Rock Curing

[Carz]

I have been curing my rock for about 8 weeks now. When I am ready to set up the new system, do I wash off this rock, let it sun dry or something else?/

 

[Troylee]

Curing as in how? What did you start with “dry, new etc” and what all have you done this far?

 

[Short Reefer]

it doesnt make any sense. When you are curing the rock then basicly the rock is ready to add to the system.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Definitely don't let it sun dry or do anything else that would kill the bacteria...I'm assuming when you say you cured it you mean that you added an ammonia source and bacteria to dry rock

 

[mjw011689]

Ok so the old definition of curing meant “cycling” like in a tub or something. People would let rock cycle for a couple months and once their tank was set up, the rock goes straight in and the tank is ready to go, no cycle needed.

But now people refer to curing as taking nasty rock out of water and letting everything die off, and basically restart the rock from dry, which is NOT what curing is.

So which is it that you’re doing?

 

[Carz]

I took out my rock from my tank and acid washed it and then bleached it. I had those vermited snails. I have been soaking it in heated saltwater for any dead matter to decay. I will be restarting my display with this rock and then I will start the cycle process.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I took out my rock from my tank and acid washed it and then bleached it. I had those vermited snails. I have been soaking it in heated saltwater for any dead matter to decay. I will be restarting my display with this rock and then I will start the cycle process.

Ok, in that case everything is dead and you're starting from square 1 sterile...

 

[Carz]

correct. So just wash off the rock and then set up in tank and start the cycle process??

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

correct. So just wash off the rock and then set up in tank and start the cycle process??

Yeah. Add bottled bac and an ammonia source...

 

[19Mateo83]

I took out my rock from my tank and acid washed it and then bleached it. I had those vermited snails. I have been soaking it in heated saltwater for any dead matter to decay. I will be restarting my display with this rock and then I will start the cycle process.

I just did something similar to rock that has been in dry storage for the last 12 years. I did one week soak in bleach solution then a week of air dry. I did two rounds of soak in ro water for a few days then dump that off. It has been a bucket circulating for about 2 months with turbostart 900 and microbacter 7. I did water 20% water changes every other week. All organics should have been dissolved by the bleach but I was still getting high nitrates and phosphates. Once the nutrient levels stabilized I did a 75% water change in preparation for use, a few days later I added it to a new tank. So far the tank nutrient levels are now phosphate-.03
Nitrate-3-5