Questions about LR

[psilentchild]

I have two questions.I plan on getting about 300 lbs of LR.Would it look ok to mix different kinds of LR such as fiji,vanuata, and south pacific deep water? Also how do you cure LR?

[Recty]

Yes, it does look neat imo to mix rocks. I would keep like rocks together, for instance make a pile of the fiji and next to it put your vanuata and next to that put the pacific rock... you can build the piles together but try to somewhat keep the rock types together, if you know what I mean.

Curing LR is kind of a pain, basically you'll get some die off from the shipping process, which produces lots of ammonia. You need to put it into a bucket or even the main tank and let the die off dissolve (scrubbing it first before putting it into the container helps quicken this) and then do a big water change, wait another week, do another water change. Start checking for ammonia and when it hits 0, your rock is cycled.

I did mine in my main tank, I just filled it 25% of the way and kept powerheads blowing and some heat in there, that way when you do your water changes you arent trying to change out 210g every time, more like 50-60 gallons.

[psilentchild]

So I could fill my tank up halfway scrub my LR then place it in the tank and do big water changes every week?After it cures do I wait 3 months after that to let my water cycle or do I count do month or so it takes to cure as part of the 3 month cycles?

[Recty]

Well, I wouldnt even fill the tank halfway. I'd basically fill it just enough to cover your live rock and just lay it all in there flat, let me look at my photobucket real quick and see if I have a picture of mine.

Yep, here it is. This is 180 lbs of Fiji rock in a 210g tank, laid out flat. I basically did a water change every week for 3 weeks and on the 4th week, I had no ammonia.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i236/Recty/210rock.jpg

Here's the thing, this IS cycling you tank. No, you dont have to wait another 3 months after this. The reason you dont show ammonia is because the nitrifying bactertia are taking over and processing the ammonia, plus stuff has stopped rotting in there. I'd probably still give it another 2-3 weeks just to make sure everything is settled down, but really (and I've done this twice now) as soon as the ammonia is no longer readable, you can slowly start adding specimens.

HOWEVER, if I redid it all again, I'd probably leave my tank fishless for at least 2-3 months to let everything populate, like the little copepods and other desirable creatures. That isnt necessary, especially if you have a sump with some of the live rock in it that fish will never predate.

That's just my 2 cents, everyone has their own way of doing things. I wouldnt add anything real delicate right after your tank finishes cycling, but some of your hardier fishes or corals you could add without problem.

I had 2 open brain corals and a green star polyp in my tank 2 weeks after my rock finished cycling and they did great. I wouldnt have wanted to try any of the more "fragile" corals though.

[Recty]

That, btw, is the rock I got from Live Aquaria. There wasnt a lot of coraline algae, although there was some, but there was lots of nice sponges and stuff on there, for about $3.20/lb it cant be beat up in Alaska.

[EllieSuz]

Just one word of caution. This can be a smelly process, so if you have it inside in a living area, it might be pretty disgusting for a bit. You can accomplish the same thing in a Rubbermaid container in the basement or garage if you live in a warm climate.

[psilentchild]

Cool I will probably do that for about 3 months then add sand and place LR in its permanent location and do it again for another months.After that I will check my water again and add my 2 maroon clownfiish. I will check water every week during the 3 months too.

[Recty]

Yep, I've cycled LR in the actual tank twice and once in two 35g trash cans, either way works just as well. I liked doing it in the tank because I could see it all but that really isnt a necessary step.

For what it's worth, neither time I cycled in tank did it make my house smell, but I kept the tank sealed tight, in the picture I posted you can see I have duct tape and trash bags on the top keeping all the air in, thats why there is water all over on the inside walls of the aquarium, it was pretty humid.

Anyway, I didnt notice any smell but I leave my deck door open quite a bit so we have good air flow through the house, maybe that is why.

[psilentchild]

How smelly is smelly can I just put a glade plug in to cover up the smell? If not I guess I will have to put it in a trash can and leave it in the garage. Cause I already know my girlfriend is not going with the house smelling

[Recty]

If she is picky at all, probably best to just do it in the garage.

If I opened my plastic top of the tank, it kind of smells like a wet beach. If you live near the water you'll know the smell I'm talking about. It's basically a lot of rotting organics.

Mine didnt smell because I have lots of house ventilation and I kept it airtight in there and just opened it up weekly to do a water change.

[psilentchild]

I guess the garage it will be then cause she has a very sensitive nose.She has a nose like a bloodhound LOL.

[psilentchild]

If I buy already cured LR online do I still let my tank cycle for 3 months?Also could I still do a FW dip to get out all the unwanted critters?

[Recty]

Depends how long it takes to ship... but really any length of shipping somewhat uncures the rock. It's going to be out of water for a length of time, usually at least a day if not two.

That means whatever is on the rock will most likely die and you'll need to recure it. It wont be as bad as totally uncured rock, but there will still be stink and decomposition.

You could still do a FW dip, just realize it's going to kill off some beneficial things as well, although if you're getting your rock from somewhere that you think has mantis shrimp or whatever it is you're worried about, it is probably better to do the FW dip.

[psilentchild]

Its 2 day shipping I'm thinking about getting some from liveaquaria and some from premiumaquatics. How long should I let it set up before its ready? I'm not just worried about mantis shrimp just any unwanted critters. Is ordering cured LR online a waste of money if so I might as well just get uncured LR and cure it myself.

[Recty]

Well cured live rock will have a lot of the die off process already done, like the mud and gunk and WHATEVER is going to be cleaned off. Uncured is going to be some dirty stuff that will take longer to cure and wont come to you in as clean of a state.

However, I bought uncured the first time and I had some great success with it, lots and lots of inverts came out over time.

This larger tank I set up in '08 I did with cured rock and I didnt have much live stuff come out of it.

I guess it depends what you want... cured LR isnt a waste of money and it saves you time. But if you're going to have to cure it anyway, I think it's easier to just buy the uncured stuff and you'll probably have a greater biodiversity with it.

[psilentchild]

Cool so u had more stuff on uncured than cured? How long should I let the cured rock set up I I get it?

[Recty]

Same as all the other times you've asked about curing rock...

You put it in the water and start measuring ammonia, and when the ammonia has gone away then it's back to a state where stuff has finished rotting and the bacteria that "eat" ammonia are now to a point they can handle whatever little rotting there is.

Then you normally wait a good week or two or months if you want to, let your rock get good and populated by all the little crustaceans and inverts and what not that were in it.

When I did my uncured live rock, I waited about a month after the ammonia stopped registering and I was glad I did, I had a lot of neat stuff come out before the fish were there to start eating them :)

[psilentchild]

Cool thanks