To change, or not to change?

Starry · #1 02-07-2008, 01:56 AM

This is the question.

When curing fresh live rock, do you do water changes or no? Some sites (Walt Smith) say not to change any water till Ammonia and Nitrites read zero. I cant see ANYTHING surviving in water that looks and smells that bad. I just got it today so havent bothered testing ammonia yet. Scrubbed, or picked off anything that was obviously dead, rinsed well and placed in curing tank with powerhead, heater, no lights or skimmer (skimmer will arrive on the 11th) Thinking I should raise temp from 75 to 80 to speed along any decay ect. 4 hours in the tank and the water is so cloudy and murky I cant see the back of the tank.

Any thoughts?

atcguy · #2 02-07-2008, 01:59 AM

normal to go cloudy til things settle. I would give it a week and then change out up to 50 % . No livestock so you are just trying to get rid of the crap in the water. After a week maybe 30-40 % and so on 3 weeks and I bet you good to go. thats how I did it back then.... maybe others are doing it different . I dont know...

Aquattro · #3 02-07-2008, 02:00 AM

I just cured 65 pounds without doing any water changes, just because I was busy. Can't say I can see anything alive on it now other than some algae. A couple of little anemones, but not much else. I'd change water regularly.

christyf5 · #4 02-07-2008, 02:01 AM

Well I'd suggest that by doing water changes you are reducing the amount of ammonia which also reduces the population of ammonia reducing bacteria (as there isn't as much ammonia to reduce to nitrite). So by doing water changes you would be stretching out your cycle, especially if you are constantly removing most of the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

However I would imagine that by doing water changes more critters would likely survive on your rock perhaps??

FWIW, I've only ever had cured rock so I very well could not know what I'm talking about. These are just my thoughts

Johnny Reefer · #5 02-07-2008, 02:02 AM

One thought is to run a canister filter full of nothing but poly-fibre to mechanically filter out all that crap. I've never cured LR before, but I've always done this when setting up a new tank with new aragonite substrate that has clouded the water.

HTH,

Starry · #6 02-07-2008, 02:04 AM

I should be able to use tap water salt mix right? Doesnt have to be RO? (own unit will be next purchase) Would 50% weekly be over kill, or 5-10% every second day be better?

Aquattro · #7 02-07-2008, 02:05 AM

The NH3 levels can become quite high during the curing process, which will definately reduce the life on the rock. Stretching out the process by a week to preserve this would be better in my mind. I've always done changes before and always seen pods, etc shortly after. This time, without changes, I see nothing.

Aquattro · #8 02-07-2008, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starry

I should be able to use tap water salt mix right? Doesnt have to be RO?

ya, I'd use tap water without too much concern. I'd also test and when NH3 got above 1.5 ppm, I'd change half the water.

Myka · #9 02-07-2008, 03:59 AM

I do 100% waterchange if Ammonia goes to 2 or more, otherwise I don't do waterchanges at all. I wouldn't use tap water, the rock can and will absorb all sorts of crap out of it which will then be leached into your tank later.

Starry · #10 02-08-2008, 04:18 AM

Just did a water change on that rock and re-scrubbed it. Also got a mouthfull, taste MIGHT go away in a day or two. Must be the rotting clam I cant get to that tastes so bad. <gag> I dont think anything will be alive when its done curing, maybe some coraline thad be it. Pitty too cause there is some really big encrusting corals on it