Curing Question

[pulpfiction]

I bought quite a bit of dry rock at the LFS that I want to add to my existing tank but I'm not exactly sure how to cure it. Do I put it in a bucket with regular ol bleach? If I put it into a 5 gallon bucket how much bleach do I add? Does the water need to be salted, or can it be tap water? How long do I leave it to sit in bleach? The rock looks pretty dang dead. All I can see are the corpses of clams embedded in it. Can adding dry rock cause the tank to cycle or anything funky?

 

[majesticbigmac]

There are a couple ways you can go about this. For all, soak in salt water, with recommended ratio E.g bleach, acid, vinegar etc.

1st method: First soak in Muriatic Acid (10:1rodi ), then bleach (20:1 ro-di) (1 week each for each). This ensures the insides of the rock are clean and ready. Then, soak in ro-di for a week, let it dry out in the sunlight, then another week of ro-di.

2nd method: Soak in vinegar with salt water(50:50) for 1 week, then soak in ro-di for a week. To ensure no vinegar, repeat as above (sunlight+ro-di).

I understand these are quite lengthy processes, but they do ensure quality rock and no tank damage.

Adding Dry rock will not ensue a cycle, only if added slowly (1:4 dry rock-current rock in tank every two weeks)

Good Luck.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Curing rock helps to get ride of dead organic matter that would other wise leach into your tank as it decays....as nitrates and phosphates. You can shorten or jump start the cure by soaking in bleach.....plain bleach, at a concentration of one gallon per ten gallons of water.....and tap water is just fine. I typically let it sit in bleach for a week and then multiple rinses/soaks in plain water....and you ideally don't want to do this in your house. I then let the rock completely dry....which rids it of any residual bleach. You could speed this up by using a de-chlor product.

Search BRS TV for bleach cure to see their advice

 

[pulpfiction]

There are a couple ways you can go about this. For all, soak in salt water, with recommended ratio E.g bleach, acid, vinegar etc.

1st method: First soak in Muriatic Acid (10:1rodi ), then bleach (20:1 ro-di) (1 week each for each). This ensures the insides of the rock are clean and ready. Then, soak in ro-di for a week, let it dry out in the sunlight, then another week of ro-di.

2nd method: Soak in vinegar with salt water(50:50) for 1 week, then soak in ro-di for a week. To ensure no vinegar, repeat as above (sunlight+ro-di).

I understand these are quite lengthy processes, but they do ensure quality rock and no tank damage.

Adding Dry rock will not ensue a cycle, only if added slowly (1:4 dry rock-current rock in tank every two weeks)

Good Luck.

Wouldn't acids break down the rock? Could I do a week of white distilled vinegar then a week of bleach with ro-di, then a week of just ro-di, then let dry in the sun?

I don't have muriatic acid but I have a lot of vinegar already. For bleaching, can I put a lid over it and let it sit in the garage so no fumes are getting out? I don't have an option to leave the bucket outside for a week.

I don't have an issue with lengthy. I'd rather be safe than spend spend months battling some issue.

 

[majesticbigmac]

sounds like a good plan, please update upon further actions

 

[Screwgunner]

If it is clean dry rock i would not bleach it. Just put it in a Rubbermaid trash can with salt water. Heater and lid . Let it set for 2 weeks test your water ammonia, nitrite nitrates , phosphates. If everything is 0 you can start the cycle in the trash can or in your new tank. , happy reefing!!!

 

[pulpfiction]

If it is clean dry rock i would not bleach it. Just put it in a Rubbermaid trash can with salt water. Heater and lid . Let it set for 2 weeks test your water ammonia, nitrite nitrates , phosphates. If everything is 0 you can start the cycle in the trash can or in your new tank. , happy reefing!!!

Suppose I should have come here to read comments oops. Well the rock sat in 50:50 distilled vinegar 1 week, then I poured it all out and let it sit for another week and a half in 50:50. I then did just salt/RO water for a week with a heater. dumped it out, and did another week of just ro water with a heater. Now it's sitting in the sun to dry. I didn't test the water at all while it was in the bucket.

Would it be good to put it back in the bucket with saltwater after it dries and let it run for a week to test it? I'm in no hurry to throw the rocks into the tank. I'm waiting on a fish/invert shipment that will take about a month. I plan to add the rocks 24 hrs before I get them.

I opted for no bleach. Looking it at im not aure if i should pick some of this stuff off the rock. Not sure what I'm looking at except imbedded clam shells. Theres a couple black and rust tube looking things.

 

[Screwgunner]

All you did was make a calcium reactor . You put in all that acid in and All you did was eat away at your rock it is probably a pound lighter now. Let it dry out . You are good to go. If you would have used bleach it would all be white. A little vinegar will not hurt anything . We use it to carbon dose to bring nitrates down.

 

[pulpfiction]

All you did was make a calcium reactor . You put in all that acid in and All you did was eat away at your rock it is probably a pound lighter now. Let it dry out . You are good to go. If you would have used bleach it would all be white. A little vinegar will not hurt anything . We use it to carbon dose to bring nitrates down.

Oh well. I avoided bleach because the bucket was within dog reach. So long as I won't get new hitchhikers with the rock or an ammonia spike I'll be fine with it.

I'm also not sure if I should take out some rock when I add the new rock. If that will effect the filtration. I got the rock to replace the dragon stone in my tank. It's dense so whatever filtration it has is only on the surface. I have two pieces of live rock that are well populated. The large middle piece is one. I'll be adding 2 fish and a cuc pack. I was going to add rocks 24 hours before to arrange rockwork to prevent any aggression, but maybe I should add it sooner to populate it?

*Yes my tank is ugly and full of algae and still coral-less lol. It's a work in progress. Tank is a little over a year old*

 

[Screwgunner]

Just put it in and take out some water for displacement. If you are worried about it put some bottle bacteria in with the new rock.

 

[pulpfiction]

I took some of the dragon stone out and put all the cured rock in...one of them is bigger than i thought .

Any suggestions for aquascape on the right side? the two big rocks right look awkward to me. They're both huge and squished in a 20 tall. I might take the big one out and smash it on the ground to break it up...

'm taking a step back so i dont keep traumatizing my poor fish. there's one big dragon stone chunk in the back still taking up real-estate. im hoping getting rid of the dragon stone will help with phosphates in the long run.