the size of marbles, all that stuff is still falling off and i dont want to have to take all the rock out just to get all the crap off the bottom. so im waiting until i remove most of the loose stuff from the rocks, to put it in the tank, so that i can avoid that problem. __________________ 55 gallon mixed reef

09/29/2007, 07:51 AM	#5
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Let the rock fully cure in the curing vats. Ammonia levels should start dropping shortly especially if you do some water changes on the curing vats. Once the rock is fully cured then move it to nice new water in the display. Then send that nasty curing water down the drain. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29