Buying rock second hand

[Puggz]

I imagine that buying rock off of marketplace or the like runs the risk that it may have been exposed to copper. If you're building a FOWLR its likely less of a concern but what if you start adding inverts and corals? Will time, water changes, and GAC eventually reduce it to tolerable levels? An honest hobbiest would be honest but as we know, they aren't all honest unfortunately. I supposed if they pulled it out of a reef tank right in front of you, you could be pretty confident but most of its sitting in buckets in the basement or garage.

Thoughts?

P.

 

[Tahoe61]

You can test for Copper relatively easy.

You can not test for:
Apitasia
Flatworm
Nuisance Algae
Majano

The above would concern me far more.

 

[PPBlimpy]

I buy live rock second hand all the time. Not worried about hitchhikers. My tanks probably already got them anyways. The copper thing has worried me in the past. But I usually dark cure any rock and guess I should test while dark curing if anything.

But mostly try to by live rock from tanks being taken down.
I just bought everything out of 2 tanks last week. A 75 and 90g. Got about 120lbs of rock, lots of mushrooms handful of corals and a couple fish

 

[Tahoe61]

I buy live rock second hand all the time. Not worried about hitchhikers. My tanks probably already got them anyways.

My tanks don't.

I guess it's about priorities. I am not spending money and time on Apitasia.

 

[PPBlimpy]

My tanks don't.

I guess it's about priorities. I am not spending money and time on Apitasia.

That’s cool. Glad to hear your don’t have aptasia.

I also don’t quarantine fish and rarely dip corals when I get them. I run a dirty system. I have for all the years I have been doing this.

It is about priorities and time and funds.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I put a rock from someone else tank into my tank once, a year later my tank was over run with blue clove polyps from that one rock. IMO never ever add a rock into your tank from someone else's tank unless you trust them fully. I always bleach all rocks now before I use them.

 

[Puggz]

You can test for Copper relatively easy.

You can not test for:
Apitasia
Flatworm
Nuisance Algae
Majano

The above would concern me far more.

If the rock was dry, i wouldn't expect any issue with the pests you mentioned. How would I check for copper?

 

[Puggz]

I buy live rock second hand all the time. Not worried about hitchhikers. My tanks probably already got them anyways. The copper thing has worried me in the past. But I usually dark cure any rock and guess I should test while dark curing if anything.

But mostly try to by live rock from tanks being taken down.
I just bought everything out of 2 tanks last week. A 75 and 90g. Got about 120lbs of rock, lots of mushrooms handful of corals and a couple fish

Funny how I started this thread about copper and its become something else. Nothing wrong with your strategy, the nice thing about this hobby is you can do it your way! Some of us are pretty passionate about the "right way" to do it and we just have to understand that. Back to the copper question please!! :)

 

[Rob A]

I buy tanks that people are taking down all the time I just make sure that they are running a healthy system. I don't run "controlled experiment/Instagram" tanks and nature takes care of any issues with the rock. 600lbs and counting

 

[Tahoe61]

Funny how I started this thread about copper and its become something else. Nothing wrong with your strategy, the nice thing about this hobby is you can do it your way! Some of us are pretty passionate about the "right way" to do it and we just have to understand that. Back to the copper question please!! :)

There are test kits for Copper.
It's my belief that the Copper urban myths were blown out of proportion, but always error on the side of caution.
You are correct dry rock shouldn't be an issue.
Phosphates bound within dry rock I would consider to be more likely.
There are mediums to remove copper though.

How To Remove Copper From DT

First of all, best practice is to NEVER dose copper in a display tank, and to use a quarantine tank. It is much easier and safer. Copper in a DT can heavily dampen your nitrogen cycle in your tank, and will leach in to your rock, substrate, and equipment. As a result, the amount of copper...

www.reef2reef.com

Sorry about going astray.

 

[BryanM]

Its always a risk and I think you just have to feel out the seller to feel comfortable or not.

 

[Puggz]

There are test kits for Copper.
It's my belief that the Copper urban myths were blown out of proportion, but always error on the side of caution.
You are correct dry rock shouldn't be an issue.
Phosphates bound within dry rock I would consider to be more likely.
There are mediums to remove copper though.

How To Remove Copper From DT

First of all, best practice is to NEVER dose copper in a display tank, and to use a quarantine tank. It is much easier and safer. Copper in a DT can heavily dampen your nitrogen cycle in your tank, and will leach in to your rock, substrate, and equipment. As a result, the amount of copper...

www.reef2reef.com

Sorry about going ast

No worries! going AST often brings up other potential concerns. BTW, what does AST mean? LOL

 

[Puggz]

Ok, in summary,
Dry rock - add to fresh DI water and test for copper and maybe phosphates and others. If anything is found, change out the water and see if the levels drop. If they do, continue etc.
Wet rock - add to an areated tub of fresh salt water and see what develops. Alternatively, put it in a FOWLR tank w/trriggers, angels, butterflys, wrasses etc and let the fish take care of the problem. Then move the rock into a reef tank. I'd still test for residual copper as well.
Thoughts?