Any Advice On Curing Live/dry Rock?

I started my tank off at 40 gallons, but have since upgraded to a 66 gallon tank. I used to only have about 35 pounds of live rock in my tank, which I just added directly to the tank when I set it up new, now I'm adding another 30 pounds, and I'm wondering how some of you cured rock. I have about 20 pounds of live rock, and about 10 pounds of dry rock, the dry rock is the Caribsea rock. All I have on hand is some 5 gallon buckets, and I already have the live rock in one bucket with saltwater and two powerheads. Right now, I have to fill another bucket with saltwater for the dry rock. I'm planning on leaving it for about a month, and changing the water weekly as needed. I've never done this before, so I'm wondering if this sounds about right, I've done a little googling about it and some say run a skimmer, and some don't, I have a spare one, but I really don't want to get it out if I don't have to, so I was just going to use powerheads and change the water as needed.

 

Sounds like you're doing it just right. Curing rock is considered done when it's through leaching ammonia and phosphates, so testing will be necessary. Skimming the water or running a phosphate remover, say GFO in an HOB, can be helpful in removing the 'stuff' but isn't absolutely necessary, as you'll be removing stuff with the water changes.

 

From my understanding. Caribsea dry rocks do not have to be cured and can go right into the display. Double check, but I am pretty sure, since it's man-made rocks.

 

From my understanding. Caribsea dry rocks do not have to be cured and can go right into the display. Double check, but I am pretty sure, since it's man-made rocks.

I've heard that too, I'm not 100% sure, but I was gonna cure it with the live rock to sorta "seed" it for a little while before it goes in the tank.

 

Sounds like you're doing it just right. Curing rock is considered done when it's through leaching ammonia and phosphates, so testing will be necessary. Skimming the water or running a phosphate remover, say GFO in an HOB, can be helpful in removing the 'stuff' but isn't absolutely necessary, as you'll be removing stuff with the water changes.

Awesome! I think I'll just stick to water changes as I don't think I can add any more watts to this room, my chiller alone is drawing 6 amps, and I have 5 fish tanks running in here (one is divided and needs 3 filters)… the circuit is only 15 amps between my room and another room, and I don't think anyone was happy about the fuse being blown 8 times last month I may up the water changes to twice a week… I really need to find a good place that sells instant ocean for cheap

 

Ah nvm - there are two types of CaribSea rocks.
It looks like it will need some curing.

 

Ah nvm - there are two types of CaribSea rocks.
It looks like it will need some curing.

Any idea if I could cure it in a styrofoam box? I have one that the rock came in, and it will just eliminate the need for me to have two buckets, because I can fit it all in the box. It holds water, I just wanna make sure there's nothing that styrofoam would leach, I'm thinking not because people use it for coolers and other things.

 

From my understanding. Caribsea dry rocks do not have to be cured and can go right into the display. Double check, but I am pretty sure, since it's man-made rocks.

You are referring to the Caribsea Life Rock, which is man made with bacteria coating on it and is different from the plain dry rock. As someone who has 90lbs of the stuff I can tell you the honest truth is that it is hit and miss. My first 40lbs went through a cycle at a less than convenient moment (after I had a soft leather mushroom frag and a handful of hermit crabs and snails). Conversely I have 50lbs of the life rock that I seeded with a small piece of the aforementioned rock months after it cycled. It is in a garbage can and I additionally seeded it with Aqua Vitro seed and threw 3 chunks of frozen reef frenzy in there and I have tested it several times and I am 0 for Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. So the truth is that it is hit and miss. Personally I would play it safe and cycle it in a different container.

Oh and I wouldn't change the water while cycling as that can restart the process.

 

You are referring to the Caribsea Life Rock, which is man made with bacteria coating on it and is different from the plain dry rock. As someone who has 90lbs of the stuff I can tell you the honest truth is that it is hit and miss. My first 40lbs went through a cycle at a less than convenient moment (after I had a soft leather mushroom frag and a handful of hermit crabs and snails). Conversely I have 50lbs of the life rock that I seeded with a small piece of the aforementioned rock months after it cycled. It is in a garbage can and I additionally seeded it with Aqua Vitro seed and threw 3 chunks of frozen reef frenzy in there and I have tested it several times and I am 0 for Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. So the truth is that it is hit and miss. Personally I would play it safe and cycle it in a different container.

Oh and I wouldn't change the water while cycling as that can restart the process.

Yeah I'm just gonna go ahead and cure it with the other rock. I have about 65 pounds of live rock, and this is only making up 9 pounds of it, so I'm not super concerned about it, but I'm just gonna play it safe and cure it with this other 20 ish pounds of live rock I got.

Edit: I just googled it, the life rock is the purple stuff I guess? This is just the white base rock, it says no curing needed, but I'm just gonna go ahead and cure it anyways.

 

Yes, the life rock is the purple stuff, so it sounds like you just have the base dry rock.

 

Jesterrace thanks. I had already identified that in my post prior to yours.

 

Jesterrace thanks. I had already identified that in my post prior to yours.

Yeah, I didn't buy the "life rock" stuff because it was more expensive than the actual live rock there, so that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Do you think it'd be ok to cure the rocks in a styrofoam box? I was just going to line it with a plastic trash bag and cure it in there, the buckets I have aren't really big enough for 30 pounds of rock.

 

I definitely wouldn't trust the styrofoam by itself. It definitely leaches something, but perhaps only at high temps because the reading I've done pertains to coffee. The plastic though... maybe, if you could be sure it wasn't going to rip from the sharp rocks. A general rule of thumb is if something is food safe, it's tank safe.

 

I definitely wouldn't trust the styrofoam by itself. It definitely leaches something, but perhaps only at high temps because the reading I've done pertains to coffee. The plastic though... maybe, if you could be sure it wasn't going to rip from the sharp rocks. A general rule of thumb is if something is food safe, it's tank safe.

Well, I guess I'll just use the two 5 gallon buckets, unfortunately one these rocks is basically the size of a 5 gallon bucket, so this may be difficult

 

I couldn't recommend a Brute container more. I have a small 10 gallon one that I use all the time. I got it off Amazon, don't recall the cost, but I'm cheap. So... perhaps you could have one in a couple of days.

 

I couldn't recommend a Brute container more. I have a small 10 gallon one that I use all the time. I got it off Amazon, don't recall the cost, but I'm cheap. So... perhaps you could have one in a couple of days.

Wow… I feel really dumb right now. I have a spare room that has a bunch of plastic bins in it I didn't even think of that…

 

I have those moments too...

 

I have those moments too...

I think this will work, thinking there's nothing it could leach into water?

 

Don't know... perhaps you could google the material id if it's stamped on the bottom? The only ones I really know are safe for sure are Brute and Sterlite, though I know there are others.

 

Don't know... perhaps you could google the material id if it's stamped on the bottom? The only ones I really know are safe for sure are Brute and Sterlite, though I know there are others.

No stamp on the bottom, but there is one saying it's recyclable I'll try to find it, I believe it's from target so I'll search their website, if not, I believe I have a 40 gallon sterlite bin in the garage.