# Curing live rock...or lack there of



## hamdogg08 (Feb 18, 2007)

I am new to reef tanks, and by new I mean that the only experience I've had so far is by reading books. From what I understand, you're supposed to cure the live rock in a bucket or salty water for about two weeks, changing the water every day or two until it stops smelling like rotten eggs. If you were setting up a brand new aquarium, would you be able to just throw the live rock in the tank right away, and then let it cure while the tank cycles? I'd plan on doing that with a 75 gallon with protein skimmer and canister filter. I would wait a while until the chemistry is right until I put the fish in of course. Is OK, or would I be better off curing the rock the normal way?


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## trreherd (Aug 7, 2006)

When most people are setting up a new tank with lr they just put it in the tank, run the filters and lights and wait a week or two intill there amonia and nitrite hits zero. Than they start stocking slowly. But add your bottom(sand) after your lr cures. When your adding lr to a tank i think you can just put the rock in a bucket with saltwater and wait till amonia andi nitrite hit zero, than you can put it in the display tank.


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## tomgray (Feb 14, 2007)

why cant you put the sand in with the live rock?


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## Melissa (Nov 28, 2006)

Well when you are starting your saltwater tank you can put it all in the same time. it doesnt matter. Just make sure your levels are zero before adding fish, this can take a few weeks.


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## trreherd (Aug 7, 2006)

you dont want to add the sand becuase alot of stuff is dieing and will dirty up your sand, also you want good circulation around the lr.


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## caferacermike (Oct 3, 2006)

Good advice TR. You certainly wouldn't want to pollute your substrate before you even set up the tank. Besides that, if your rock was really nasty and sheds a lot of gunk, you'd still have the option to drain the tank and start over. It'd be a lot simpler to vacum out the sludge in a bare bottom. Then when the rock cures you can simply lay it in a tub while you set up the substrate and arrange the rock work. Get a large rubbermaid type tub and fill it with about 10g of RO/DI water. When your rock arrives scrub it down to knock off the large chunks of waste before adding it to the tank. This will help prevent fouling the tank water to quickly.


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