Cycling a large tank?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Most LR from LFS are NOT cured, unless there is a sign that specifically states that it is cured. Stores know that they can charge a premium for cured LR, but most places don't have the tank space to cure 100s of lbs of LR. Cure in a separate container & it'll save you effort & money (less salt wasted). If you keep you bioload/fish numbers low for the first few months, you can cure a bucket of LR at a time, so it's not such a shock to the wallet to buy over 100 lbs of LR in one shot. General rule of thumb is 1 lb/gallon of volume.

Base rock, btw, takes several months to become "live" & if its not porous, I doubt it will ever be more than decoration in a sw tank. After all, the bacteria live within LR, not simply on the surface.

Anthony