cooking dead rock

[saltwater freak]

Hello all

I just got about 400lbs of dead rock for $50

the lady i got it from said it had bad algae and aptasia

The rock has been dry for about 3 months so I assume the aptasia is dead if i am wrong let me know

i assume it will be at least 2 to 4 months soaking in ro/di water before i can use it in my display tank(before i reach 0tds and 0 phosphates)

my question is can i use tap water for the first couple of weeks and then start using ro/di until tds and phosphates reach 0 or should i use ro/di water the whole time
Or should i bleach it for a couple of weeks

the only reason i am asking is my unit only produces 75 gpd so at that rate it will take 2 days just to fill the container with ro/di and i have t o change it every couple of days

i assume the rotting stuff in the rock will be worse than whats in the tap water and i am rinsing it for at least 2 months with ro/di water after the tap water soak

all of your help would be appreciated

Thank you in advance for your time

 

[NucMed]

Everything is dead by now. I would just brush them off really well and soak them in RO/DI water for a few days with powerheads in the container. Then I would literally take one piece at a time and shake it very well while submerged in the container. After a good shaking, use a strong powerhead to blast every crevice to make sure everything gets blown out of the rock. Next, dip it in a bucket of fresh RO/DI water and then place it in another container filled saltwater made with RO/DI. Once all the rock is soaking in the new container with saltwater, this is when and where I would introduce a few pieces of fully cured or "cooked" liverock so they can help to add beneficial bacteria to the old rock. You can even add a couple of damsels, etc, etc. It won't be an overnight process. I would keep testing the water to make sure it goes through the whole cycling process. Once it's done, you'll have 400 lbs of liverock free from algae, and other pests that hitchhike in live rock. The reason I would use RO/DI in the whole process is to minimize any phosphates and other chemicals from the tapwater. I wouldn't use bleach, everything is dead already. good luck.

 

[NucMed]

Everything is dead by now. I would just brush them off really well and soak them in RO/DI water for a few days with powerheads in the container. Then I would literally take one piece at a time and shake it very well while submerged in the container. After a good shaking, use a strong powerhead to blast every crevice to make sure everything gets blown out of the rock. Next, dip it in a bucket of fresh RO/DI water and then place it in another container filled saltwater made with RO/DI. Once all the rock is soaking in the new container with saltwater, this is when and where I would introduce a few pieces of fully cured or "cooked" liverock so they can help to add beneficial bacteria to the old rock. You can even add a couple of damsels, etc, etc. It won't be an overnight process. I would keep testing the water to make sure it goes through the whole cycling process. Once it's done, you'll have 400 lbs of liverock free from algae, and other pests that hitchhike in live rock. The reason I would use RO/DI in the whole process is to minimize any phosphates and other chemicals from the tapwater. I wouldn't use bleach, everything is dead already. Have fun!

 

[saltwater freak]

thanks for your time i will use ro/di water through the whole process

to be honest with you i only need about 20 or 30 lbs thats why i bought the rock

i only got it because how can i pass up a deal like 400lbs for $50 even if it is dead (2-4 foot rubbermaid containers full) i know i have my work cut out for me but at that price i saved my self $2000 to $3000 by doing this

i only use dead rock now because i have 2 tanks with 0 aptasia or other pests i started with about 70 lbs at first and now i have about 200 lbs of pest free live rock in 2 different tanks

I am going to cookup a 20 or 30 lbs batch and save the rest for when i set up my 200 gallon next year
so the ro/di water will not be that much for such a small batch

anyways i am babbling lol

thanks for you time

 

[aleonn]

If you really wanted to play it safe in terms of absorbed phosphates, you can do a muriatic acid or vinegar dip (I think there are some threads in the Advanced Forum). With 400 lbs it's going to be a pretty big task, but if you only need 30 lbs, just hand pick the ones you'll put into your tank.

 

[Xx__xX]

I also read somewhere about the muriatic acid. I just did my rock and it cleaned the rocks up pretty good. Just make sure u rinse them well. Can anyone chime in on this..

 

[Agu]

I'd say NucMed pretty much nailed it ......

Everything is dead by now. I would just brush them off really well and soak them in RO/DI water for a few days with powerheads in the container. Then I would literally take one piece at a time and shake it very well while submerged in the container. After a good shaking, use a strong powerhead to blast every crevice to make sure everything gets blown out of the rock. Next, dip it in a bucket of fresh RO/DI water and then place it in another container filled saltwater made with RO/DI. Once all the rock is soaking in the new container with saltwater, this is when and where I would introduce a few pieces of fully cured or "cooked" liverock so they can help to add beneficial bacteria to the old rock.

The only thing I'd add is you may want to use a brush and sprayer (garden hose or sink sprayer) first. Remove as much waste as possible before even starting to cure it.

 

[saltwater freak]

hello all thank you very much for your time

all of your answers have helped ,i think i will cook the 30 lbs and keep using ro/di

my tub is half full it took about 20 hours lol
i just want to clean the bulk so it wont smell and i can use it next year lol

i want to use it next year when i set up my 200 gal after i move so the rock does not have to be perfect it just has to not smell and i will do a through job when i use it

Thanks again

Mike

 

[jackchen01234]

Hi, looking for some dead rock, can i purchase from u ??? live in Toronto too

 

[sirreal63]

If you really wanted to play it safe in terms of absorbed phosphates, you can do a muriatic acid or vinegar dip (I think there are some threads in the Advanced Forum). With 400 lbs it's going to be a pretty big task, but if you only need 30 lbs, just hand pick the ones you'll put into your tank.

I have done the acid bath a couple of times and it works great. Vinegar is less powerful and takes longer but works just as well.