How to cure 'uncured' LRs?

[KaEN]

hi all,

a fren of mine recently got bought quite a big quantity of LRs which is uncured.

he would like to know wat are the steps and procedures, and also is there anything to take note of?

please kindly assist. he is in quite a headache to see a lot of big worms and manti-shrimp.....

thanks in advance

[Tanggy]

Leave it in a tank or container with filtration, skimmer running and test water parameters. Normally wait for two weeks for the die offs to finish DYING!! ke ke...

Must run filtration. Best if got skimmer running too. If not the rocks can really stink up your house. And will become dead rocks.

Best if can do during new tank cycling. then can do together. rock will provide the die offs(armonia). WHen your tank finish cycling, rocks also cured liao.

[Achilles Tang]

AT's 101 ways to cure LR.. well, not exactly 101...

1. Get large fibreglass tubs.

2. Run saltwater at high speeds using a good pump or powerheads to reduce dead spots and remove detritus.

3. Get a very good skimmer to deal with all the scum/dissolved organics/dieoffs produced.

4. Pull out all the algae and dying organisms like sponges, tunicates, dying corals on the LR etc.

5. Extract any worms and mantis shrimp via pinchers or by letting the rocks dry up slightly enough for them to come crawling out.

6. Change the water out frequently.

7. Test the water until no more ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are detected... that indicates that the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the LR have established themselves enough to deal with the nitrogen cycle.

8. You can add calcium & alk to the water so that coralline algae will grow over the white spots on the LR.

[Tanggy]

Wow... AT Berlin system for curing LR. Very thorough

[crazymarine]

Just one last point to take note.. avoid lighting until fully cured to avoid nuisance algae.Also, if you are using a new aquarium tank for curing, make sure to change water (at least 50%) after LR fully cures to remove the nitrates.

[terryansimon]

shit. I did my cyclng with lights on. in fact my lights are on now. oh well. =\

[ah^siao]

nice piece of info AT..

[nutx]

nice piece of info AT..

How abt the crabs and bristle worms, etc....

[Achilles Tang]

Point 5.

You can adapt it by using FW hose to flush them out... but risk killing any pods, other microorganisms, and even the bacteria or the coralline algae on the rock.... I know some LFS do that... I won't recommend that though. But then again, dead rocks can be recolonised.

[anakjoh]

crabs are no-no unless it's the hermit crabs.

[KaEN]

huh!? u mean all crabs must be remove? oh mine, i saw a lot of them on my rocks....

i also had a hard time removing the 2 brislte worm from my rocks, they only come out when i feed, and grab a mouth of food and hide back.....how to catch?

[Achilles Tang]

Even hermits are considered menances in my book.

[osmosis]

how to catch the crab in the LR in the tank? any idea?

[SBS_Transit]

for me i will put the LR(cured 1) in fresh water for about less than a minute to let all the things come out first. than put in my tank.

[Tanggy]

for me i will put the LR(cured 1) in fresh water for about less than a minute to let all the things come out first. than put in my tank.

But that will also kill all the bacteria on the rocks??

I also think hermits are a menace unless those very small ones. for starters, they eat coraline, second disturb corals and topple rocks!! Took my out liaoz.

[SBS_Transit]

But that will also kill all the bacteria on the rocks??

I also think hermits are a menace unless those very small ones. for starters, they eat coraline, second disturb corals and topple rocks!! Took my out liaoz.

i will do anything to get rid of brislte worm and all the other pest, and besides its only a few seconds ?

[aStRoBo|]

for me i will put the LR(cured 1) in fresh water for about less than a minute to let all the things come out first. than put in my tank.

cured 1 still have crabs inside one meh..wads the definition of cured rock then..

[SBS_Transit]

cured 1 still have crabs inside one meh..wads the definition of cured rock then..

just to be sure

[terryansimon]

let me tell you that one minute is definitely not enough to remove such pests. it is good enough however, to kill every other beneficial organism there instead.

[dradttg]

Just spotted a mantis shrimp in my tank yesterday...after 4 months and my LR is cured from day 1.

Tonight must try the fresh water treatment.

[SBS_Transit]

even if it kills the beneficial organism , it will grow back right ?

than how long will u suggest ?

[terryansimon]

I don't know. I don't advocate soaking the rock in freshwater in the first place.

[CalciumReef]

sBS_transit...if you really want to dip them in freshwater might as well leave them overnight?since you had already killed the bacteria...

[anakjoh]

you guys worry 2 much, really. Just leave the rocks outside and soon enuff the crabs will come out - say 10 - 20 mins. If you had done it at the beginning you don't have to worry about rocks "dying off" since u r going 2 cycle anyway. BTW some people like them hermits, blue legs, red legs, whatever.

If you read somewhere else in this forum, some reefers have successfully caught em crabs using small bottles with dead prawn baits. Chicken essence bottles were used n because the glass in smooth the crabs can't climb out after it has gone in for the bait.

[yijing55]

you guys worry 2 much, really. Just leave the rocks outside and soon enuff the crabs will come out - say 10 - 20 mins. If you had done it at the beginning you don't have to worry about rocks "dying off" since u r going 2 cycle anyway. BTW some people like them hermits, blue legs, red legs, whatever.

If you read somewhere else in this forum, some reefers have successfully caught em crabs using small bottles with dead prawn baits. Chicken essence bottles were used n because the glass in smooth the crabs can't climb out after it has gone in for the bait.

So all the crabs are harmful in what way?

Like what Tanggy has said?

Before cycling, I did allow my LR out of water for ard 30 mins as i tried to remove the 'green'.....

But nothing came out, only two worms found when a small part of a LR broke off easily as i picked it up....

Saw 2 crabs during cycling....

Any nice livestock that can be added to makan them??