Re-Curing Live Rock

As some might know from my "Something's Gone Awry" thread, I've recently had my share of issues. My tank had started to grow algae like it did in my pre-reef days. I think I might have lost my GSP and yellow polyps, but time will tell.

Anyway, my LR is pretty ugly. Most of it is covered with algae. Although I blame myself for running my phosreactor for 3 months without realizing water wasn't going through the chamber; I feel I have a pretty serious amount of phosphates locked in my LR. That coupled with the algae has made me try something that I hope will work.

I've read about curing LR on this forum. The method I've become familiar with was to take several rubbermaid totes and fill them with SW. Live Rock is placed in the first tote with a heater, and a powerhead with venturi, or some other air bubble introducing device. The tote is kept covered to prevent light from entering. After some time has passed, the LR is swished from bucket to bucket, to remove the algae and get the bacteria inside to purge the pores of the rock of detritus and any other crap that might be inside. This is done for a few weeks with copious water changes to encourage turgor, or pressure (a word I had not heard of before I read about this method,) this supposedly cleans the rock from the pressure exerted by the bacteria inside. If what I've read is true, the rock emerges from the process squeaky clean.

I've read that as bacteria inside the rock do their beneficial thing, the waste is pushed to the outside of the LR, where it becomes food for algae. The premise behind this process is to get the rock used to a bacteria-dominated life, instead of a photosyntesis-dominated life, since the nitrifying bacteria that work as biological filtration in our tanks need oxygen, not light. In the end, hopefully I'll get coralline growth on the cured LR, and algae will be a distant memory.

Since I dont have a garage, and it's just too hot in the Florida sun on my balcony, I've decided to put my dry 55 gallon tank to work. I've filled the tank with new SW, and put my old wet/dry underneath with just a few bioballs. The wet/dry acts as a sump only. I have a 700+ GPH pump in the sump as a return--running the whole affair.

I've placed a couple of pieces of LR from my reef tank, in the sump, and every two or three days, I "swish" the LR in a 5 gallon bucket of fresh SW to encourage the crap on the outside of the LR to come off. I'll do this in batches, for probably a minimum of 3 weeks per batch. I'll move the bad LR from the reef tank into the sump of the 55, and as the rock is re-cured, I'll put it back to action in the 90, and start again with new, "bad" LR.

If all goes as planned, I'll have a tank full of "new" LR in a few months.

If anyone has done anything like this, and can lend any advice, I'd be glad to hear it.

I really hope this gets me back on the road to a healthy coral tank with growth of corals and coralline algae.

 

Good luck!!

 

Good Luck Sparky!!! an empty tank is nothing to be sad about, you get to start the process over and make it 10x better keep us posted!

 

I cured my LR in a rubbermaid in the guest bathroom. The rubbermaid fit right in the bathtub and made cleanup, water changes, etc real easy. I just kept the door closed and had no issues w/ the smell getting into the house. If you have a spare bath it may work for you too.

 

Im willing to bet that phosphate reactor had nothing to with your problems. Ive never ran a phosphate reactor and Ive never had a problem with phosphates. Your problem is your tank started a cycle and started killing off your corals. Then you were trying to save your corals that were feeding the algae bloom from their decaying tissue.

 

Thanks for the input, Geek. To your knowledge, what's the best way to rid LR of a nasty velvety exterior without killing the beneficial bacteria within?

 

well whats the velvety exterior? Is it slime of sorts? if so, what color is it? Gotta know your enemy if you plan to do battle with it...

 

It's green. It's algae, but I can't identify it.

 

Maybe a plastic scrub brush to go along with the "swish" just to release more from the surface. I think you are better off going the extra mile now, if you can prevent the stuff from coming back. I am sure this sucks but in the long run I think you will be better off.