What’s the BEST way to cycle Dead (liverock) ?

[jmichaelh7]

I purchased rock from someone and he said it may have been in and out of water. It was damp when I got it.

Before adding to my display I wanted to know if I should cycle again in a plastic garbage bin? What’s the best route to do this? I have shrimp , microbacter 7, on hand.

It’s there a way to test if it’s cycled ?

 

[lapin]

Live Rock Curing - The Ultimate Guide to Curing Live or Dry Rocks

Everything you need to know about how to cure live rock and dry rock, the many benefits of cured live rocks and what you need to know before cycling a tank.

arcreef.com

 

[jmichaelh7]

It’s been cycled before ...

 

[lapin]

Cycling and Curing are 2 different things

 

[jmichaelh7]

What do you recommend

 

[blasterman]

Toss it in a plastic tote, throw salt water in it, throw a power head in it and a quarter teaspoon of ammonia. If the rock is truly cycled the ammonia will dive in 48 hours. If it doesn't, just leave it in the tote. When ammonia does dive, and it will, its cycled. Use bottle bacteria if its not cycled to speed things up.

If you have an opposable thumb and don't write on cave walls with antelope dung dont mess with dead shrimp.

 

[Dkmoo]

Don't you already have a fully cycled DT, how big is the rock compared to what you already have in the tank? If pretty small, or there is not a lot of dead/rotting stuff on there, or you want to keep whatever live stuff from the old tank to increase your biodiversity, then just dump it in. Its no different than adding a live rock that you buy from diverden. Most organisms and bacteria can survive a while out of water.

I'd only do the bucket and "re-cycle" the rock if its got a ton of dead/rotting stuff that o don't want to spike my DT nutrient

If you dont care about anything that was on the rock, or if there's pests and parasites that you don't want to introduce to your tank, you can always just sterilize it and add it to yiur tank as a "dead rock" and let whatever is already in yiur DT colonize and turn it "live"

 

[Azedenkae]

I purchased rock from someone and he said it may have been in and out of water. It was damp when I got it.

Before adding to my display I wanted to know if I should cycle again in a plastic garbage bin? What’s the best route to do this? I have shrimp , microbacter 7, on hand.

It’s there a way to test if it’s cycled ?

Yeah just put it in a plastic garbage bin with a heater and powerhead and test if it's cycled. If not, cycle. If cycled, then straight into your tank.

Just dose 2ppm ammonia and see if that reduces to 0 in 24 hour. That's the test. ^_^

 

[jmichaelh7]

Toss it in a plastic tote, throw salt water in it, throw a power head in it and a quarter teaspoon of ammonia. If the rock is truly cycled the ammonia will dive in 48 hours. If it doesn't, just leave it in the tote. When ammonia does dive, and it will, its cycled. Use bottle bacteria if its not cycled to speed things up.

If you have an opposable thumb and don't write on cave walls with antelope dung dont mess with dead shrimp.

Thank you. I tested ammonia on Red Sea and it was 0.2ppm slight greenish. I barely threw in the rock so I’m wondering how that happened.

there is nothing really on the rock, just purple coralline. The owner said it’s been sitting in water but to cycle again to be safe. That’s where I asked the ops on reef 2 reef.

Don't you already have a fully cycled DT, how big is the rock compared to what you already have in the tank? If pretty small, or there is not a lot of dead/rotting stuff on there, or you want to keep whatever live stuff from the old tank to increase your biodiversity, then just dump it in. Its no different than adding a live rock that you buy from diverden. Most organisms and bacteria can survive a while out of water.

I'd only do the bucket and "re-cycle" the rock if its got a ton of dead/rotting stuff that o don't want to spike my DT nutrient

If you dont care about anything that was on the rock, or if there's pests and parasites that you don't want to introduce to your tank, you can always just sterilize it and add it to yiur tank as a "dead rock" and let whatever is already in yiur DT colonize and turn it "live"

It’s probably the same amount of rock I have in my display. 8 good size pieces. My phosphates are 0.08 so I wouldn’t want it to sky rocket and mess with my sps

Yeah just put it in a plastic garbage bin with a heater and powerhead and test if it's cycled. If not, cycle. If cycled, then straight into your tank.

