Does heat affect curing dry rock?

austinsreef

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Hi!

I am getting back in the hobby after being out for a year or so, and want to set up a reefer 350 within the next year. That being said, I want to spread out the expenses as much as I can. I figure a good way to do this would be to go ahead and get dry rock curing so that it is mature when I am ready to build the tank.

So, my question - I live in Tampa, FL. It's HOT. Is curing the dry rock in my garage safe? Will the heat hurt the process? It can get up to 125 F in the garage on the hottest days. Coming into winter, it likely won't get colder than ~35 F or so.

Any thought on how temperature will impact the curing process? Does it make more sense to find a spot inside?
 

R.Weller

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If the rock you are starting with is dry & has been dry for some time, then the first part of the process is to get it soaking in RODI water to remove the dried organic compounds that cover the surfaces. The temperature won't matter, but you should add a wavemaker for circulation. Phosphate from the rock will leach out & reach equillibrium as it will suspend in the water column. After a week, drain the water & repeat. Doing this 3 - 5 times should remove all the phosphates that leach out of the rock. There's no need to use salt as you are throwing it away & you are not yet to the point of adding bacteria.

After phosphates are out, then you're at the point when the biology on the rock is of material value & I would recommend temperature control. You don't want anything freezing, but you also want the water temp in the 65 - 85degF for zooplankton to start their magic. Being in Tampa, I would grab a cultured liverock (3 - 5 lbs will work), & toss it in with the rest of the rock. Keep it circulating & add an occassional food source (very light feeding), but I would not add any lighting. This will allow the rock to mature before you are ready to build your display.

Welcome back to the hobby & best wishes. Start a build thread so the community can follow along!
 
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austinsreef

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If the rock you are starting with is dry & has been dry for some time, then the first part of the process is to get it soaking in RODI water to remove the dried organic compounds that cover the surfaces. The temperature won't matter, but you should add a wavemaker for circulation. Phosphate from the rock will leach out & reach equillibrium as it will suspend in the water column. After a week, drain the water & repeat. Doing this 3 - 5 times should remove all the phosphates that leach out of the rock. There's no need to use salt as you are throwing it away & you are not yet to the point of adding bacteria.

After phosphates are out, then you're at the point when the biology on the rock is of material value & I would recommend temperature control. You don't want anything freezing, but you also want the water temp in the 65 - 85degF for zooplankton to start their magic. Being in Tampa, I would grab a cultured liverock (3 - 5 lbs will work), & toss it in with the rest of the rock. Keep it circulating & add an occassional food source (very light feeding), but I would not add any lighting. This will allow the rock to mature before you are ready to build your display.

Welcome back to the hobby & best wishes. Start a build thread so the community can follow along!


Thanks for the reply! Good call. I think I'll start this process ~3 months or so in advance of when I'm ready to set up the tank.
 

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