dead live rock

[Rothany]

hello i just got my hands on around 50 lbs of rock that was in a tank.. there was life on it its all dried out now. what should i do to it before i put it in my tank should i cure it with fresh or saltwater?
:?: thanks for any help

 

[Reef Setup]

You can either wash it off with freshwater, and then throw it in the tank. I would wash it off and then pre-mix salt and slap it in a trash can for a week or 2, with a powerhead for movement.

 

[returnofsid]

Putting in your tank without curing it could cause all kinds of problems. If there's dead material on it, it'll create a lot of ammonia as it decomposes. You DON'T want this happening in your tank.

You're going to need to completely cycle and re-cure this rock, in saltwater. I'd suggest doing this in a garbage can or rubbermaide tote of some kind. It helps to have a skimmer while doing this. There's all kinds of great articles on Reef frontier to explain how to cure rock.

There's a great link on using Muratic Acid to clean the rock and open up all it's pores too.

 

[Rothany]

ok thanks i scrub as much i can off with a saltwater bath now its in a 15 gallon rubbermaid tub with a skimmer and power head should i test water everyday

 

[noonesname124]

pressure washer

 

[Rothany]

That would be fun rocks flying every where hahahahaha

 

[Myteemouse]

You could boil it for 30 mins also!!
Then good rinse!

 

[apollothesun]

You could boil it for 30 mins also!!
Then good rinse!

i bet the family members know what your cooking!

 

[roscoe]

You can give it a bleach bath for 24-48 hrs with power heads. It will wipe everything clean. Then throw it in saltwater (Not your display) for a week or so. I like this method because you can feel safe that their will not be any pest. Yes you might have a longer curing time and all your rocks look white but coraline algea will start to grow back on it in now time.