Natural curing live rock for a saltwater fish tank | Reef FAQs

[@Nerve93]

You guys want to know how to do it? Skip till 5:25 .you're welcome

[@eroggero]

Have some old rock from an Aquarium years ago, has been sitting outside for years not sure if any weed killer or pest control had been sprayed on it , with this method take care of that as well?

[@lauraholmes9353]

I would use the bleach and baking soda and do multi rinse method.

[@anthonysilva5015]

I am researching to be ready when I begin my build and I am a little confused... I keep reading about how if you buy live rock you could end up with pests and diseases so a lot of people don't go that route but also people want live rock to have the benefits of rock already established. My question is; is it possible to get live rock and quarantine it so that the pests/diseases die off yet the good organisms stay alive? (sort of like when you buy a fish/coral and you quarantine it prior to adding to the tank). Thanks, I love your videos!! You guys put out top notch videos and I know I am getting good information when I watch.

[@anthonysilva5015]

@@BRStv after watching more of your videos I think I'll go with dry rock. Will take longer to establish but in the long run it sounds like the tank will be healthier

[@Surstromming22]

@@anthonysilva5015 Yes definitely. I used wet live rock and 12 months later I still get shocked at the kinds of hitchhikers that appear from the rock.

[@fitoval4145]

When curing or cycling dry rock, can a canister filter be used instead of a power head for circulation

[@BRStv]

You bet!

[@milkspotscausemetospazzout6813]

If i cure liverock that came from the ocean , can I add Prime in order to keep some of the Coraline Algea ? Also would Prime interfere with the Green Algea removal process while curing ?

[@adrienneoliver5457]

Suppose we had a reef tank disaster and all that’s left is the rock, sand, and water but we want to take a break. Can we dry out the sand and the rock to use later? Both were live in the beginning. I’m not sure if they still are.

[@gm8314]

When you cycle the tank using live rock do you still advice to go through the "4 month cycle" which obviously means no light....?

[@BRStv]

It's possible to cut the "4 month cycle" time frame down if you're using established live rock as much of the good bacteria and coralline algae are already present on the rock.

[@ogreeftanks9398]

Would you please tell me what the purple and the green soft corals are in the upper right section of the tank behind Ryan.

[@ConanH_YT]

I believe those are 2 different Kenya trees

[@ConanH_YT]

@@BRStv I thought so at first then said "nah couldn't be" lol so must be Japanese pink nepthea and neon green nepthea

[@ogreeftanks9398]

@@ConanH_YT Thank you. I have neon green nepthea so I recognized the one on the right. Never saw the Japanese pink nepthea before - I will have to see about getting some of that for my tank.

[@TheJonnyyyy]

My tank broke 4 days ago and I transferred all my rocks to a trashcan with heater, filter, and powerhead. The water already smells terrible, reading 2-3 ppm ammonia, even after 2 50% water changes. My new red sea 750 tank comes in 4 days... do I need to start over? I was hoping to put the rock directly in the new tank along with my livestock (currently in another container)... but I'm guessing I need to cure it first? I would hate to lose out on that 6 year old bio-filter :(

[@hammeredtravis]

Where did that wet live rock come from? It looks really nice.

[@sabermaskmc2265]

Will constant water change be required throughout the curing process?

[@kongvue5160]

So it sounds like you can just put old dry rocks into the tank without live sand... add some micro bacteria and cycle the system like normal for a couple weeks. Remove 100% of the water, rinse all your filters, rinse all your wet rocks and you can start adding your live sand, cycle again for a couple weeks before adding the fish. Is this correct?

[@BRStv]

You can certainly use your tank to cure rocks instead of a Brute trash can or other container. The cycle and curing rock are different processes, but if you do it the way you describe, you're getting a head start on the cycle while you cure the rocks.

