Curing Pukani Dry Rock

[Wavemode]

I've had 40 lbs of pukani dry rock in a brute garbage can for 2 months in 1.025 salt water, 80 degrees, power head, and an air stone. 1 bottle of bio spits at 2 weeks. I've been adding the skimmer collection cup and dirty filter socks for extra fish waste. 50% water change every 2 weeks with old DT water. I also phantom feed often. The water is crystal clear and doesn't smell at all. Ammonia and nitrite are both at zero. Nitrate is 12 with a Red Sea test kit and phosphates are at 1.17 with Hanna checker. What am I doing wrong? I keep reading about people curing this stuff in 4 weeks. Could there have been lots of dead stuff on the inside that I couldn't clean off? Am I on the right track? Do I just need to be patient? What are acceptable levels of phosphate and nitrate? Zero? Thank you in advance for your helpful advice.

 

[saltyphish]

Yes dry pukani can have a lot of dead organics inside the crevices that leach phosphates and nitrates. Some people give it a good soak in muratic acid to remove any organics. I would stop using any old dt water and just use clean sw for water changes. Do as big of waterchanges you can to help bring down the numbers

 

[Wavemode]

Thank you saltyphish. I can do 100% water change this weekend with fresh sw. I have a GFO / GAC reactor I could put on there as well if you think that would help. I haven't tried it yet because I didn't know if it would hurt or help. I didn't want to throw the balance off on something that just needs more time.

 

[fragit]

I cured mine for 4-5 months only changing the water once with new SW. When I set up my tank my levels were all good. Phosphate was a little high but I had no problems. IMO, the water volume of your system is going to play a role. Right now your testing in a smaller volume of water I'm guessing. You should let your tank stabilize and cycle too. How big is your system and is it set up yet?

 

[Wavemode]

I cured mine for 4-5 months only changing the water once with new SW. When I set up my tank my levels were all good. Phosphate was a little high but I had no problems. IMO, the water volume of your system is going to play a role. Right now your testing in a smaller volume of water I'm guessing. You should let your tank stabilize and cycle too. How big is your system and is it set up yet?

Hello fragit. I have an established 50 cube mixed reef and a 29 nano that has just sw in it. These two tanks will be sharing the 40 lbs of pukani. I moved everything from the 29 to the 50 so there's a shortage of live rock until this stuff cures. The pukani is in about 15 gallons of sw so yes much smaller volume.

 

[fragit]

I would say then you could probably put the rock in your 29, as there is no livestock in it. It will also jumpstart the cycle. I would hold off in the 50, and let it cure a while longer. Just my opinion [emoji6]

 

[Wavemode]

I would say then you could probably put the rock in your 29, as there is no livestock in it. It will also jumpstart the cycle. I would hold off in the 50, and let it cure a while longer. Just my opinion [emoji6]

I don't think all the rock will fit in the 29. I was also afraid of the glass cracking since some of these are very large pieces. I could do some in the 29 and the rest in a bucket probably.

 

[fragit]

I don't think all the rock will fit in the 29. I was also afraid of the glass cracking since some of these are very large pieces. I could do some in the 29 and the rest in a bucket probably.

That's what I meant, sorry. Put what you have been planning on putting in the 29, and keep the rest for your 50 curing in the bucket.

 

[Wavemode]

That's what I meant, sorry. Put what you have been planning on putting in the 29, and keep the rest for your 50 curing in the bucket.

That's a great idea. Do I continue phantom feeding both? I was also planning to split the 25 lbs of live rock currently in my 50 between the two for coralline seed. Should I wait on that in the 29 until I bring the lights online?

 

[fragit]

That's a great idea. Do I continue phantom feeding both? I was also planning to split the 25 lbs of live rock currently in my 50 between the two for coralline seed. Should I wait on that in the 29 until I bring the lights online?

I don't see the need to phantom feed personally. Those rocks should have plenty of stuff on and in them for bacteria to feed on. Phantom feeding could also account for some of the phosphate your picking up through your testing. As for the splitting the rock up for coralline algae growth, I would wait until you have the lights up and running. But I'm not sure it really matters.

