Curing Live Rock Questions

[fio1022]

OK here goes,
I aquired a 120 complete set up with about 150lbs of live rock but it was covered with aptasia.My first thought was to let it die off and then reintroduce it to my existing set up.I laid out all the pieces outside for a 5 days and then I decided to bring it back to life.
Questions.
I'm assuming all undesirable live forms have die off?
I have it in a 50 gal container with a powerhead,heater,and a skimmer.
I'm getting strong amonia readings.When it runs it course though the whole cycle(amonia,nitrite,nitrate)will all the rock be ready to introduce in my established tank,including the rocks at the bottom?
When pieces are ready,should they be added slowly?
First time doing this,maybe the last if smell doesn't let up.Thought my wife was going to kill me...
Thanks,

 

[bpd964]

If its fully cured you can add quite a bit at a time. I hope those aptaisa weren't hiding deep inside the rock where it might stay moist and keep them alive.

 

[flfirefighter13]

once its cured you shouldnt have aproblem adding it all, but im agreeing with bpd, yu may have some aiptasias taht survive, there persistant little critters

 

[toddlaco]

I have to agree that you may not have killed the aiptasia in 5 days. A lot of the live rock we get in the states sits in boxes for 5 days or more and the aiptasia still makes it in the end.

 

[fio1022]

It sat outside in the sun and also a cold rain storm.
Once the cycle is done is ALL of it good?

 

[staticx]

Oh wow, A rain storm that means fresh water = dead rock. If you rock sat outside in the sun and then was soaked iin fresh water during a rain storm then your rock is now dead rock and will not become alive until you put t in a tank with other live rock to seed it. I am sure everything is now dead due to the fresh water, should be some nice base rock though.

 

[lecher]

I'd say this is now base rock. Although will continue to decompose previous organics for a little while.

 

[staticx]

I think I would ahve a heart attack if I turned 150 lbs of live rock into base rock over night. Bummer you could throw it all in a garbage can toss in a buch of live sand and some other live rock try to get it seeded quick

 

[staticx]

I think I would ahve a heart attack if I turned 150 lbs of live rock into base rock over night. Bummer you could throw it all in a garbage can toss in a buch of live sand and some other live rock try to get it seeded quick

 

[staticx]

I think I would ahve a heart attack if I turned 150 lbs of live rock into base rock over night. Bummer you could throw it all in a garbage can toss in a buch of live sand and some other live rock try to get it seeded quick

 

[fio1022]

Rock has been curing for over a week and still has alot of ammonia.
Question-Do I need to reseed this rock or is it ready once cycle is done?
I was thinking of placing a few pieces from my existing set up to help it along but not sure if it is neccessary to do so.

 

[fio1022]

its been well over two weeks and i'm still showing alot of ammonia.How long will this last,I know you cant rush it but come on now!!
tested with two different kits,'Is there any =thing I;m doing wrong exept being impatient?

 

[staticx]

I guess you didnt read the response. Everything in your rock and on your rock died when you stuck it out side in the rain storm. Now you have 150lbs of dead rock You will have a very long cycle due to the fact that everything died. When people get live rock there is usually SOME dieoff in transport. But your rock is completly dead so YES you will have to reseed it with something. Ans YES you will see ammonia for a long time. If you want to speed it up just throw it in a large rubber maid container with fresh water and rinse it alot to get alot of the dead stuff off. Normally you would not put your rock in fresh water but since you already did and KILLED everything you might as well rinse it off.

 

[the other tang]

BTW I agree witht the above either live sand lr or both after a rinse. I was told by my lfs to put my lr in 1.10 salinity to kill aptasia and it orked, I did have some die off but the rock looked normal after a week or two. Not saying it's the fix all but worked for me.

 

[Jasonf08]

Wow... i bet with all the dieoff you'll have the amonia spike for a while. Good luck with the cycling.

 

[clopez]

hmmm would drying the rock work for bubble algae?

 

[fio1022]

Ammonia spike done,high nitrite spike now.
The only thing I'm looking for on this rock is the beneficial bacteria for filtration.My existing rock has all the other critters minus the aptasia.

 

[staticx]

Well you killed all the benificial bacteria when you let it sit outside in the rain. But just keep doing what your doing and it will all come back over time.

 

[SptfireXIV]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8725035#post8725035 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by staticx
I guess you didnt read the response. Everything in your rock and on your rock died when you stuck it out side in the rain storm. Now you have 150lbs of dead rock You will have a very long cycle due to the fact that everything died. When people get live rock there is usually SOME dieoff in transport. But your rock is completly dead so YES you will have to reseed it with something. Ans YES you will see ammonia for a long time. If you want to speed it up just throw it in a large rubber maid container with fresh water and rinse it alot to get alot of the dead stuff off. Normally you would not put your rock in fresh water but since you already did and KILLED everything you might as well rinse it off.

You're acting like its the end of the world. All "live rock" is is just base rock with nitrifying bacteria residing within it. It will take a long time to get the coralline algae back, but it certainly won't take that long to recultivate it with bacteria I would think. In fact, by the sound of things, it's already there.

Or maybe I'm missing some huge part of what live rock actually is.

 

[Tigger240]

no your not. this is similar to the way the fw tanks cycle. they have no seeding, so it takes a month or so for them to completly cycle, and some lr can be cycled in a week or so because the bacteria is already there. your almost home on the cycle, just leave it be if you want it to be fileration rock. since everything died off, you can add very small amounts of ammonia to keep the ammonia converting bateria alive - because they have a food sorce still - with out the fear of killing stuff off, but isnt necessary.

think this way - lots of ammonia make lots of eating ammonia bacteria = lots of nitrites means lots of nitrite eating bacteria = nitrates. so on

now all those ammonia eating bacteria have nothing to eat - so they die (ammonia now) and they start eating eachother until they reproduce and die in such a manner there is enough dead (ammonia) to feed the living ammonia bacteria.

if you add small quanities you will be providing food, that will be replaced by fish pee when its moved into the display - hence no feeding the bacteria, and endless food for them in the form of pee and poo and so on.

this is the way i understand it