[@konohagakure6385]

I live on the seafood. There are many Liferock here. my question, how to get rid of pests in liferock without killing good bacteria

[@XMRNYC]

Guys, can this be done outside during the summer? Temps in the yard might get to 100 degrees. What do you think? I would too off evaporated water weekly or more often if needed but being that it's covered (not tight) it should keep it to minimum.

[@philwu271]

Never tried Marcos rock but other mined dry rocks have been known to leach significant amounts of phosphate. I gave mine vinegar and bleach baths and they still put out phosphate. I've been curing them in fresh and now salt water for 2 months and they still leach phosphate after numerous 100% water changes. 😵

[@manojas2110]

Same problem

[@slirpslirp]

Do you know if caribsea south seas base rock are natural or artificial ?

[@Fifthimagez]

So wet live rock Heat and water no light how long does this process take

[@christ.7591]

Hi. Very informative video. Recently, i got few old live rocks from someone and he said he hasn't used them in at least 2 years, can i add them right away to my 4th week still on cycling fowlr tank? Should i still bleach them? What should I do?

[@BRStv]

If the rock was previously used in an aquarium, but is now dry, you'll need to cure the rock before adding it to an established tank. If your tank doesn't have any livestock and you're willing to cure the rock in the display using this natural cure method, that's an option too.

[@FLSharkdiver]

I know this is an old video Ryan, but I just got a hold of over 50lbs of some old school Marshall Island live rock!! When recurring it, would you recommend adding some MicroBial Culture through the 4-5 week recurring stage?

[@Surstromming22]

Hi, so if im curing used live wet rock for say 12 weeks, do I need to do any water changes in between? What about topping up the water to maintain salinity like a reef tank? Cheers.

[@BRStv]

If the rock is releasing nutrients we would water change to remove this. Given that the rock is not leaching nutrients you should not have to water change this. You could top off the water to maintain salinity levels.

[@hausersmusic]

it! sincerely! you did it brilliant!

[@kamilawright5665]

So if I have a live rock from my 75 gallons and I want to transfer it to my new 135 gallon, I’ll have to cure it? Or can just do the normal cycle process with the new dry rock that I want to add to it?

[@BRStv]

If the rock is coming directly out of your established tank and going right into the new tank, there is no need to cure the rock.

[@jahhoeva8720]

For a cure, does it matter if you use fresh or saltwater?

[@philwu271]

No, just don't use tap water. RODI water works.

[@ephraimisrael7461]

I’ve had my naturally curing in a brute.. I’m seeing reddish purple marks after 2 month. Is possible for Coraline algae to grow in the dark? Or is it possible for Cyanobacteria to grow in the dark? Need help!!!!!

[@BRStv]

Cyanobacteria and Coralline are both photo synthetic, so they won't be able to grow in the dark. It's possible that what you're seeing could be a sponge of some sort.

[@ephraimisrael7461]

Bulk Reef Supply so me being new to this hobby. Is that a bad thing that its on there??? It’s literally all over my rock especially the further submerged rock towards the bottom. Do I need to scrub these off and do a water change ?

[@renegaderon]

How do you know when the cure is complete? Would you test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? Do all readings need to be zero to know that the cure is complete?

[@BRStv]

We generally test nitrates and phosphates. We don't necessarily need them to be zero, but we want to make sure that they're not elevated and not trending upward.

[@volteface69]

Très intéressant, merci !!! 👍👍👍

[@Ranger89212]

video came im perfect time👍🤙🤙!!

[@Sum-dude]

Tight shirt, Ryan.

[@boomcar911]

Let's see what you are wearing, fatty

[@sp1r3-47]

boomcar911 A little much?

[@JRPaquatics]

No need to waste salt cure your rocks in fresh water. The only downside is the rock will still need to go through a cycle.

[@tonylangham911]

and you're correct-done in 48 hours

[@blakesreefs6179]

Iv had old live rock in RO water for 2 days and it's stinks and need to know if I just change the water or put into saltwater now or let dry.?

[@windshigh]

no subtitle forever

[@ProppedNutFPV]

So all rock.. Lol...