I have about 35lbs of base rock that I boiled back in 2004 when I broke down my last tank. I know now that I was lucky to survive that, thank you very much. (The internet didn't have so much information back then, jeez, I wish I had known better, but tg). That tank was a 20gal standard, FOWLR, and I had a HOB standard issue Wallyworld filter, but tons of good purple, and bristleworms like crazy. I did water changes 2x week for such a small tank and never ran a skimmer. 1 percula, 1 (surviving) domino damsel and one yellow tail damsel. I won't make that mistake again-NEVER cycle with fish, AND the ones that survive are *****es! The rock has been sitting in a HD 5gallon bucket for almost ten years dry. Do I re-bleach, or rinse like mad? I'm planning on using it to build my base with around 50lbs base sand. 50gal - 48x12x18. I'll probably not set up until somewhere around November-January, and plan on cycling until spring, which would be about 3 months of seeding and coralline spread. :wave:I'm looking at getting a few lbs of quality rock from a lfs.... who is the best provider in the valley, and how much more do you think I should get? I'm not doing corals any time in the near future, and can't build a sump right now until we remodel my kitchen area. I'm looking at minimal fish load, maybe a few peaceful small fish next spring. I'll be adding a protein skimmer once I get fish, and won't look at corals until I'm running a 90 or more tank. I guess I'm just asking who has the best seed rock, how much, and how do I treat the base rock I have, lol. Thanks everyone.
Base rock
- Thread starter npj333
- Start date
rapture
New member
I would highly suggest getting a skimmer before anything else. Protein skimmers (also called foam fractionators) look like a long tube with a round filter catch unit on top. They use desaturation to filter wastes from aquarium water. Desaturation works by creating a lot of air bubbles -- usually by forcing air through a bubble-making air stone. This forces both the air and the waste up to the filtration media.The air bubbles serve two purposes. They attract organic waste to them and push them up to the filter on the protein skimmer's top. Once joined with the air bubbles, the waste is pushed up to the catch filter top. Waste is attracted to the air bubbles through use of surface tension and eventually foam up rather than stay liquid. The foam grows as more waste is added and usually turns a dark brown. they are the most efficient way to remove harmful toxins from water
Last edited:
rapture
New member
Half fill your bucket with saltwater. The water should have a specific gravity of 1.021 to 1.024.
2
Place rocks into the water, wearing your gloves to prevent cuts and possible infection. If necessary, add more saltwater to cover the rocks.
3
Install heater and power head. The heater should be set at 80 degrees F.
4
Change the water completely every three days for three weeks. Before changing the water, give the rocks a light scrub with your nylon brush
5
Test the ammonia and nitrite levels after three weeks. If they are zero, your rocks are ready for use. Otherwise, perform another water change and test again in a few days
2
Place rocks into the water, wearing your gloves to prevent cuts and possible infection. If necessary, add more saltwater to cover the rocks.
3
Install heater and power head. The heater should be set at 80 degrees F.
4
Change the water completely every three days for three weeks. Before changing the water, give the rocks a light scrub with your nylon brush
5
Test the ammonia and nitrite levels after three weeks. If they are zero, your rocks are ready for use. Otherwise, perform another water change and test again in a few days
