Adding cured rock?
- Thread starter Nola77
- Start date
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It depends if you want to deal with pests from LR or play it safe with dry rock. I’ve done both and I perfer dry rock, because I hate Vermetid snails. Although LR is more beneficial in the beginning and cycles super fast (still needs to cycle about a week unless it was shipped in water)...dry rock is best added to a tank after you cure it for several weeks (in a dark brute can, vat, or tank) with strong flow, correct temp, and a bacterial product like Dr Tim’s One and Only. Or you can use a piece of your established rock to kick it off. I’ll probably cure my new dry rock for 3 months before it goes into my tank. Then the lights will stay off for longer than that. This is extreme, but I’ve used dry rock multiple times and it can give you headaches if you rush it. I think you’ll be fine just curing for 2-4 weeks in the dark so it can build up a biofilm before you add it. Your established rock should keep the tank in check and prevent algae growth.
I’m treating my dry rock with Lanthanum Chloride while I’m curing it to make sure I’m not leaching any undesirable phosphate into the water. Been there done that for 6-8 months with some artificial purple rock before. I take no chances. PM me and I can tell you where to get some good quality cheap dry rock.
If you are getting rock from a LFS it is cured in most cases.
People have gotten a way from actual live rock which is fresh from the ocean. Which is the best rock you can add to an aquarium. As it added the micro bacteria that really help an aquarium.
All the undesirable pest’s that people complain about comes in thru coral frags you buy from everyone.
The whole dry rock method means you are starting with a bare piece of rock that is a place for all types of algae to grow.
I always use this Analogy you have a yard with no grass growing on it. Just watch what happens if you throw some seeds on it and see if the weeds out compete the grass. Adding a lot of bottles of additives to a tank will make the aquarium addictive companies happy but will not do as much as starting with actual real live rock.
People have gotten a way from actual live rock which is fresh from the ocean. Which is the best rock you can add to an aquarium. As it added the micro bacteria that really help an aquarium.
All the undesirable pest’s that people complain about comes in thru coral frags you buy from everyone.
The whole dry rock method means you are starting with a bare piece of rock that is a place for all types of algae to grow.
I always use this Analogy you have a yard with no grass growing on it. Just watch what happens if you throw some seeds on it and see if the weeds out compete the grass. Adding a lot of bottles of additives to a tank will make the aquarium addictive companies happy but will not do as much as starting with actual real live rock.
OP
OP
Nola77
Community Member
Makes sense. I didn’t plan on re doing my entire aquascape. Just a couple of flat cured rocks from lfs to make some hiding spots
InvaderJim
Chillin
I've added dry rock I 'cured' for a few days in a bucket without any consequences. It was marco rock from BRS though.
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