Manuelnvrz
Active Member
I know there is a process but don't know it. Can't I just throw it in when I first start cycling my tank and have it cure that way?
Curing dry rock?
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twilliard
Tank pests..
There should be no organic matter on dry rock, hence the term "dry rock." If you're concerned, rinse the rock before adding it to an established system. No need to cure if you're starting a new system in need of cycling.
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Manuelnvrz
Active Member
Awesome, I figured but just wanted to be sure!!
Jakepen
Few beers and I'll frag anything...
I wouldn't. There is a lot of stowaways on "dry rock". I cured mine in muriatic acid for a couple hours. Found a couple crabs, plenty of sponges. Soaked them in RODI for a few weeks before the muriatic, the first few days were horrible. The water turns brown, and smells horrible. Never would I do this in my tank. Especially if it was in my living room, or bedroom.
I guess we need to define what "dry rock" is then because what you're describing isn't dry rock, IMO.
jhatfield
Active Member
Received dry pukani from BRS over a month ago and letting it soak for a couple months until I get my tank set up this summer. Picked off all visible sponges, small clams, etc. After soaking in RO/DI a week (in outdoor shed) it smelled like death. If that stink got in my house my family would have put a quick end to my new hobby.;) After a water change and pressure wash I found a lot more sponges and a pretty good sized brittlestar. No smell now but leaching lots of phosphate.
Depends on the dry rock.
I have used Fiji and pukani from bulk reef supply. Fiji was fine, a little rinsing and good to go. Pukani was not, there was stuff that started to decay once wet and spiked ammonia with nothing else but saltwater, rock and a clean powerhead in a bucket. I didn't have the horrible smell, better do it in the garage or your wife will kill you experience I have read about.. But it definitely would have caused an ammonia spike if I had added it directly to the running tank.
Pukani is notorious for it, it's why I mention it when people ask these types of questions.
If you look at marine depot or bulkreefsupply.com, they recommend curing before adding to a established tank.
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Manuelnvrz
Active Member
I was under the impression that dry rock is completely free of any organic matter and hitchhikers
Same here, if i bought "dry rock" and it had dead organic matter on it, i'd rage. :mad:
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Manuelnvrz
Active Member
What sources are there?
Bulkreefsupply.com has this video
About their dry rock, in the first minute of the video, he says reef saver rock is mined from ancient reefs, the other types were live rock that is sun bleached. So that's what you are getting from bulkreefsupply.com.
Other vendors, may source the rock differently or have additional cleaning steps they take besides sun bleaching.
About their dry rock, in the first minute of the video, he says reef saver rock is mined from ancient reefs, the other types were live rock that is sun bleached. So that's what you are getting from bulkreefsupply.com.
Other vendors, may source the rock differently or have additional cleaning steps they take besides sun bleaching.
TwelveL16
Valuable Member
You aren't not going to find organic matter on dry rock, period.
You MAY find dead organic matter on dry rock that will cause ammonia spike once wet.
However if you are finding crabs on dry rock you better call the Orkin man cause you have an infestation.
You MAY find dead organic matter on dry rock that will cause ammonia spike once wet.
However if you are finding crabs on dry rock you better call the Orkin man cause you have an infestation.
I think all of us are referring to dead crabs, clams, sponges, and other unidentified dead stuff. I guess I should have clarified dead organic matter... I can say on my last batch of pukani there were small dead clams(I think, looked clamish) , like fingernail size. There's a thread up, we're some bodies crab pulled a urchin (dead) out of their dry rock
Here's the link to the urchin, also out of pukani rock https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/244877/
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Manuelnvrz
Active Member
Ok, so do you still have to cure it since wetting the DOM (dead organic matter) will cause an ammonia spike?
There's so many variables to be able to say it fine, put it in the tank to cure.
If you tank is empty, I would say it's fine to cure in the tank. Though I would wait to add the sandbed if you plan to use sand. If your rock is leaching phosphate or filth, I wouldn't want the sand bed to sink it and start off filthy.
Run your rock in circulating saltwater for a week. Test ammonia, nitrate, phosphate a few times during that week. If no readings, great proceed with sandbed and cycling.
If you are getting readings, decide what needs to be done from there.
TwelveL16
Valuable Member
Absolutely curing dry rock is essentially cycling a tank. All you are doing is allowing a bacteria population to establish itself onto the rock thus making it "live rock" or cured rock.
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