live rock curing tank

[aqua_aaron]

I want to create something that I can use to cure my own live rock because the closest place that sells cured live rock at a reasonable price is 2 hours away. I figured that only a 5.5 gal will do and that I could create a high flow spray bar system that would help remove most of the die-off. So, my questions:

1. If I kept uncured live rock in a 5.5 w/ newly prepared salt water for a couple weeks along with the high flow spray bars and ocassional scrubbing off dead matter, would it be suitable to add to an established tank?

2. Also, is there anyone who knows how they cure live rock commercially?

 

Any info/comments are appreciated,

aqua_aaron

[MrNano]

: Try Ebay they always have great deals on live rock.:

[tinyreef]

a bucket and a cheap rio ph is all you need. it's all i use for the nuked out rock i try and rehabilitate. 5g bucket, some sw (even wc water from an existing tank is good enough), a small pump to prevent stagnation, and watch the evaporation level.

 

multiply the bucket by 100 and that's how they cure commercially. (plus a skimmer sometimes)

 

if you get really fresh uncured rock (direct from a transshipper) i would try to ease the curing process thru wc's. it lengthens the curing time considerably but you'll be more likely to have hitchhikers survive. i think it's beneficial to have more bio-diversity, altho many people prefer to limit hitchhikers. hth

[aqua_aaron]

sorry, but what is wc water? also, do I need to heat it? thanks, you have been very helpful!

[tinyreef]

sorry, wc is 'water-change'. when people water change for their regular maintenance.

 

yes, you should have a heater if the water's might be colder than 75F imo. usually room temp helps maintain the temp but if you're in a basement or colder area for some reason a small heater is needed.

[caja]

Not a bad idea to put a light over the bucket you are using to cure the LR as well.

[maroonclown]

I use an 18 gallon rubbermaid tote ($11, clear) with old fountain pumps (free), a 100 watt heater ($20), and 4-19watt screw in PCs in a fixture (free). I use wc water and new sea water. I just use cheap pool and pond filters for some mechanical filtration. Snails are used to control algae. A little bit more elaborate than tiny's, but the idea is the same: try to keep most of the hitch hikers alive.