Live Rock Cycle

[honey1998p]

Hi fellow reefer's,
I have a 55 gallon all-glass tank. At this time it only has saltwater and 65 pounds of Live Carib Sand. I am receiving 10 pounds of uncured live rock today. Should I place it straight into the tank, or should I cycle it in a separate container. I still need another 100 pounds of live rock, since I want to make this a reef aquarium. I am buying 10-30 pounds of rock at a time, so I don't have to get it all at one time( the cost).
If I put it straight into the tank will it be okay to put the next shipment straight in the tank, or cure it in a separate container.

Hope I haven't confused you, all advise needed.

Thanks,
honey1998p

[mdrury]

If there is no livestock in the tank, you could cure your first 10 lbs of rock in the tank. However, you should not add any livestock to the tank until the curing process is complete. Subsequent rock additions should be performed in a separate container, else you will have to re-cure and perhaps re-cycle the tank again. Also, you should keep the lights off while curing to prevent unwanted algae blooms.

Keep in mind that rock curing can be a smelly process. The die-off of plants and some inverts can give off an order while decomposing.

Personally, I would cure the rock in a separate container. That way I could at least add some fish to my tank to enjoy while the rock is curing and the smell wouldn't cause me to vacate the viewing room.

[bguile]

I would agree with mdrury on a couple points. Curing the rock, if purchased at different times, should be done in seperate containers. If not, each time you add new live rock it will spike the ammonia levels and again "kill" anything living on the previously curing rock and start the whole process all over. It is a smelly process so I personally wouldn't do it in the main tank. I don't agree with having the livestock in the tank before the rock is done curing b/c once it has, you now have to place it in the main tank and "cycle" the tank. This is cruel to the animals living in it. At least that's what I gather from reading. If I'm incorrect hopefully one of the more experienced reefers will correct me.

[mdrury]

honey1998p stated the tank already contains live sand, so I would have to assume the tank is already cycled. Adding the cured live rock should not cause the tank to be re-cycled.

The rock will take 14 to 60 days to cure out, and if he already has the tank filled with live sand, he could just use some plastic decorations and add reef friendly fish to enjoy until the rock is ready.

[honey1998p]

The Live sand has been in the aquarium for 2 months now and all my levels are normal. I have just read so many different opinions on cycling live rock, whether in the aquarium or out of it. I think I will just go ahead and cycle it in a separate container. Hope it don't take 60 days though, because I want to get a new purchase ever 2 weeks, and I don't want that many extra trashcans, lol. Thanks for the advise.

honey1998p

[Reefland]

What other livestock do you have in your aqaurium? Setting up a curing vat in a separate container can be costly since it needs lots of water flow and heavy protein skimming; many people don't have the extra equipment sitting around to do it properly. If you don't have anything in your tank except for livesand, why not do it there?

[bguile]

So Scott, your saying that to cure LR "properly" it needs to be in a container with a skimmer? I thought the rule was once you have ANY life in your tank you dont want to do anything to create a huge ammonia spike. My knowledge in the hobby is still growing so help me understand this if you can.

[honey1998p]

I have nothing else in the aquarium but live sand, but if I only cure 10 pounds in the aquarium, and then 2 weeks from now get another small shipment, would I want to also put that in the aquarium. Wouldn't that cause the cycle to start all over again.
What I have understood from all my research is, every time you add live rock into an aquarium that is cycled, it restarts the cycle again.
I am just confused I guess.

[Reefland]

No you're right, but without any other livestock in the aquarium, there is nothing to hurt with the tank going through the mini-cycles each time you add new liverock. When you say livesand, I am guessing that your talking about something that you bought in a bag from a local store that was labeled as livesand, or are you talking about a sandbed that was added to the tank, that you seeded with livesand that you collected from other reefers, was sold to you by a local shop in a small bag with water in it and/or livened up by purchasing detritivore kits from various online vendors?

[mdrury]

As I read somewhere on the 'Net concerning reef aquariums, the only thing that happens fast in a reef aquarium is the bad stuff. And the time it takes for things to go wrong depends on the size of your tank and how long it is going to take to receive a replacement for whatever equipment has failed.

When I say 60 days, I am thinking that should be the max time for the curing process. Curing the rock in my 38 gallon only took two weeks, but it was only 40 lbs. The more rock you have to cure the longer I would think it would take. I am in the process of setting up a 120 gallon aquarium and have order 150 lbs of rock. I am not planning on adding any livestock until after Thanksgiving.

A good protein skimmer may help the curing process move faster. I used a cheap Lee's skimmer when curing the 40 lbs of rock.

[mdrury]

honey1998p, adding additional cured rock to an established tank shold not start the cycle all over again. Putting uncured rock in an established tank could prve to be fatal to the inhabitants. When you receive supplimental rock cure it in a separate container and then add it to your display tank after the curing process is complete.

[Reefland]

As long as nothing has been added to the tank while building up this rock structure, there is no problem with adding it directly to the tank to cure. If however you add 10lbs, cure it; add a fish or some coral then try to add more rock, your asking for trouble. I would try to get all my rock at one time to save the trouble but if that wasn't an option, then I would not add anything at all to the tank until after I had all my liverock in place and cured.

[honey1998p]

As long as nothing has been added to the tank while building up this rock structure, there is no problem with adding it directly to the tank to cure. If however you add 10lbs, cure it; add a fish or some coral then try to add more rock, your asking for trouble. I would try to get all my rock at one time to save the trouble but if that wasn't an option, then I would not add anything at all to the tank until after I had all my liverock in place and cured.

Well,
I thank you all for the advise. It seems to me that buying uncured live rock is a problem. I think I will go ahead and put it in the aquarium, then save enough money to buy my other 100 pounds of rock from a place that sells cured live rock, maybe Tampa Bay Saltwater, since their are shipped in water or some one like that. The live rock in my neighboring town just cost 2 much by the pound. It would cost me $1.000 here to buy the stuff.

Thanks all,
honey1998p