What To Do With 200 Pounds Of Rock

[logiktest]

Greetings to all! This is my first question on this forum... so here we go.

I feel like I won the saltwater reef lottery today. I have been planning a new tank for the better part of a year now, and today I found an add on Craigslist for FREE saltwater aquarium rock. Turned out to be a mile away from my house.
Now I'm at home and I don't know what to do with it. It's almost all bright white, some off white. It's dry. It's dead. I plan to reseed it and use it, but I'm not sure how to go about preparing it for the new tank beforehand... if at all. I was given no information about its origin, the status of the tank when the rock was removed, and no idea about how long it has been out of the tank. I picked it up "at the curb". I have read a few threads about "cooking rock", however, I'm not sure If this applies to my situation. Please save my reef from getting off on the wrong foot! Thanks in advance!

Mike

 

[Scooterman]

I would just boil it in a large pot outside, this will remove unwanted nasties, then let it dry out well. Then I would insert it in a large tub with saltwater, heater & a PH or two. Once you get it to temperature I'd add a few pieces or LR to seed it & let it cycle a few months, If you have a tank with nothing in it then you could cycle it in there also, just expect a long cycle time.

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF!! As for what to do with the rock, I think Scooty gave you some good advice. Best and safest way to go about it IMO.

 

[DonW]

I would contact Boomer and find out if there is a way to test it for copper. It is a great find but reefers tend to place a high value on LR and even dead rock. If it came from a ornimental tank there may have been medications ued directly in the system.

Don

 

[logiktest]

Initially I just thought I would hose it all off and roll with it, but after further reading into it, I figure some amount of sanitation is in order. Would using bleach be too extreme? When you say "boil it in a large pot outside", are we talking turkey fryer style, or baby pool with sunlight? Also If I where to place it all in a 55 gal. tub or drum then add some live rock to seed it, would the live rock not have massive die-off and trap detritus in its pores? Or would the powerheads/airstone be enough to flush this out? I though their purpose in this application was just for O2 and surface agitation. The definition of "cooking" is confusing.

 

[logiktest]

"I would contact Boomer and find out if there is a way to test it for copper. It is a great find but reefers tend to place a high value on LR and even dead rock. If it came from a ornimental tank there may have been medications ued directly in the system."


Excellent point.

 

[Damsel13]

Copper BAD! For reef tanks.
And while it is doing it's thing in that salt water in the dark. Take your significant other that shares your space out to dinner often. Hehe. Not origional heard it here on Reef Frontiers.

Welcome and nice to meet you.

 

[logiktest]

Thanks for the welcome! Nice to meet you as well. Copper BAD? yes. Assay strips to test for copper? Have not seen one yet. Taking A significant other that shares my space out to dinner more often? I would. but Goldfin Gigglesworth the goldfish will only go out with me riding in a bowl, and is a cheap date, and never listens to what I have to say.

 

[Damsel13]

Well, yea that Goldfin Gigglesworth ISa cheap date.

 

[blind1993]

i would give the rock at leat 6 months to come back. that is how long it is taking for my lr to come back to life.

 

[DonW]

i would give the rock at leat 6 months to come back. that is how long it is taking for my lr to come back to life.

Hu, how do you figure. Once it cycles its cycled and has plenty of bacteria.

Don

 

[logiktest]

Here are two pictures to show you an example of the rocks condition. The first picture is two rocks that I hosed off with a jet like stream of water. The second picture is the current state of all the rock, covered in white and some gray salt. There are very few red-purple-pink spots. Also the rock does not have a foul smell, I think it smells like the ocean, If that means anything to you.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_members/data/500/Picture_032.jpg
Picture_032
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_members/data/500/Picture_033.jpg
Picture_033

 

[Sascha D]

I would just boil it in a large pot outside, this will remove unwanted nasties, then let it dry out well. Then I would insert it in a large tub with saltwater, heater & a PH or two. Once you get it to temperature I'd add a few pieces or LR to seed it & let it cycle a few months, If you have a tank with nothing in it then you could cycle it in there also, just expect a long cycle time.

I would personally follow this advice. I'd even take it a step further and add a piece or two of something fleshy like a prawn to decay and help feed your rock. It'll provide food and give you a way to test how your colony is comming.