Best method for curing and cleaning NEW live Rock

[Johnny Reef]

Hi guys,
I am new to saltwater tanks. I have a 60 gallon tank and will be purchasing 100 lbs+ of live rock later this week.
My question is:
1)if I buy the live rock in bulk, packed cardboard boxes at the shop, how would I prepare them for the tank? I am referring to in terms of cleaning, quarrantine, curing, etc. I know they must have some good bacteria and life in them already, so I don't want to kill that off, but I want to get rid of any hitchhikers and parasites living on the rocks.

2) If I buy some additional live rocks for a dealer's tank, rocks that they have had for about 2-4 weeks, how would those be treated?

3) and how would you treat rocks that have been in a dealer's tanks for 2-3 months, rocks with coral, ie mushrooms, polyps, and xenia's growing on them?

thanks for the replies.

 

[ChrisRD]

1)if I buy the live rock in bulk, packed cardboard boxes at the shop, how would I prepare them for the tank? I am referring to in terms of cleaning, quarrantine, curing, etc. I know they must have some good bacteria and life in them already, so I don't want to kill that off, but I want to get rid of any hitchhikers and parasites living on the rocks.

It sounds like you're referring to buying uncured rock here. Some prefer to cure rock in a separate container (large trash cans, plastic tubs, etc.), but it can also be done in the system, provided it is a new (empty) system. Personally, I see the reasoning behind using a separate container to cure, but I generally just cure it in the system.

After you've got the curing vessel up to the proper temp, pH and salinity, I'd recommend picking off any dead or nearly dead items from the rock as you put it in. If you're curing in the main tank, I prefer not to add any substrate right away so I can use a powerhead or a turkey baster to periodically blow the crud off the rock during the curing process and syphon it off the bottom when I do a water change. IMO this helps to keep ammonia levels under control during curing and will also lessen nuisance algae blooms later. Also, IME a good skimmer and lots of circulation are very important in keeping ammonia under control in an effort to preserve whatever life you can on the rock.

If you go this route (uncured) factor in the cost and effort of doing several large water changes during the curing process too. Also, be warned that the smell isn't the greatest, so if possible you may want to plan to cure in the basement or garage...

2) If I buy some additional live rocks for a dealer's tank, rocks that they have had for about 2-4 weeks, how would those be treated?

Rock that has been properly cured for a few weeks should have little die-off. This means very little "cycling", smell, water changes, etc. You should be able to add it to your system without having to do much. Essentially, most of the work has been done for you already. Of course there's generally a price premium associated with this...

3) and how would you treat rocks that have been in a dealer's tanks for 2-3 months, rocks with coral, ie mushrooms, polyps, and xenia's growing on them?

You should be able to add them directly with no major die-off or cycling. One difference would be light. If you intend to preserve all of the photosynthetic hitchhikers, this rock should be lit from day 1. With bare live rock, cured or uncured, it's not absolutely necessary to have light initially (the beneficial bacteria in and on the rock don't require light) and in fact some prefer to give the rock some time to cure without light to avoid nuisance algae blooms (high nutrients from die-off + light = algae). Sorta two different schools of thought there...

HTH

 

[Johnny Reef]

So when I bring home the live rocks, whether they be uncured bulk from a box, or aged and cured in the LFS... I don't need to add any type of medication or prophylactic to kill off any harmful parasites?

For example, when I bring home a box of bulk live rock, uncured, you suggest that I should just put them in a container with proper water parameters and cure it. In the case with aged/cured rocks in the LFS display tanks, I should just put them in the tank.

I don't need to add any type of anti-parasitic medication to the water?
LOL! I'm a newbie in the subject. I've been keeping freshwater fish for 20+ years and treating aquairum decorations, ie driftwood and live plants has always been standard.

JN

 

[ChrisRD]

So when I bring home the live rocks, whether they be uncured bulk from a box, or aged and cured in the LFS... I don't need to add any type of medication or prophylactic to kill off any harmful parasites?

No, no medications. Some people like to dip new pieces of live rock in a bucket of very saline saltwater, freshwater, etc. to get things like mantis shrimp to bail out of the rock, but personally I've never done this. IMO anything of this nature you do to the rock will get rid of both good and bad stuff, so personally I avoid such treatments.

For example, when I bring home a box of bulk live rock, uncured, you suggest that I should just put them in a container with proper water parameters and cure it.

Yes.

In the case with aged/cured rocks in the LFS display tanks, I should just put them in the tank.

Yes. A good precautionary measure is to leave the tank fallow (fishless) for at least a month. This will help decrease the likelihood that you will introduce a fish parasite into your system on the rock (the theory being that with no hosts present, the parasites would die off).

I don't need to add any type of anti-parasitic medication to the water?

No, no medications. It's better to quarantine fish before putting them in the system and/or treat them in a separate tank if the need arises. Don't add medications to your reef tank - especially anything that contains copper.

LOL! I'm a newbie in the subject. I've been keeping freshwater fish for 20+ years and treating aquairum decorations, ie driftwood and live plants has always been standard.

In this case the rock is not just decorative - it's a living filter. You don't want to "disinfect" it too well, or you're sorta negating its purpose.

HTH

 

[danmhippo]

Ditto on what Chris said.

 

[Tackett]

chris is the man.

 

[Johnny Reef]

I thank you all so much for all your help. This forum is great.
I will keep you guys updated on my tank and post pics!