# cycling live rock



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

Finally i can start on my salt water setup, got about a couple weeks before my larger stand comes in, so i was thinking in the mean time to buy live rock and start cycling/cleaning it. I have a 60 gal aquarium,live sand and running a sump with a fuge. Running R/O Water,
I have a 25 gal container that i could cure the live rock, is a heater and couple power heads enough? Do I need light? should i put my protein skimmer in there while it is cycling, water changes? (and how often),

Also should I be putting any additives to the water, heard that in order to get the red algae growing on the rock you need to add something.
thanks


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## johnnynuke (Aug 23, 2007)

It's funny, I too have been waiting for my stand so I can set up my new tank. So in the mean time, I ordered some live rock online and have been curing it for two weeks. My curing setup has been very low tech  , but it seems to be working. I have a plastic garbage can, with about 20 gallons of saltwater, a heater, and a powerhead. There is no light as I keep the lid on the garbage can, which comes in handy since the smell during the initial cure is bad! I do a 100% water change twice a week, and scrub any debris off the rock during the water change. 
It's been two weeks, the smell is gone, and I should be ready to add to the tank next week.
As far as an additive goes, I asked that question to the folks at Liveaquaria, where I purchased the liver rock. They said no, just follow the curing instructions (which I've listed for you....)

Hope this helps,


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