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Originally Posted by Teeka01
If I am starting a new tank should I do this or should I start the uncured rock in the tank? If so how long do I cook it? I am sorry to be a pest but I am trying to figure out how I should get everything. Yes I am doing my research.The problem I am finding is that everyone has a different way, I am so new that it just boggs me down. Should I just put the live sand and the live rock in the tank and forget about it for 2-3 months.
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Everyone has their own opinion as to what works best. Here is my experience with uncured rock. -
When I set up my tank I bought uncured live rock that was aquacultured in the Gulf of Mexico. It was teaming with life which I thought was great at the time. It was packed full of undesirables including crabs, urchins, mantis shrimps, algae, etc. The crabs eventually battled it out killing each other until there was only on big one left, which I was finally able to remove. I was always pulling out dead crabs that had been killed by other crabs. I had probably 15-20 small black urchins which kept growing and competing for space and food until most had died and a few grew really big. The mantis were a pain to remove. I had to dig through the rocks numerous times trying to pull them out and then rebuild the rock work. I went through many different algae blooms before the rock finally stabilized. Not to mention the number big fireworms I had killed in the process.
So when these critters died in the tank they would pollute the water increasing the nitrate and phosphate levels, not to mention the number of times I had to rearrange the rocks to manually remove one thing or another.
So I would suggest that you save yourself some headache and cook your rock. You can't be sure exactly what you are putting in your tank with uncured live rock. By cooking the rock you have more control over what goes into your tank, plus the majority of the die off happens outside of the tank.
Either way you choose you can still have a successful tank. You just might have more headaches and aggravation depending on which route you take.
so...To cook your rock you will need a large container of some sort with a lid, a $10 rubbermaid trash can will work well, some fresh saltwater, and a powerhead. Some people will also add a heater to keep the temp slightly elevated.
Fill the trash can with the saltwater and add your rock. Drop in a powerhead and cover it with the lid and let it sit in the dark for 4-6 weeks. Change 50-80% of the water weekly making sure to siphon off the deterous that builds up on the bottom. Make sure to use the powerhead to blow off any decaying material from the rock periodically. After each water change you should notice less and less deterious build up. Letting it sit in the dark will also kill off any undesirable algae along the way. Coraline algae is tough and should survive this process and bouce back when you do add the rock to your tank.
Either way, I wish you the best of luck. Keep us updated on your progress.
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