Curing Liverocks

Here are helpful steps in fully curing liverocks:

Method 1: Cure Liverocks in a Separate Setup

1. Place the liverock in a plastic container that is suitable in size.
2. Fill the container covering the liverock completely with saltwater.
3. Use a heater to keep the water temperature warm. Set to the temperature to around 80 degrees.
4. Hook up and run a water/powerhead pump in the water so you can create constant water movement for circulation and oxygenation process.
5. Keep it dark in the area during this process to prevent algae attack.
6. Let it cure.



7. Perform twice a week water changes and keep measuring and monitoring the ammonia and nitrite levels in the water.
8. Regularly scrub the liverock during the water changes to remove any loose organic matter,etc.
9. Liverock is cured when both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero.

Method 2: Curing Liverock in a new saltwater aquarium

1. Rinse each piece of liverock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose debris.
2. Turn on the heater and water/powerhead pump ONLY.
3. Let the liverocks cure! DO NOT add anything else until the curing process is complete.
4. Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
5. Measure and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
6. When both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
7. After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.
8. Once again, you will know that your liverock is cured when both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero.
9. Once the curing of liverock process is complete, siphon out any debris off the bottom of the tank, and do substantial water change.

Text and Photo Source: Saltwater Aquarium Online Guide