Rock question

nerak · February 1, 2015, 11:13pm

I have some rock that I took out of my tank awhile back and let it dry out. I want to put it back into another tank. What do I need to do to it before placing it back in the tank?

beadlocked450r · February 2, 2015, 2:23am

Depends who your asking. Some will just toss it in the tank. Some will cycle it first.
Me I would clean it real well and toss it in a bucket for a week with some prime and then put it in the tank. The rock in the tank will seed the new rock and it shouldn’t cause any issues.

Cdangel0 · February 2, 2015, 1:56pm

Does the tank you want to add it to have any livestock in it yet?

nerak · February 2, 2015, 2:34pm

no this will be a new set up.

billrob71 · February 2, 2015, 2:56pm

  Karen if the set up is new, put the rock in and arrange it the way you like let it run for a day or so and start checking your parameters. If the tank has been running and its already cycled you will find the dry rock should cycle pretty quick if everything is fresh then its gonna take longer. Adding bacteria helps but I still never add live stock the direction that they all give you.

beadlocked450r · February 2, 2015, 3:58pm

[quote=“nerak, post:4, topic:7872”]
no this will be a new set up.[/quote]
You forgot that detail. ::hitsthefan::

nerak · February 2, 2015, 4:01pm

Sorry Jason! ;D

kaptken · February 2, 2015, 5:29pm

I might put the dry rock in a bucket of RO water for a few days with a power head or air stone to ciculate. I’m thinking the formerly live rock was full of bacteria and microscopic worms and bugs. and when it dried out, they died, and decayed. that would leave some nitrates and phosphates in the rock. the RO water soak would allow most of that to disolve in the water bath. It wouldnt hurt, you could test the water for nitrates to see . better that any old nitrates come out in a rince bucket than in your new tank.

I just remember Jon Gordon bought a bunch of Marconi dry reef rock once. he put it in a tank with salt water to rince and cure. and the skimmer foamed like crazy for months and tested high for nitrates. that was real rock from the ocean, dried out with all the dead lifeforms still inside, decayed and died. it depends on how much bacteria and stuff was living in your rock in the old tank.

just a precaution.

nerak · February 2, 2015, 6:22pm

kaptken:

I might put the dry rock in a bucket of RO water for a few days with a power head or air stone to ciculate. I’m thinking the formerly live rock was full of bacteria and microscopic worms and bugs. and when it dried out, they died, and decayed. that would leave some nitrates and phosphates in the rock. the RO water soak would allow most of that to disolve in the water bath. It wouldnt hurt, you could test the water for nitrates to see . better that any old nitrates come out in a rince bucket than in your new tank.

I just remember Jon Gordon bought a bunch of Marconi dry reef rock once. he put it in a tank with salt water to rince and cure. and the skimmer foamed like crazy for months and tested high for nitrates. that was real rock from the ocean, dried out with all the dead lifeforms still inside, decayed and died. it depends on how much bacteria and stuff was living in your rock in the old tank.

just a precaution.

Thats along the same lines as I was thinking as far as the old bacteria.