Beginner's guide to Live Rock

I honestly don't know how to answer that, because I do not know how sensitive phytoplankton may be to many of the noxious things that come out of decaying sponges, worms, and other things that are released during the dieoff process. I don't know whether the phytoplankton would be able to thrive well enough to consume much of anything before dying, possibly dependant on the water volume you may be working with.

Hair algae seems to be able to handle it just fine, though!! So perhaps...

However, I have found that running actinic or rather dim lighting on a short photoperiod will keep the coralline alive just fine during the curing process. Soft actinic light actually seems to grow coralline faster than very bright light does.

I get a little bit of indirect natural sunlight and spillover light from a nearby 1,000 watt halide on our 500-gallon curing system, but no direct light at all. After the curing process is complete, I move the rock into actinic or full reef lighting.

:)

Darren Walker
www.PalmettoReefs.com
 
Last edited:
Bump!

Bump!

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=218286

This is a great thread you have going, Darrin. I posted this question the other day, and I thought it might be good to link it to this thread, maybe it will get some responses.

My question is concerning all the cool looking stuff you see on uncured rock. Is there anyway to save it? Most people don't dose kalkwasser right away, but do you think this addition of calcium from the begining could help to sustain some extra stuff? Or additives like magnesium, which is also thought to help. With all that is growing on the rocks, these vital elements would be RAPIDLY depleted, and I don't think anyone doses until their first corals.
Also, I think I've seem lots of sponge growth, do you think the addition of photoplankton could help to stop dieoff?
I plan to try these steps when I cure my new rock, but that won't be for a LONG TIME!! so I am hoping I can revolutionize curing techniques before that! :bum:
By the way, I've bought Ricordea from you before, and I love them, so help me out!!:D
 
Heya, slowjo!

I am a firm believer in providing reef-quality water for the Live Rock to cure in. This means that it starts off with the proper PH, Calcium levels (400-450 mg/l ), alkalinity, and temperature. This is one of the biggest mistakes that is made- not taking water quality seriously that the rock is cured in.

(Of course, you should only use RO or RO/DI water- I cannot imagine what tapwater would do during the curing!)

You cannot avoid the ammonia and nitrites that spike during the cycle, but the other factors that you DO have control of should be as close to ideal as you can make them.

However, IME the single biggest reason that the rock ends up bleaching white after a week or two into the cycle is that it simply spent too long in a box somewhere out of the water. This may sound oversimplified, but it just stands to reason that if you get the rock sent to you and it is in the same box it gets imported in, the handling it has been through is what will decide the condition it is in when it hits your water.

There are encrusting photosynthetic corals, soft bodied worms, featherdusters, gorgonians, sponges, tunicates, and all sorts of things that CAN make it through if a livable environment can be maintained throughout the process.

Large volumes of water with heavy circulation overcomes a lot of other factors, too!

;)

Good to hear from you!
 
Do I have enough LR?

Do I have enough LR?

Hi, I just started my first nano-reef tank. It is a 15 gal. tank, which I am using live rock to cycle. I purchased 9lbs. of uncured Fiji LR. Right now, the tank looks pleasing with the amount of rock that is in there, but I was wondering if I should have more rock. I am also running a stage 3 Penguin 125 Bio-Wheel Filter that my LFS said would be good to have. Also, is there anything I can do to speed up the cycle, such as adding bacteria. If so , what is the name of the solution I should use? Thanks, any advice would be great.
 
I cured my LR in my tank. I placed 44 lbs in exactly 2 weeks after I started my tank. I gave it a high salinity soak for 15 minutes in hot salt water. After I put it in I started testing the water (110 gallon wet dry filter & canister filter with carbon.). Two weeks later My Ammonia and Nitrite were 0 and my Nitrates were 10 and have remained there for the last 6 day's. However, I did one 15 gallon water change 3 days after I added the LR.

Did I do wrong here???
I read eariler in this thread not to do any water changes.

I currently have another 45 lbs coming in two days and I would like to cure in the tank again. I guess this time I won't do any water changes.
 