Just dose 2ppm ammonia and see if that reduces to 0 in 24 hour. That's the test. ^_^

sounds like a good idea. Hmm I don’t have ammonia on hand

 

[Spare time]

I just use a 5 gal bucket with heater and pump and microbacter

 

[Azedenkae]

sounds like a good idea. Hmm I don’t have ammonia on hand

You can order some Dr. Tim's off of Amazon or wherever. Shouldn't take too long to arrive.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I asked the guy if he had it in saltwater and if it was good to go. He said up until today it’s been in saltwater.

So after 48 hours in a plastic trash bin with salinity 1.025 and heater 80 degrees , microbacter 7, I tested parameters!

what I found was :
Nh3/Nh4 : .2ppm
No2 : .05ppm
No3 : 3
Phosphates : 200ppb!

I am blown away on these findings. If I would’ve threw in this rock into my display what would’ve happened could have been disastrous!

just wanted to give an update! Anyone out there receiving rock that has been “live” it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Oh The hobby....

 

[Azedenkae]

I asked the guy if he had it in saltwater and if it was good to go. He said up until today it’s been in saltwater.

So after 48 hours in a plastic trash bin with salinity 1.025 and heater 80 degrees , microbacter 7, I tested parameters!

what I found was :
Nh3/Nh4 : .2ppm
No2 : .05ppm
No3 : 3
Phosphates : 200ppb!

I am blown away on these findings. If I would’ve threw in this rock into my display what would’ve happened could have been disastrous!

just wanted to give an update! Anyone out there receiving rock that has been “live” it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Oh The hobby....

I mean I don't measure phosphate so dunno if that's high or low. But the other metrics, while interesting, is not too bad. XD

 

[Spare time]

I mean I don't measure phosphate so dunno if that's high or low. But the other metrics, while interesting, is not too bad. XD

That is

I asked the guy if he had it in saltwater and if it was good to go. He said up until today it’s been in saltwater.

So after 48 hours in a plastic trash bin with salinity 1.025 and heater 80 degrees , microbacter 7, I tested parameters!

what I found was :
Nh3/Nh4 : .2ppm
No2 : .05ppm
No3 : 3
Phosphates : 200ppb!

I am blown away on these findings. If I would’ve threw in this rock into my display what would’ve happened could have been disastrous!

just wanted to give an update! Anyone out there receiving rock that has been “live” it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Oh The hobby....

I mean I don't measure phosphate so dunno if that's high or low. But the other metrics, while interesting, is not too bad. XD

Very high

 

[Spare time]

I actually like to use a little bit of gfo in a mini reactor when curing rocks. Lanthanum chloride works too.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I actually like to use a little bit of gfo in a mini reactor when curing rocks. Lanthanum chloride works too.

What for?

Typically weekly water changes will still occur

 

[Spare time]

What for?

Typically weekly water changes will still occur

To remove the phosphates as it rots out. I know rock easily phosphates so I want the gfo to catch it before the rock grabs a hold of it assuming it's the stuff on the rock rotting and not the rock itself leaching.

 

[jmichaelh7]

To remove the phosphates as it rots out. I know rock easily phosphates so I want the gfo to catch it before the rock grabs a hold of it assuming it's the stuff on the rock rotting and not the rock itself leaching

Run gfo while curing rock? thanks for the pointer.

 

[Spare time]

Run gfo while curing rock? thanks for the pointer.

I don't like to do water changes while curing because I am mess lol. So the nitrate in a bucket of rock I am curing is probably insanely high but the rocks shouldn't absorb nitrate and I don't think it causes problems for the microbes.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I don't like to do water changes while curing because I am mess lol. So the nitrate in a bucket of rock I am curing is probably insanely high but the rocks shouldn't absorb nitrate and I don't think it causes problems for the microbes.

to be honest the nitrates are suprisingly low.