curing live rock and sand

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

LittleParr

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 2, 2005
Messages
164
Location
Newfoundland, Canada
Ok- just posted an article on my new 75g with a picasso trigger. Because this is the most knowledgeable community on the internet :D , what's your advice on cycling a new tank and adding lr and ls. What's involved in the curing process?
I want to do this right, I've read the books, but it's nice to get experienced 'real world' opinions.
 
add the livesand then as soon as it settles add the liverock just let it sit in there for about a month test your water and if all looks well start off with a hardy fish and see how it goes.
 
I would get your sand in your tank and fill with saltwater. After the sand settles, get your pumps going and your heater. Once your tank is stable, add the LR, and I would also suggest a raw cocktail shrimp to really get your cycle going. The cycle should last about 4 weeks and at the end, when Ammonia and Nitrite both read 0, do a good sized water change and you'll be all set!

Good Luck!!!

tripper
 
Ok- so you just take the ls right out of the shipping box, add to your tank and then fill with sw? Is it that easy? Then you just add the lr when all your levels stabilize?What about placing it in a clean garbage can, scraping and rinsing, heating, and using powerheads to achieve water flow to cure it?
 
You can cure the LR in a can if you want, It is just as easy to cure in the tank. You also will have the cycle of the tank happening as the LR cures so you will be killing 2 birds with one stone.
If you have LS then make sure the salt water is mixed out of the tank then added. I would also cover the sand with plastic bags and place a bowl on top of the bags and them fill the tank by pouring into the bowl. This will stop any sand storm you will get.
IMO scrubbing and cleaning the lr is not needed, take it out of the box and place in the tank is just fine. Rinsing will not hurt anything but scraping the lr will/may remove any corals or other good things that may have hitched hicked on it.
 
Back
Top Bottom