Preparing Uncured Live Rock

Ambiant Sound · 11/24/2006, 07:49 PM

Heya all,

I am currently curing 100 lbs of rock. I put together a small timeline of the progress and am looking for a little advice... mainly when I should be doing another water change.

Day 1: Got rock and rinsed it in a bucket of salt water to knock off loose debris and pull off large dead stuff. I then put it in the can in which the skimmer, 4 powerheads and a heater were working. I tried to stack the rock as loose as possible to avoid dead water movement spots. I purchased to 1 gallon paint strainer bags (the fine mesh ones) to put all the sand and small pieces of rock and debris in to seed the sand bed with. This worked out really well. Those things can hold a lot of very fine material and they are affordable at about a $1 each.

Day 2: Cleaned the skimmer cup about 4 times. Also made sure all powerheads were functioning.

Day 3: Skimmer cup. Tested ammonia. Found ammonia. Started preparing a 100% water change in can 2.

Day 4: Did 100% water change. Rinsed rock pieces again, inspected them for any large dead debris. Rinsed debris/sand bags.

Day 5: Skimmer cup. Top off water added.

Day 6: Skimmer cup. Top off. Test for ammonia and nitrite. Low levels of each showed up.

Day 7: Skimmer cup. Top off. Smell of rock is not bad anymore.

Day 8: (November 24) Skimmer cup. Top off. Test ammonia and nitrite. Nitrite showing up strong.

So when do I do another water change? Should I let the nitrite and ammonia levels rise a bit or do I need to change the water asap? There are so many schools of thought on how this process should be handled. I would love a little input.

Thanks Guys!

TitansFan · 11/24/2006, 08:27 PM

I think there are so many schools of thought on this because frankly I think they all work just as well. The rock is going to cure. No way to really get around that. Yes some say to change water to keep as much alive as possible. Others say changing the water prolongs the cycle. When I cure rock I always do changes until ammonia is gone. Then I wait for the second part of the cycle letting the nitrites build up and convert. Once all I have left is nitrates I do a large water change hoping it to be my last.
What made you decide to cure the rock in cans instead of the tank? That was a good idea on the strainer bags to keep the sand wet and allow it to seed abit.

fishdoc11 · 11/24/2006, 08:35 PM

I let it go until nitrite is 0 and then it's ready to use after another good swishing

Chris

Ambiant Sound · 11/25/2006, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TitansFan

What made you decide to cure the rock in cans instead of the tank?

I didnt have the tank ready at the time I got the rock. I have been filling the tank and mixing salt while the rock was curing.

Thanks for answering my question. Thats just the kind of information I was after.

11/24/2006, 07:49 PM	#1
Ambiant Sound Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 3	Preparing Uncured Live Rock Heya all, I am currently curing 100 lbs of rock. I put together a small timeline of the progress and am looking for a little advice... mainly when I should be doing another water change. Day 1: Got rock and rinsed it in a bucket of salt water to knock off loose debris and pull off large dead stuff. I then put it in the can in which the skimmer, 4 powerheads and a heater were working. I tried to stack the rock as loose as possible to avoid dead water movement spots. I purchased to 1 gallon paint strainer bags (the fine mesh ones) to put all the sand and small pieces of rock and debris in to seed the sand bed with. This worked out really well. Those things can hold a lot of very fine material and they are affordable at about a $1 each. Day 2: Cleaned the skimmer cup about 4 times. Also made sure all powerheads were functioning. Day 3: Skimmer cup. Tested ammonia. Found ammonia. Started preparing a 100% water change in can 2. Day 4: Did 100% water change. Rinsed rock pieces again, inspected them for any large dead debris. Rinsed debris/sand bags. Day 5: Skimmer cup. Top off water added. Day 6: Skimmer cup. Top off. Test for ammonia and nitrite. Low levels of each showed up. Day 7: Skimmer cup. Top off. Smell of rock is not bad anymore. Day 8: (November 24) Skimmer cup. Top off. Test ammonia and nitrite. Nitrite showing up strong. So when do I do another water change? Should I let the nitrite and ammonia levels rise a bit or do I need to change the water asap? There are so many schools of thought on how this process should be handled. I would love a little input. Thanks Guys!

11/24/2006, 08:35 PM	#3
fishdoc11 catch and release Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Old Hickory,TN Posts: 13,237	I let it go until nitrite is 0 and then it's ready to use after another good swishing Chris __________________ "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something" -- Thomas H. Huxley Current Tank Info: 70 gallon mixed reef

11/24/2006, 08:27 PM	#2
TitansFan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Spring Hill, TN Posts: 1,364	I think there are so many schools of thought on this because frankly I think they all work just as well. The rock is going to cure. No way to really get around that. Yes some say to change water to keep as much alive as possible. Others say changing the water prolongs the cycle. When I cure rock I always do changes until ammonia is gone. Then I wait for the second part of the cycle letting the nitrites build up and convert. Once all I have left is nitrates I do a large water change hoping it to be my last. What made you decide to cure the rock in cans instead of the tank? That was a good idea on the strainer bags to keep the sand wet and allow it to seed abit.