Curing live rock. Help me out please

clownfool · 01-06-2007, 03:36 PM

I bought some uncured live rock online from livestockusa.com I setup my tank two days ago on the 4th and added all the live rock in the tank yesterday. When I got it, it I rinsed the rock real good in another tub, that got really nasty looking So yesterday I tranferred the rock in the tub into my aquarium which had fresh RODI salt water. The rock didn't get my water in the aquarium very dirty. The tank has a cpr skimmer and it's filling up with lots of skimate.
The rock looks good and has purple and pink and orange algae on it, but all of the rock has a grey colored fuzz all over it, and my powerhead won't take it off. I don't really want to take all the rock out and brush it off, but if I have to I will.

So here is my main concerns,

I have heard from different people saying, Don't put any lights on it
while curing, others say yes. ???
So here is my water parrameters
No light on it
Tank is Barebottom
temp 78
Salt, 1.021
PH 8.0
Cal 420
phosphate .05
Alk 3

What should I do?

PhilOlsen · 01-06-2007, 03:43 PM

As long as you dont have any livestock in the tank, I would cure it there. You do not need light, but you should provide a high flow enviroment and aggressive skimming, uncured rock can take up to 10 weeks to fully cure so be patient, keep doing water changes, I would go no less then 50% weekly, splitting it up over a couple days during the week.

fishheads · 01-06-2007, 03:55 PM

do exactly what phil said.....you will know when it is ready when you pick up the rock and do the smell test....sniff every part of the rock....if you smell even a small hint of rotten eggs your rock is not ready.....keep on curing.....remember,no eggs good to go

PhilOlsen · 01-06-2007, 09:15 PM

I have heard the rotten egg comparison and I think it has its own smell and its really nasty even worse than rotten eggs. Once all you smell is saltwater its good to go.

JFK_Jr · 01-06-2007, 09:28 PM

Don't worry if you have further die off on your rock... even your purple, pink and orange algae might temporarily die off... but eventually it will stabilize and return.

I wouldn't scrub it any further. I would only pull off any dead sponges or anything else that's obviously dying that you can grab.

01-06-2007, 03:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
clownfool Tunicate Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	Curing live rock. Help me out please I bought some uncured live rock online from livestockusa.com I setup my tank two days ago on the 4th and added all the live rock in the tank yesterday. When I got it, it I rinsed the rock real good in another tub, that got really nasty looking So yesterday I tranferred the rock in the tub into my aquarium which had fresh RODI salt water. The rock didn't get my water in the aquarium very dirty. The tank has a cpr skimmer and it's filling up with lots of skimate. The rock looks good and has purple and pink and orange algae on it, but all of the rock has a grey colored fuzz all over it, and my powerhead won't take it off. I don't really want to take all the rock out and brush it off, but if I have to I will. So here is my main concerns, I have heard from different people saying, Don't put any lights on it while curing, others say yes. ??? So here is my water parrameters No light on it Tank is Barebottom temp 78 Salt, 1.021 PH 8.0 Cal 420 phosphate .05 Alk 3 What should I do?

01-06-2007, 03:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
PhilOlsen Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Glendale Hts. Illinois (Chicago transplant to humor my wife) Posts: 646 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Curing live rock. Help me out please As long as you dont have any livestock in the tank, I would cure it there. You do not need light, but you should provide a high flow enviroment and aggressive skimming, uncured rock can take up to 10 weeks to fully cure so be patient, keep doing water changes, I would go no less then 50% weekly, splitting it up over a couple days during the week.

01-06-2007, 03:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
fishheads Ricordea Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: norcal Posts: 179 View Gallery* Karma Komment	Re: Curing live rock. Help me out please do exactly what phil said.....you will know when it is ready when you pick up the rock and do the smell test....sniff every part of the rock....if you smell even a small hint of rotten eggs your rock is not ready.....keep on curing.....remember,no eggs good to go __________________ 110 GAL.REEF,ask me for specs • What happens when you throw a green rock into the Red Sea? .....it gets wet...... Why are gold fish orange? .....The water makes them rusty!.....

01-06-2007, 09:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
PhilOlsen Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Glendale Hts. Illinois (Chicago transplant to humor my wife) Posts: 646 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Curing live rock. Help me out please I have heard the rotten egg comparison and I think it has its own smell and its really nasty even worse than rotten eggs. Once all you smell is saltwater its good to go.

01-06-2007, 09:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
JFK_Jr Golden Moray Join Date: May 2006 Location: Hallandale Beach FL Posts: 2,108 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Curing live rock. Help me out please Don't worry if you have further die off on your rock... even your purple, pink and orange algae might temporarily die off... but eventually it will stabilize and return. I wouldn't scrub it any further. I would only pull off any dead sponges or anything else that's obviously dying that you can grab. __________________ *JFK_Jr's 150 Gallon Starphire*

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