Curing Liverock Questions

[Nanook]

I am getting pretty close (a few months away hopefully) to getting ready to buy liverock. I am debating how I want to cure about 800lbs of liverock at my house.

My tanks are 470g cubish and 375g rectangular. They are going to run on two sumps plumbed together as one big 1100g system.

Geo is building the skimmer to handle this bioload. So, I am debating curing the rock in the tanks (easiest method), or buying a couple rubbermaid 300g tubs and doing it in there.

I am hesitant to do it in the tanks because the water gets really nasty from curing and the tanks will get pretty littered with dirt and crapola. The good thing about curing in the tanks is I can save money and not have to rig up a couple large tubs with skimmers, etc.

Thoughts?

 

[stlouisguy]

Can you plumb one tank and cure all the rock in the one tank, that would save on salt and would only dirty one tank

 

[Im Lon 2]

Can you do it in 300 gallon sumps in the garage? that way the house does not end up smelling so bad.

I would have to say I agree with not wanting to put the uncured rock in the tank, and cure it in there. I would rather put cured rock in a clean tank with out having all the nasty stuff works it way into the sand and water. To me that would just take longer to get Phosphates and everything in check. That might even help on the algae cycle of a new tank syndrome.

 

[scbadiver]

I'm in a similar spot. I'm planning on getting 1-200 lbs of rock (however much I can afford) in the next week or 2. I gave this a lot of thought and here is what I decided. I'm putting it right in the tank. First, I figure "live" rock has life so I want to keep it alive, in the tank. I have a sand substrate so hopefully I'll get some little critters to move into the sand bed. I can better circulate the tank water so I think I'll have better oxygen levels than in a tub so less die off(?). I'm lazy so this way I only have to handle it once. Less handling might be better for the rock too. I know my puny little skimmer will be over loaded for awhile but I'll run carbon too. After it cycles I'll do a few good water changes and hopefully, put my fish back in their home. That's my thoughts. What are the flaws to the plan?

 

[Nanook]

Yeah, Mark mentioned the fact that the rock sheds a LOT of detrititus which I know from previous rock curing. I guess I was looking to use my system to do a very dirty job and it just isn't worth all the cleanup and chance of polluting the sandbed with all that nasty junk.

I talked to "The Pick" and hopefully will be getting a couple of 300g stock tanks in the near future. I will find a way to cure the rock in there....might need two skimmers now

 

[Nanook]

I think I am going to buy my rock in "TWO" batches and cure each batch in a 300g tank with my skimmer. When it is good and cured, I can place it in the tank and then buy the next batch.

This will also break up the cost of having to buy a lot of liverock!

Thanks.

 

[zt444a]

Curing rock right in the tank will be pretty foul. There will be a ton of crap in the water, skimmer will go crazy for quite awhile, and the house will smell no matter what you do to it.

Tub in the garage is definately the way to go. Large water change (doing one tonight myself) will help. It is amazing how much stuff comes off the rock.

Yeah you'd think all of that stuff would be good to go into the tank, but there are algae issues, a ton of sponge material (all of which will die most likely and foul everything anyhow), etc.

I'd not advocate doing it in the display at all. Along with the good stuff also comes some bad stuff I am sure, like gorilla crabs, mantis shrimp, flatworms, etc.

Minimize the risk...

 

[latazyo]

nook, I have 2 fears if you cure in your tanks

1. the amount of BS in the water may leave a film or dry line at the top of the water line that will look crappy when you set it up for real

2. by just dumping the rock in the tanks, you'll then have to remove it and re arrange it, etc etc, increasing the risk of an accident and scratching your acrylic

 

[sirreal63]

and the smell may trigger some primal urges in Bogie...you may not be able to cross the hall anymore for fear of being eaten or drilled.

 

[Nanook]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8954575#post8954575 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sirreal63
and the smell may trigger some primal urges in Bogie...you may not be able to cross the hall anymore for fear of being eaten or drilled.

:lol: I already have that fear!! But we fixed the getting drilled part last Wednesday :hammer:

Good points, latazyo....re-arranging would be a major pain in the Griss!!

 

[icepick96]

Just remember Nook,

We are all here to help you acheive the life long dream of finally getting your tanks up and running. So if need 'em stock tank I'll hook you up. Your dream is our dream. Just one question. How long have you had those tanks? I think I was just a young lad still in the eighties wasn't it? Seahorse Dreaming:eek2: :eek1: :lol:


Hey was that the "pick" or was that "toothpick"? I'm just a little guy you know.

 

[latazyo]

I actually saw one of nanooks threads or pics from way back when he had the tanks delivered....I noticed the date was so long ago (before I knew of him) and I assumed he abandoned the project, sold the tanks, and is now setting up a new one

I did not realize the famed "slowest tank builder ever" was still working on the same tanks

 

[icepick96]

Didn't those tanks come in on covered wagons?:rollface:

 

[Nanook]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8957789#post8957789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by icepick96
Just remember Nook,

We are all here to help you acheive the life long dream of finally getting your tanks up and running. So if need 'em stock tank I'll hook you up. Your dream is our dream. Just one question. How long have you had those tanks? I think I was just a young lad still in the eighties wasn't it? Seahorse Dreaming:eek2: :eek1: :lol:


Hey was that the "pick" or was that "toothpick"? I'm just a little guy you know.

I remember the old days when you and Griss would talk about your Seahorse Dreaming Fantasies....oh those were the days...back in 2001 or 2002? Griss has still never gotten over that itch yet:lol:

 

[Nanook]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8959057#post8959057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by icepick96
Didn't those tanks come in on covered wagons?:rollface:

Not quite, just big trucks!!

I have had them for almost four years now with no water...I hope they hold water and don't sink in the concrete flooring:lol:

BTW, it is GREAT to see you back on the board!!

:beer: You will have to come up and go hang one night with the group....i think we are going out on Wednesday 24th of January if you want to come up.