Palmetto, I am buying 100lbs. of Live rock from Gulf View next week, I have a 90gal. aquarium, will this be enough rock for proper filtration? And what is your opinion of Dale and Gulf View?;)
 
Diehl said:
Palmetto, I am buying 100lbs. of Live rock from Gulf View next week, I have a 90gal. aquarium, will this be enough rock for proper filtration? And what is your opinion of Dale and Gulf View?;)
Click to expand...

I have heard nothing but good reports on Dale and Gulf View! Let us know what you think when it comes in- I would love to see pictures. I understand you get some pretty neat stuff on his rock, though I have not seen it firsthand.

And, I am afraid I cannot comment on the quantity, because I have not actually seen it, and weight varies greatly. My guess is you will need more rock, but you will know soon!

Pictures, we wants pictures!

;)
 
If you are going to cure live rock in a new tank should you have your sand bed in place already or cure with bare bottom and add sand later.

My thoughts are:

1. Bare bottom would make it easy to siphon up the stuff that dies off and falls to the bottom.

2. On the other hand, adding sand after curing is complete could cause a sand storm and coat the live rock.

What's your opinion?

By the way, I plan on a 1"- 2" shallow sand bed.

Out of curiosity, would your opinion be different on a DSB?

Thanks
 
I like to cure rock on a new sandbed, the bacteria blossom that occurs helps to lay down the sand, and there are lots of critters that populate the sand from the rock.

There will be some detritus from the curing rock, but this is all part of the beginning of the cycle.

:)

I do the same for a shallow or deep sandbed.
 
I am not sure about curing anymore.When I first started I was convinced rock had to be cured and followed all the blurb.The result was massive die-off.I now get rock straight from the collectors who gather from the Great Barrier Reef stick it into my tank and have very little die off.White film does form on bits.If it is a largish area then I may remove it manually.Spikes do not take place and my tank suffers in no way.Infact I would argue that my tank benifits from the increase in life forms sustained on the rock.
I now believe curing is a process used by middlemen to add value in some way and thus charge more.
Just one man thinking.
All the best.
 
Ryunokaze said:
I now get rock straight from the collectors who gather from the Great Barrier Reef stick it into my tank and have very little die off.
Click to expand...

...That's probably why. My Australian rock spent almost 48 hours in a box before it got into my tank. That to me allowed stuff to start dying that just wouldn't recover. I will admit that my uncured australian rock had very little die-off after I removed the dying stuff right before I added it to the tank. I really liked that rock too, it's a shame we can't get it in the states anymore.

--Fizz
 
Help!!! Live Rock from an Existing Reefer

Help!!! Live Rock from an Existing Reefer

Darren,
Thanks so much for your posts on the LR you did earlier this year. It was very helpful. However, I have a question regarding my purchasing LR from someone else's tank.

This person is selling 75-100 lbs of Fiji and Tonga LR which he had in his tank up until a week ago. He is moving so he put the LR in a tub with water and circulation. NO LIGHTING FOR A WEEK. Do I have to recure the rock from scratch? I have a stocked 120 gal reef tank with fish and 160lbs of my own rock. Can I put his rock in my tank directly or wait 'X' number of days for all the stuff to die off, since the lights have been off for so long. I am assuming there is die off. Is that correct? How long do you think 'X' should last?

What would you suggest I do? Thanks in advance for a speeding answer. I am planning to pick up the LR today so I wanted to know how to handle it.

Rebecca
 
Darren,
You are a plethora of LR knowledge. Thanx for sharing your wisdom o' wise one.
I'm in the process of starting a 75. My questions are basic:
1- Do you suggest running a skimmer during the curing process? The pic of your skimmer scared me a bit.
2- Putting down a sandbed during curing with high currents and rotating the rock to avoid 'dead' spots as you've suggested, would mean to me a continuous sandstorm. You've confused me with this one. How can I achieve both the sandbed during curing and avoid a sandstorm 'whiteout'?

TIA,
Russ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Setup tank?
Replies
5
Views
450
wvned
wvned
S
High Phosphate leaching from rock - persist or replace?
Replies
2
Views
132
griss
griss
W
Cycling new Tank
Replies
2
Views
307
C.Eymann
C.Eymann
P
Can I get another fish?
Replies
3
Views
457
griss
griss
yoyoyoo123
Anyone want 10-12 pounds of live rock for free?
Replies
1
Views
175
yoyoyoo123
yoyoyoo123
Back
Top