just got 120 pounds of live rock do i just put in in tank ?

I found it posted on reef central. A local reef service company recently took over the care of a tank at a business that was is really bad shape. He figured a total reset was needed, and he took everything out of the tank. This was the results of just just 2 8-10# rocks that was left in the sun for a day.

 

HOLY COW!!

 

is that bloodworm in that pic?

 

looks like some good soup

 

what in heck is that?

 

lol!

 

Those are bristleworms for the most part at least. Leaving your LR out of water for an hour will not kill the beneficial bacteria.

The "cured vs. uncured" debate came up on a different post recently and it's addressed in that thread. If you do as the majority advises above, you should be OK, but you can expect to potentially have some pests make it alive into your tank. Chances are none will be detrimental, but that's the chance you take when you use LR rather than dry, base rock.

Since you already have LR, there's not much financial sense in killing it by rinsing with FW, or by sitting it in the sun.

Next time around, you might consider starting off with dry baserock. It'll be LR in a short amount of time.

 

With base rock you won't get other goodies like barnacles, sponges, fanworms and tunicates nearly as quickly, if at all, though. It really depends on whether you want to do more work, pay more and get more out of it, or pay less, do less and get less.

 

Keep in mind the "getting more" doesn't hold the same definition for all. Many reefkeepers want to "get" only exactly what they put in the tank. To put it differently, while tunicates barnacles and sponges might be desirable--red bugs, acro eating nudi's, flatworms, and other nasties are not.

In this hobby, many folk want absolute control over what makes it into their tank. When you put LR into your tank, you're giving up that option.

 

Good thing I have no, and do not really care if I have, red bugs or nudis, as I haven't had a SPS in there for the 3 months since I got the rock, and don't plan on having any.

I did have a massive gorilla crab infestation (about 100 of them on 100# of rock), but a couple hours, a turkey baster, a pipe cleaner, and a pair of needle nose pliers took care of that problem.

I also like that the rock was already about 75% covered in coralline, came with about 5 pistol shrimp of decent size (3 of which have fallen prey to a CBS), 10 that were much smaller, bristleworms (they aren't that big so they're ok), and all sorts of other stuffs.

Plus, the cycle wasn't nearly as long as a typical cycle is.

I mean, I hear that people don't want red bugs and nudis.....but I also understand that you can just not put in SPS within 6 months (considered a bad idea to begin with), and never have those problems, regardless as to what hitchhikers you get on the rock.