Why do people cure dry rock in containers and not in tank?

[Paranoiattack91]

I have a 180 gallon tank on the way and am going all dry rock. Why do most people cure dry rock in containers and not in the tank tank? Wouldn’t the end results be the same?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I have a 180 gallon tank on the way and am going all dry rock. Why do most people cure dry rock in containers and not in the tank tank? Wouldn’t the end results be the same?

They would be the same, you are correct. In fact I did it myself but I did it before my tank arrived. That way I was able to just chuck it all in there and start with fish day 1 as there was no cycling to be done.

 

[RedReefer]

It also will help keep anything that leeches from the dry rock get into your new system.

 

[Ippyroy]

It takes less water and electricity to cycle in a container. It is easier to do 100% water changes if you 2 of them and can just move the rocks over. No light will get in allowing the bacteria to grow and not have an algae issue. I did it for 4 -5 months while I was waiting on my tank and other equipment to arrive. With in a month my tank had fish and corals. It is just a way to do it while waiting to set it up. I highly recommend this method.

 

[fishlover1478]

It also will help keep anything that leeches from the dry rock get into your new system.

what do you mean?

 

[aggrofish]

More important with old dry rock that mined dry IMO. there’s not anything to die off. May leach PO4, but YMMV.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

It takes less water and electricity to cycle in a container. It is easier to do 100% water changes if you 2 of them and can just move the rocks over. No light will get in allowing the bacteria to grow and not have an algae issue. I did it for 4 -5 months while I was waiting on my tank and other equipment to arrive. With in a month my tank had fish and corals. It is just a way to do it while waiting to set it up. I highly recommend this method.

Also legit added benefits

 

[Ippyroy]

Also legit added benefits

I also don't worry about testing Ammonia since I am cycling them for so long. NO3 is also a nonissue because of hte easy 100% water changes. The only downside is having to scape in water. I am trying to figure out a way to do an NSA style and hopefully fit them in the Brute trash can.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I hear you there, for many it just depends right? If you're cycling live rock, you'll need to track and manage ammonia from die off or you'll get even more die off. With dry rock, it really doesn't need to be tracked. Have you thought about using larger totes or even a stock tank? Something like that might accommodate your NSA scape.

 

[Ippyroy]

I hear you there, for many it just depends right? If you're cycling live rock, you'll need to track and manage ammonia from die off or you'll get even more die off. With dry rock, it really doesn't need to be tracked. Have you thought about using larger totes or even a stock tank? Something like that might accommodate your NSA scape.

Lack of room and 40 below 0 create a few issues. The new tank will only be 3 or 4 feet, so the scape might be small enough to fit in a Brute 44 gallon, which I have an extra one that is unused. I really need to be able to put fish in it quickly because of it's location. Worse case I will just stack in the water. It works out fine. I almost prefer the stacked method for fish habitat anyway.

 

[Paranoiattack91]

They would be the same, you are correct. In fact I did it myself but I did it before my tank arrived. That way I was able to just chuck it all in there and start with fish day 1 as there was no cycling to be done.

I would prefer to have the rock cured and ready to go by the time the tank arrives (3 months) but I’m not sure how to aquascape that much rock with it being wet/live already. I feel like it would be much easier to do the scape with dry rock and no water in the tank.

 

[Paranoiattack91]

It takes less water and electricity to cycle in a container. It is easier to do 100% water changes if you 2 of them and can just move the rocks over. No light will get in allowing the bacteria to grow and not have an algae issue. I did it for 4 -5 months while I was waiting on my tank and other equipment to arrive. With in a month my tank had fish and corals. It is just a way to do it while waiting to set it up. I highly recommend this method.

I agree with you on this. The part that concerns me is the aquascaping. I had wanted to build the scape in my garage with the dry rock on cardboard the same dimensions as my tank with Marco cement and acrylic rods. If the rock is wet\live I assume this would no longer be possible.

 

[Paranoiattack91]

I hear you there, for many it just depends right? If you're cycling live rock, you'll need to track and manage ammonia from die off or you'll get even more die off. With dry rock, it really doesn't need to be tracked. Have you thought about using larger totes or even a stock tank? Something like that might accommodate your NSA scape.

