Have you ever seen salt water fish tanks that are so beautiful in their own right and are so large they make you feel as though they have transported you into an underwater wonderland? For most people looking into the inside of a clear glass salt water fish tank is as close as they will ever come to the beautiful wonders that are lurking beneath the ocean's surface.
And for this reason a salt water fish tank or aquarium is as close to the natural habitat of its inhabitants as possible is a joy unto itself.
Maintaining and owning salt water fish tanks is not as easy as just dropping a rock into an aquarium and thinking or allowing things to automatically grow on it.
However, there is a must follow process to ensure optimal benefits for both the large salt water fish tanks and the live rocks.
It is very simple process to cure live rock before placing it into your new salt water fish tank, but this is an important step that must be taken in order to prevent a build up of ammonia in the tank which could negatively affect the fish.
In order to cure live rock you first need to select a plastic container that is big enough to hold the amount of live rock you will be using, then fill it with water.
Place a heater and water pump in the 'tank' for optimal temperature and circulation.
Once your water has reached the correct temperature it's time to remove the heater, pump and half of the water from your bucket.
Now we need to pre-clean the rock in the bucket of saltwater by swishing it around and remove any lose organisms or debris and place it in the prepared water in your salt water fish tank.
After the pre-cleaning of your rock, you need to consistently check the ammonia in the tank and the process is done when the water in which your new cleaned rock resides in is at zero and no longer giving off any unpleasant odors.
At this time it is safe to place the rock in your aquarium and allow Mother Nature's perfect filtering system to work for you.