Part 5 In Setting up an Aquarium
In Part 4 we gave our list of suggested Guidelines to keep in mind when working with any type of live rock. If you have not taken the time to read these Guidelines, you should do so before going any further. These tips can help you avoid many of the common mistakes made when dealing with live rock, as well as headaches and unnecessary problems. Once done reading the Guidelines.Now, the time it takes to cure live rock all depends on the type of rock you are starting with, as discussed in Part 3, and there is no set time frame. The bottom line is that curing time can take anywhere from a few days to a month.The type of live rock you buy also determines how it should be cured, and don’t be naive, even with fully cured live rock some level of die off will occur and some minor recycling will take place, because any addition to the bio-load of an aquarium will cause an increase in ammonia.How much all depends on whether or not you follow the Guidelines we outlined, especially the no smell and don’t overload points!
Purchasing cured live rock usually means it is already conditioned and is stable to use right away in an established aquarium with minimal concern, and is ideal for cycling a newly set up tank with. This would be the type you purchase direct from a local fish store that has been in their system for a period of time, or that you have taken from another aquarium that you have had established for a long time and use it to start or seed a new aquarium. It can also apply to mail order live rock, but only if it has been shipped properly, transit time has been fairly short, and very little die off has taken place by the time you receive it. No matter where the source of the cured live rock came from, if it smells or you are not sure of its quality, it is wise to allow it to cure in a separate system before introducing it into a main aquarium, even if just for a few days. And, whether using cured or uncured live rock, it is important to take the time to preclean and prepare it outside of the tank before introduction into any type of system as well.
The Standard Method Used For Curing Live Rock
The method most often used for curing uncured live rock is to place it in a completely separate, unlit (to prevent algae bloom problems), heated ( compare heater prices), well filtered aquarium with powerheads and a protein skimmer ( compare prices.) for at least a month, but before doing so clean and prepare it by striping the rock of all organisms that are dead or dying off. Once the rock has cured, it can then placed into the intended aquarium for aquascaping aquascaping. For most hobbyists, this type of curing process may not be practical. For those on a tight budget or that don’t have the extra room, it may not be feasible to have a complete separate tank running just for this purpose. However, you may be able to swing this type of set up using a suitable sized container such as a large plastic garbage can. And, course you do have the option of ( cycling uncured live rock directly in a newly set up tank, if need be. So how can you tell when the live rock is cured? Simple. When it doesn’t smell anymore, and your water test results for ammonia and nitrite are normal again. This means zero readings on both.
Now that you are ready to actually purchase some live rock, let’s talk about what you need to do and look for when it comes time to buying it, either from a local fish store or an online supplier.
How do you cure your live rock?
While you may cure your live rock in many different ways, the following method has been shown to be very effective. Curing typically takes from one to three weeks.
- Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can.
- Cover the rock completely with freshly mixed saltwater.
- Use a heater to keep the water temperature near 80 degrees to speed die off.
- Create constant water movement with a powerhead or air stone.
- Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
- Perform 100% water changes twice a week.
- Scrub the rock between water changes to remove dead material.
- Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
- Check water quality and test for ammonia. When ammonia tests are negative, the rock is safe for your aquarium.
What happens if you don’t cure it properly?
If you add improperly cured rock to your aquarium too quickly, it will still be in the process of a die back, which can harm (if not kill) existing tank inhabitants with toxic levels of ammonia. In addition, if you do not maintain proper aeration and temperature during the curing process, then high levels of beneficial nitrifying bacteria will die, reducing the initial effectiveness of the rock as a biological filter. Live rock is not difficult to cure properly and the benefits of high quality live rock are well worth the effort. Be sure to follow the simple steps above, and you can be confident that you are adding clean, healthy live rock to your aquarium.
Thanks to its vibrant colors, interesting inhabitants, and water clarification benefits, live rock continues to grow in popularity among aquarists. Each year, aquarists add thousands of pounds of live rock to new or existing reef aquariums. Live rock, while a huge benefit to reef aquariums, requires you to perform a few extra steps – especially curing – to ensure the health of your reef inhabitants.
What is live rock?
Live rock is actually small pieces of old coral reefs that were naturally broken off during storms or by wave action. These pieces then washed into shallower water where they were colonized with naturally occurring marine life – invertebrates, corals, sponges, and millions of beneficial nitrifying bacteria. All varieties of live rock available on LiveAquaria.com are harvested with the highest ethical standards and removed passively from the ocean floor – not manually broken off of any live or existing reefs.
Where does live rock come from?
Live rock can come from anywhere in the ocean. The varieties of live rock found on LiveAquaria.com come primarily from the pristine waters of the Indo-Pacific area, with the majority coming from Fiji and Tonga.
Must you cure your live rock?
You must cure your live rock, even if it arrives precured. Precured live rock is harvested, then continually sprayed with a mist of sea water and scrubbed to remove unwanted debris. The spray tends to drive out unwanted species such as bristle worms and mantis shrimp. Uncured live rock contains a wider variety of organisms. Either type of rock can work great in your home reef aquarium. Regardless of whether your rock arrives uncured or precured, you must cure your rock in its new aquarium.
Why must you cure your live rock?
Live rock must be cured to allow the plant and marine life – especially sponges which were living on the rock – to undergo a natural die back without polluting the aquarium water. This die back occurs in all transported live rock and is necessary to provide a solid foundation for the remaining species to grow and flourish. As the organisms on the rock go through a die back, they will produce a large amount of waste material and cause toxic levels of ammonia to be released into the aquarium. Most of the very beneficial nitrifying bacteria survive the curing process by hiding deep in the pores and crevices of the live rock. In addition, some of the corals and invertebrates will also not die off completely and will begin to re-emerge in the new aquarium over time.