I am just having a hard time finding a 72in curing tank that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I am just having a hard time finding a 72in curing tank that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Fair enough, what about two smaller ones?

 

[Paranoiattack91]

Fair enough, what about two smaller ones?

I found some 55 gallon drums locally but then I would have to cure them and aquascape in the tank with water. I wanted to dryscape and cement them together in my garage.

 

[Val Shebeko]

They would be the same, you are correct. In fact I did it myself but I did it before my tank arrived. That way I was able to just chuck it all in there and start with fish day 1 as there was no cycling to be done.

I have a bunch of old dead ex- live rock that has been sitting in closed bins for over a year.
My big plan was to put it all into a Brute bin add heater, airstone, pump, some bacteria and go away for a month, do a 50% water change, go away for a month, rinse, lather, repeat.

Some other people have suggested muriatic acid to open pores, bleach baths, phosphate reducing chemicals, etc.

I’m in no rush, is this an ok method to cure rock?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I have a bunch of old dead ex- live rock that has been sitting in closed bins for over a year.
My big plan was to put it all into a Brute bin add heater, airstone, pump, some bacteria and go away for a month, do a 50% water change, go away for a month, rinse, lather, repeat.

Some other people have suggested muriatic acid to open pores, bleach baths, phosphate reducing chemicals, etc.

I’m in no rush, is this an ok method to cure rock?

IMO.. That's just what it is... I've cycled many tanks mostly live rock admittedly but many quarantine tanks as well. Skip all that nonsense with the additives. Muratic acid isn't caustic enough to dissolve rock to the point at which they think it will. Plus, if the entire rock isn't porous to begin with... When you mine rock, why would you think all the pores are magically beneath the fracture points?
Do what you were initially thinking.... Add a heater, air stone doesn't hurt, throw some dormant bacteria in, maybe seed some ammonia. This is all assuming you're dealing with dead rock of course. With dead rock ammonia transport isn't much of an issue as bacterial will ultimately consume this and transform it to nitrates. It becomes a different management issue if you are cycling live rock. Essentially you'll be moving out nitrates with your intermittent water changes. Following instructions with whatever bacteria addictive you use with dead rock, ledt alone, your cycle will be done in about three weeks at most.
Cycles are pretty fixed, and most people experiencing longer ones are due to them getting in the way. This is my experience.

 

[SteveG_inDC]

I had my rock in bins for almost 9 months. I moved them around bewteen bins and sometimes in a couple of 20 and 30 gal tanks I had lying around, but it was easier to keep them in the dark in the bins.

Then to build the aquascape out of glue and mortar, which took days to complete, I worked on it on a table and covered it with a towel soaked in tank water every night. I finished hte scape just as my display tank was delivered, so I transferred it straight in (see my build thread for video).

Did the bacteria I spent 9 months keeping alive die off? Probably a lot did, but it wasn't dead rock. I did use bottle bac, but the cycle took exactly 9 days as the Dr. Tim's bottle said it would.

Good luck.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

I think for your specifics goals or making really intricate shapes and cementing it together most people do that dry, I’ve only had one tank so far although I been making the aquascape form my upgrade for the last little while and plan on doing the same thing. It takes longer than having it prepared in bins but I’m not in a rush and don’t mind letting it mature in the tank. I think trying to aquascape that way when everything is wet would be a nightmare.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I think for your specifics goals or making really intricate shapes and cementing it together most people do that dry, I’ve only had one tank so far although I been making the aquascape form my upgrade for the last little while and plan on doing the same thing. It takes longer than having it prepared in bins but I’m not in a rush and don’t mind letting it mature in the tank. I think trying to aquascape that way when everything is wet would be a nightmare.

I think this is a great perspective. Ultimately it depends on your approach. If you're committed to dry rock and you can't figure a way to cost effectively cycle your rock before hand, and there are many clever ways to approach this, it's better to just do it in your tank. Both have appeals, the first getting a faster start which is appealing in it's own right. The other, a bit slower perhaps but you ultimately gain something down the road which you are seeking. Additionally it teaches you patience which is never a bad lesson in reef keeping!