Curing Live Rock

Curing rock is easier than you may think. First of all, beware that it is a standard practice for dealers to sell rock as “cured” or “pre-cured”, when in reality you’ll still need to cure it yourself for at least several weeks. This applies to all rock that has not spent a few weeks in water after import, including so called “pre-cured”, which means just about any rock you’ll find on the internet will need curing. This means unless you buy it from a local shop where you can see the rock has been in their own tanks for at least several weeks, you’ll need to cure the rock. Never place rock purchased from internet suppliers (including us!) directly into a tank containing animals. For more information, see our infamous Live Rock Dilemma article.

What You’ll Need to Cure Live Rock

• There are no rules here, all you need is a container and circulation. Ideally, you’ll be curing your rock in your main aquarium where you already have good circulation and a protein skimmer, but if you already have a tank with fish and corals, you’ll need to do it outside of the inhabited tank. A common 30 gallon plastic trash can is an ideal container for curing rock. Any suitable tank, bucket, etc., will do.

• Use a powerhead or water pump for circulation in the container. A large air pump is also good for circulation. The key here is the more the better. The more circulation you provide, the faster it will stabilize and the more life will be preserved.

• That depends on many factors, but a rule of thumb is 2 to 4 weeks. This pertains to “pre-cured” rock as well as “uncured”, because it doesn’t matter what’s supposedly been done to rock while in Fiji, (or wherever) because it’s the trip that makes it require curing!. You’d think that the industry wouldn’t assume we’re dumb enough to fall for that one! Only after rock has been in water for several weeks, after import, will it be “cured”— or safe for an inhabited tank.

• If you have a skimmer, by all means, use it. A skimmer is great to have while curing, and can expedite the process and preserve more life, but it is not an absolute necessity. Most hobbyists curing outside the main tank just use good circulation, but the more filtration you can provide, the better. Lighting while curing is an opinion loaded question, but in general, lighting during curing is recommended. It will fuel algae growth, but will also preserve life on the rock. If you use lighting, no more than a normal day/night period is recommended.

• Just as you’ll want to do it in your main tank, place the rocks loosely for good water flow. Do not stack them like brickwork, instead, place them with minimal points of contact. This will allow for the best water flow, ensuring faster better curing. If you’re curing in a trash can, etc., you may want to turn and move the rocks every few days so that all surfaces are exposed to good circulation. This is not necessary, but it will help ensure faster curing.
  
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