keeping live rock alive

[euromomtx]

I am getting a big tank but low on funds for live rock. I saw some on craiglist that's currently in a tank but the person is in a hurry to disassemble it.
I get my tank this weekend. Can I pick up the live rock sooner and keep it alive in a big saltwater filled trash can with a powerhead or will it die off?

[Bigwyll]

Yes. I've seen it done.

[DetectiveTofu]

Don't forget a heater in addition to a powerhead. Also, dropping an airstone into the tub couldn't hurt.

[DamnPepShrimp]

How long can live rock go with out food? I know if you store it for a long period of time, you have to keep feeding the tank like you would normally so the bacteria stays alive. Could you just drop a uncooked raw shrimp in there like you do to start a cycle to keep the rock alive for a while or would that cause a problem in water quality and mess the rock up?

[IslandCrow]

You'll be fine until the weekend or even for many months. You really don't have to "feed" your live rock. There's plenty of things dying off on even cycled live rock to keep the bacteria alive. If you think about it, most of us have tanks set up with live rock for a month or two before adding any fish or inverts. Granted, some people throw in something like a cocktail shrimp to "start" or "speed up" the cycle, but that's actually not a very widespread technique amongst the more experienced people in the hobby.

Just keep the water at a reasonable temperature (70-85 degrees) and provide some circulation as you have planned. It'll be just fine.