 

[Wavemode]

I don't see the need to phantom feed personally. Those rocks should have plenty of stuff on and in them for bacteria to feed on. Phantom feeding could also account for some of the phosphate your picking up through your testing. As for the splitting the rock up for coralline algae growth, I would wait until you have the lights up and running. But I'm not sure it really matters.

I agree. I think I'll wait on the live rock. It's doing so well in my 50 and so full of critters. I don't want to lose any if possible. Thanks so much for all the helpful advice.

 

[Wavemode]

I don't see the need to phantom feed personally. Those rocks should have plenty of stuff on and in them for bacteria to feed on. Phantom feeding could also account for some of the phosphate your picking up through your testing. As for the splitting the rock up for coralline algae growth, I would wait until you have the lights up and running. But I'm not sure it really matters.

Should I just let it ride from here on? No more used DT water, skimmate, or dirty filter socks either?

 

[fragit]

Well, I'm not sure what others would say. But I have never added any of the above to rock that I've cured. Only thing I have ever added was bacteria. I say just let it sit, maybe change the water in a couple weeks.

 

[Wavemode]

Well, I'm not sure what others would say. But I have never added any of the above to rock that I've cured. Only thing I have ever added was bacteria. I say just let it sit, maybe change the water in a couple weeks.

Ok will do. Two months into it now I think it's time to try something new. Thanks

 

[bcmm]

It seems to me your doing good. your not getting ammonia, or nitrites. And as far as the nitrates, well your adding to those, with skimmer cup waste, and phantom feeding. I wouldn't expect to see nitrates come down.

As to the phosphates, the phantom feeding could be adding to that as well.

Ive never added skimmate or filter socks.

 

[Whipples]

I want to clarify between curing and cycling, as I think they get mixed up often. As I understand it curing rock is usually done to leach out those phosphates and excess dead matter, kill any dormant hitchhikers, etc., and most folks use an acid to accelerate this while doing water changes to keep taking the excess nutrients out. After the acid bath and a scrub they let it soak in salt water with a heater and powerhead to accelerate the decline of anything else that survived the acid bath. All in a separate tote/bucket from your system.

It sounds as if you cycled the rocks while curing them, which isn't bad by any means, but as bcmm pointed out could have continued to add phosphates and nitrates to your water, especially if you were using old display water and that tank itself isn't at or near 0 phosphate. If you want to prove out that the rock is cycled, try dosing ammonia (ace hardware sells 10% odorless and additive free, I used it with great success adding 1-2ml/day) and within 24 hours you should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and some nitrates.

 

[Wavemode]

Thank you! This is some great feedback I'm getting. I didn't go the acid route because I wanted a more natural approach. My DT water is at zero phosphates or has been should I say. I recently took my GFO reactor offline because my corals were not growing and my chaeto was dying. I thought DT water would help bacteria growth and the bio load of fish waste would do the same. I've stopped the adding food and fish waste. This weekend I'll do 100% new water. Unless you think 50% new water would be better for the bacteria?

 

[bhuyett]

When I was starting my system I used a 55 gallon drum and placed my 75lbs of aquascaped pukani in it. It was a long process but I placed a pump and heater in the drum. Then let the rock cure for 11 weeks. The first couple weeks I was pulling some crud out. Thick chunks of smelly foam. Then did multiple 50% water changes every 30 days.
Like others have said about just using bacteria. I just poured in some Microbactor7 and let it do its thing.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

I gave a 160 lbs of the pukani dry rock a muratic acid bath, follow by three days of bleaching and three days of soak and rinse. Put it in the DT to cycle. It cycled in a month but took about two additional months to test phosphate and nitrate free. Beautiful rock and great bio filter, but its some dirty stuff. Good luck with you build.

 

[Wavemode]

I gave a 160 lbs of the pukani dry rock a muratic acid bath, follow by three days of bleaching and three days of soak and rinse. Put it in the DT to cycle. It cycled in a month but took about two additional months to test phosphate and nitrate free. Beautiful rock and great bio filter, but its some dirty stuff. Good luck with you build.

I agree there's some serious crud in there. I've done one 100% water change at one month and the old water was solid black. Now that I'm at two months I'll do it again but with new SW not DT water. No more fish food or fish waste. Just patience now
.