Even rocks deserve another chance! Would you reuse old reef rock in your saltwater tank?

[Reefahholic]

The only rock I’ll never use again is Marco Rock.

 

[Azael]

My tank is mostly started with live rock, but I would for sure reuse the dried rock that I kept from my first tank. I would just keep it in water with vinegar fost a day and a few days in plain water, than it’s good to go.

 

[seamonster]

Even rocks deserve another chance! Would you reuse old reef rock in your saltwater tank?

Recently I have seen a few threads asking about reef rock that has been sitting somewhere dry for a few years or more. The questions revolve around if the rock is still useable and, if it is useable, determining the best way to prep the rock to be ready for a reef. What do you think – can old reef rock be reused in a reef tank and is it worth the bother? If you believe that it can be reused, then please tell us what you would do to prep the rock. Are there different steps to rejuvenate the rock if it has been sitting in a tub of freshwater vs. being dry when stored? Also, please let us know if there are situations where you wouldn’t reuse the rock.

Photo by @Clutch


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I reused old rock for years…what I did was bleach the rock for a week, rinse it well with fresh tap water, then dry it out completely… takes a week or more, then cycle the rock and drop in tank. However, there are lessons to be learned here. Use a well balanced bacteria like one and only and microbac 7 to start the cycle and add lots of copepods. I didn’t add enough pods and ive been battling Dino’s for months. Starting out with dry dead rock sucks and it comes with many problems…the longer the rock cycles the better. Invested in a uv sterilizer and I’ll be installing it very soon. The system takes a very long time to achieve stability with dry rock and live sand….

 

[PeterEde]

That and bacteria in a bottle will cycle your tank in no time.

So why not.

 

[Troylee]

One can help neutralize the acid with sodium bicarbonate or carbonate. I dump in a couple big boxes before it gets dumped.

I have questions

I do not know where or how the dry rock method got a bad rap.

Ugly stage where did that come from? Who coined that phrase

How many new aquarists that used dry rock and had the “ugly stage” blamed it on the rock. How many of the same people would have had the same issues using premium live rock, the best you can buy?

Poor maintenance, over feeding, troubled water chemistry along with bad advice given in forums, fixing one bad additive choice with another, blah blah blah

It’s not rocket science people have been successful for decades.
Seems now there are more failures with all the great equipment and BRS infinite wisdom

I’d guess the same person who coined the phrase “white lighting causes algae” it’s crazy to me this misinformed new generations of reefers.. I’d say the million of things you dose to your tank is what’s causing your algae problems lol… keep it stupid simple! KISS! There’s way toooooooo much additives and crap nowadays.

 

[PeterErc]

Yea more additives, more equipment, fancy as lights and a triton test.

The only thing I have are the nubs they call frags these days lol

Nov 19 to Dec 14, coralline on garbage as dead rock that ain’t worth a flux. But will hold all the nubs together when they grow out. CC Dark Knight upper left doing its thing, must have got knocked off and re attached.

 

[miroch]

Can a bleach bath be done outside if the temp is below freezing? My live rock is currently outside in an empty tub below freezing but wanted to do a bleach cure while setting up the new tank. How do you all get rid of the old bleach water if outside? Is there a quick way to neutralize the water before dumping it out?

 

[GARRIGA]

Can a bleach bath be done outside if the temp is below freezing? My live rock is currently outside in an empty tub below freezing but wanted to do a bleach cure while setting up the new tank. How do you all get rid of the old bleach water if outside? Is there a quick way to neutralize the water before dumping it out?

Prime or other dechlorinator can neutralize it but if water is frozen then how do you apply the bleach

 

[miroch]

Prime or other dechlorinator can neutralize it but if water is frozen then how do you apply the bleach

I can fill the bins up with water and add bleach ok, just wondering if the solution freezes afterwards that the process will still break down organic material.

 

[Ratt]

When we built our 750g, upgrading from 400 a year ago we needed more live rock. I had collected 100's of lbs of rock over the years from other breakdowns. I also had about 400lbs of rock from my last tank crash. When the tank crashed (sump blew a seam and topoff came on and kept trying to refill it) we ended up with the 400lbs from the sump which were covered in dead zoas, xenia, clavularia, gsp, mushrooms. The other 300+ lbs had been sitting in buckets, tubs, milk crates on the side of the guest house for over 10 years accumulating all that mother nature could drop and pour on it.

We took a 150g rubbermaid tub and made a strong concentration of Citric Acid. Then Soaked the rock for 48 hours. We then pulled the rock out (and thankfully) put it on a tarp in the back yard to clean it off with a presure washer.

The Citric acid not only broken down all the dead life on the rock work, but it actually etched away the surface of the live rock - Getting rid of the coraline and algae on the rock. When we pulled the 700lbs of rock out of the tub I was blown away to find almost 30lbs of sand sitting in the bottom of the bin. The Citric Acid literally dissolved the surface off the rock.

When we started presure washing the rock it was like milk with calcium washing off. It took several rinses with the pressure washer. Then a soak in tap water, and another pressure washer.

When we filled up the tank with water for the first time there was still a very fine layer of silt that came off the rock but it cleared up in about 36 hours.

The rock was immaculately clean to start with and quickly grew all the appropriate crap and looked seasoned right away. We used 700lbs of fresh rock and 300+ lbs of active live rock.

The brown, grey on this rock is a biome that developed within 24 hours of the rock going in the tank. 72 Hours after water was in the tank it was gone and never seen again.

This is the sand created by acid washing the dead rock. There was no sand in the rock bins or tubs, this was all created by soaking the rock.

72 hours after filling - The 750g is just the display of a 1500g system. So when we added all the fresh live rock and water we just ran it for 24 hours then opened the valve to connect it to the system and added fish and corals immediately.

6 months later.



Dave B

Wow, that’s amazing!

 

[cdnco2004]

Can a bleach bath be done outside if the temp is below freezing? My live rock is currently outside in an empty tub below freezing but wanted to do a bleach cure while setting up the new tank. How do you all get rid of the old bleach water if outside? Is there a quick way to neutralize the water before dumping it out?

Bleach brakes down into harmless components when it dries. You can pour it onto your driveway let it dissipate or pour it down your drain. Bleach water can be sent into the sewer system.

 

[cdnco2004]

Prime or other dechlorinator can neutralize it but if water is frozen then how do you apply the bleach

You apply the bleach when you add the water, before it freezes. Also bleach freezes at like 5F so it will help keep the water from freezing.