Need help on curing dry rock, how to do it.

[Leon Gorani]

I am going to cure my rocks for a new tank and I just need help on the steps of how to do it. What is the best bacteria to use for curing? Dr.Tims One and Only or something like Microbacter 7? Do I need to add ammonia too or just add beneficial bacteria? I was told to leave it running in 78 degree water for 2 months and test for nitrates and phosphates. Then I heard after the 2 month point you have to do a 50% water change every 2 weeks. Is this correct? Will the nitrates and phosphates decrease over time as I am doing water changes? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Quietman]

You shouldn't need to add any bacteria to cure dry rock (suppose you could if you're in a hurry). You're just looking to have all the debris and left over dead organisms decay so there's no uncontrolled nutrient build up when put in your system. The temperature helps with that. Changing water out occasionally helps to know when the rock is cured (no more build up - cured rock ready for use and cycling). There's also some precipitate issue with phosphate - not sure if that applies to curing in any significant way - which may be helped with water changes. But once nutrients are at 0 and stay there...no real need to water change. 2 months is based on average time to do this I assume...adding bacteria could speed up.

But curing isn't cycling - if you want to keep cycled - you'll have to add nutrients once cured to feed bacteria (or use them right away).

 

[Kinjirra]

Is this purchased Dry rock like Marco or dry rock that was recently live rock. Marco rock you dont need to cure...good rinse and in the tank it goes. Former live rock may have dead crap on it that will need to be cleaned off "cured"

 

[Leon Gorani]

Is this purchased Dry rock like Marco or dry rock that was recently live rock. Marco rock you dont need to cure...good rinse and in the tank it goes. Former live rock may have dead crap on it that will need to be cleaned off "cured"

it is purchased dry reef saver rock from bulk reef supply.

 

[Kinjirra]

it is purchased dry reef saver rock from bulk reef supply.

Just need to wash it off really well. No need to cure that. Now for a cycle I used Dr. Tims one and only with the same rock you have with two clownfish as the nutrients source for the bacteria...then waited like 3 weeks before adding another fish.

 

[AltitudeAquarium]

Do you have another tank? If so, what I did was collect the water from water changes and soaked dry rock in buckets of the water with heaters and power head pumps. Every 2 weeks, I would feed the buckets with dry pellets. After a month I dosed with Microbacter 7

 

[Spare time]

That dry rock doesnt need to be cured as there isn't anything dead on it (but as another said it does need to be rinsed). However, you can put it in a bucket or container with bacteria if you want to start turning the rock into live rock. I prefer to add the cycling bacteria (dr tims one and only) and then a scavenging bacteria (waste away). Microbacter7 has both in one but you can get a more concentrated bottle of both if you get them separately. I like to put rock in a bucket at 82 degrees, a salinity around 1.016, and ammonium chloride (the kind meant for fish tanks).

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Its funny how much this question has come up over last 3 days, ive answered same question like 4-5x :)

Check out the search function. But as others said, no need to cure reefsaver, just rinse well in RODI and start cycle.