How to add Af synthetic Rock to aquarium

snk_anindya

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Hi guys,
I am just starting my first reef tank.
I have got 20 kg of AF rock and aquascape it in my tank. However, when I add RO water to the tank, the Tds increased to around 600. Is it OK?

Is it ok to directly use the AF rock in the tank? Or does it need to be washed before??

Regards,
Kishore
 

Lasse

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It depends on which ions there was on the rocks. TDS is a way of expressing the conductivity of the water. The water conductivity will be higher with higher ion strength. There was some ions connected with your stones - probably calcium ions and if that - no problems. However if it was copper ions - problems. There is no way to decide the types of ions in the water only with help of the conductivity. Therefore is a rather usles tool in concentrations over 0 - you do not know which ions is present - only that there are ions in the water. In this case - I would not care. It is probably no danger. Tips - test the TDS when you have mix in the salt.

Sincerely Lasse
 
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snk_anindya

snk_anindya

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It depends on which ions there was on the rocks. TDS is a way of expressing the conductivity of the water. The water conductivity will be higher with higher ion strength. There was some ions connected with your stones - probably calcium ions and if that - no problems. However if it was copper ions - problems. There is no way to decide the types of ions in the water only with help of the conductivity. Therefore is a rather usles tool in concentrations over 0 - you do not know which ions is present - only that there are ions in the water. In this case - I would not care. It is probably no danger. Tips - test the TDS when you have mix in the salt.

Sincerely Lasse
Thanks for your reply. I suppose you are right. Maybe I don't need to worry about this. I have only added the rocks from their box to the tank, and then added water. So there is less probability for other impurities to enter the system. And, as you said, the rocks would obviously contain calcium. Hence the high TDS.

But I have heard some people say that rocks or sand can leech phosphate into the water column. I'd better test for phosphates then.
 
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snk_anindya

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In any case, is it a common practice to wash dry synthetic Rock before using it? Is it strictly required?
 

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In any case, is it a common practice to wash dry synthetic Rock before using it? Is it strictly requir
Yes, generally it is a good practice to wash it or soak it in RO/DI for few days before putting them in the tank. If you can change the water in between soaking then its even better.
 

Lasse

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IMO - it is not a bad thing if the rocks leaks a little PO4 in the start. It will speed up the biological processes - including nitrification - from the beginning. It will rather fast be an equilibrium between water and rock in terms of phosphate.

I normally only wash it off with a little tap water before I put them in an aquarium. If I use living rocks - I normally pick the most "living" I can see

Sincerely Lasse
 
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snk_anindya

snk_anindya

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The rocks are definitely leeching phosphates. My phosphates are close to 2 ppm right now. That too with just half the rocks currently under water. Even if they would help in cycling, I'd prefer them below 1 ppm. And Tds is around 1500. Don't know what's in it.

Anyways, so I plan to soak the rocks in the main tank for few days, and rinse them nicely before replacing fresh water into the tank.
 

Lasse

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Do not panic. It is always an equilibrium between phosphate bound in the rocks and the water. For the moment you use RODI water - it is very low in ionic strength and therefore act as a "magnet" for different bound compounds that will be solved as ions in the water. If you instead have had saltwater in the tank (it is high in ionic strength) you would not have the same leak - instead the rocks will act as buffers for phosphate and protect you for not coming down to zero in phosphate. I know that it is common to "soak" the stones in RODI water but - IMO - it is contra productive - because it will lower your bufferts in the stones and maybe create problems in the future. I´m also adware that my opinions of the needs to have bufferts of PO4 in the stones (and sand) is controversial because the force that says that PO4 is an evil toxic substance is still very strong.

Sincerely Lasse
 
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snk_anindya

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Do not panic. It is always an equilibrium between phosphate bound in the rocks and the water. For the moment you use RODI water - it is very low in ionic strength and therefore act as a "magnet" for different bound compounds that will be solved as ions in the water. If you instead have had saltwater in the tank (it is high in ionic strength) you would not have the same leak - instead the rocks will act as buffers for phosphate and protect you for not coming down to zero in phosphate. I know that it is common to "soak" the stones in RODI water but - IMO - it is contra productive - because it will lower your bufferts in the stones and maybe create problems in the future. I´m also adware that my opinions of the needs to have bufferts of PO4 in the stones (and sand) is controversial because the force that says that PO4 is an evil toxic substance is still very strong.

Sincerely Lasse

I'm sure you are speaking with experience and expertise in the field. But, could you tell briefly why you say phosphates must not be zero?
 

Lasse

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Because you dealing with organisms using photosynthesis - corals need phosphate in the water. And other algae that's food for grazers need free phosphate. Some SPS (read some acropora) manage PO4 concentrations near 0 if they are actively feed but must corals works better with some phosphate in the water. My ideal concentration is around 0.05 - 0.1mg/L - for the moment I run around 0,2 mg/L PO4 and the aquarium looks like this

1612363688742.png

Not for mention cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates that loves ultra low PO4 (and NO3) concentrations.

The opinion about low, near zero phosphate levels have change the last years - 5 - 10 years ago I was extrem in my believe that near zero in phosphate was bad - nowadays I´m probably have hit the main road with this thinking.

Sincerely Lasse
 

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