How to best use used live rock

wolfeboromatt

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Advice welcome on how to best use some live (or at least wet) rock I picked up this weekend. I’m starting a new tank. Should I cure it? Use as is? I got it third hand so am not positive of its history. I believe it came from an active (or cycling) tank, and it’s been stored wet (in salt water from the tank) since removal (several days to a week ago). Pics attached - looks like algae (good? bad?) growth on two different types of rock. One looks like caribsea life rock (it has that purple coloring, even on the underside where there is no algae growth). The other looks like it was standard white dry rock (again, it’s “clean” white on the “bottom”).

There is a gelatinous blob on one rock (see closeup) - a dead soft coral perhaps? Or just some type of algae? There are also a couple of half dead snails (see other closeup).

I tested the water they’re stored in, not sure if it’s meaningful, but got readings of 8.2 pH, 1.022 salinity, 2.0 ammonia, 5.0 nitrite, and 40 nitrate.

Thanks all!

IMG_3222.png IMG_3223.png IMG_3221.jpeg IMG_3220.jpeg
 

RocketEngineer

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I would give it a good swirl in a 5g bucket of salt water to remove trapped detritus, do a detailed visual inspection to remove potential uglies (algae, aptasia), then go ahead and add it. Keep an eye out for hidden stuff but probably good to use.
 

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