chatyak
New member
Not from Quebec, no. I got mine through BRS - the "eco" rock.
Cooking Dry Rock - Vinegar Question
- Thread starter chatyak
- Start date
Not from Quebec, no. I got mine through BRS - the "eco" rock.
Are you saying then, that technically I can keep adding/changing RO-DI water to the brute bin, and it SHOULD be clear at some point?
Well, that's probably true, but if the rock is crumbling for some reason, it may take a long time.
Well, that's probably true, but if the rock is crumbling for some reason, it may take a long time.
chatyak
New member
Are you saying then, that technically I can keep adding/changing RO-DI water to the brute bin, and it SHOULD be clear at some point?
Well, that's probably true, but if the rock is crumbling for some reason, it may take a long time.
What would be your plan of action?
I was hoping to get it clean soaked and epoxied within a month's time.
If you rub the rock surface with your had, does it seem crumbly, releasing powder?
chatyak
New member
No. Very little to none - I rubbed and cleaned it so much that the skin on the tips of my fingers is nearly gone and it hurts to touch or firmly grab anything - literally my fingers started bleeding :lolspin:
Everytime I took the rock out of the brute bin, the bottom of the bin would have sand and rock bits in it and I would wedge my finger into all the parts of the rock using a scraping motion - poking at any loose debris and crumbling it/dunking in a pail with clean ro/di - so if there is any left - it would be very little - unless of course it keeps dissolving in ro/di.
I have saltwater ready to put into the bin if that seems okay. I also would like to seed it before I put it into the main display, however I have to epoxy it first.... so I will put the finished structure into the brute bin and let that seed - then simply place into the display tank after 2-3 weeks - and the needed bacteria should be on the rock's surface correct?
It is my understanding that seeding the rock is similar to seeding a sponge for QT - there is no ammonia cycle that takes place - it is simply a transfer of beneficial bacteria from one rock surface to another (if I placed a rock from my tank, say my remote deep sand bed brute bin - I have rocks in there - and put one of those rocks into the dry rock seed bin).
I'd just give it a final rinse in flowing water and move on.
chatyak
New member
I'd just give it a final rinse in flowing water and move on.
So seeding it is a waste of time? Sorry but I'm not as adapt to chemical-ness as you are :bounce1:
I will be swapping out a large portion of the rock in my tank - so I'd like to keep it bacteria friendly for the most part.
1) Can you confirm that adding the dry rock to the tank will simply allow it to be covered with the good bacteria - there won't be any ammonia spike on the new rock because there is no cycle - since the tank is already cycled?
2) If I however, added food to the brute bin - this would cause an ammonia cycle in the dry rock bin.
3) If I added LR to the dry rock bin, it would seed the new rock over a period of a few weeks - the same as putting it in the main display -except it would be ready right away to use - say after 3 weeks?
I will test the bin for phosphates - but after that I will get the rocks ready to be epoxied then - my concerns are just what to do with it after epoxying - either seed it in the bin or place in display.
Wouldn't the ph drop again though? Ex) Rock dissolves - ph rises.... after time ph drops - rock dissolves - ph rises etc...
It might drop some from CO2 entering from the air but not likely to the low level of the ro water or low enough to dissolve more rock. Changing the water will drop it again though until a small amount dissolves and raises the ph again. The vinegar drops teh ph too.
It might drop some from CO2 entering from the air but not likely to the low level of the ro water or low enough to dissolve more rock. Changing the water will drop it again though until a small amount dissolves and raises the ph again. The vinegar drops teh ph too.
+1 after you do your epoxy work ,obviously. It will need to cycle ammonia any way you seed it .
chatyak
New member
I was not aware that clean dry rock had to cycle ammonia unless you start a cycle with it - such as adding food in the bin etc... to kickstart the nitrate cycle.
I thought by placing the clean rock into the display - the beneficial bacteria simply multiplied onto the new rock. You are saying then, that the dry rock will ammonia spike?
No that is not what I am saying.You said you wanted to get it ready to act as biofilter in your tank before putting it in and the method Jonathan suggested is a good one .
If it still had organics on it they would begin to decay when placed in salt water.
If it still had organics on it they would begin to decay when placed in salt water.
chatyak
New member
Ahhh :lmao: Alright - just to clarify the different scenarios then:
1) If placed in tank as-is, the beneficial bacteria would simply multiply onto new rock in given time.
2) If cured in brute bin with food, heater, pump, etc.. - there will be the normal ammonia-nitrite-nitrate cycle.
3) Placing a piece of live rock from display into brute bin - is the same as placing the dry rock into the tank - it will seed the dry rock in given time (in the brute bin).
4) I could also move the LR from the display and put it in the sump - thereby leaving the current "working" rock in the sump, but at the same time having the new rock in the display portion.
:bounce2:
Placing a piece of live rock from display into brute bin - is the same as placing the dry rock into the tank - it will seed the dry rock in given time (in the brute bin)
If there is nothing organic in the water to give ammonia as it decays, dead rock sitting in that water will very slowly if ever develop the nitrogen cycle bacteria, even if appropriate bacteria are present elsewhere in the system.
If there is nothing organic in the water to give ammonia as it decays, dead rock sitting in that water will very slowly if ever develop the nitrogen cycle bacteria, even if appropriate bacteria are present elsewhere in the system.
chatyak
New member
Very interesting. So in theory - if you setup a brand new tank and ran the cycle with the shrimp - ammonia, etc... and then did nothing more after the cycle was "cured" - your rock would slowly lose the bacteria? Anotherwords, it is the constant addition of fish waste, food, etc... that keeps the bacteria alive?
On a side note - I tested for phosphates with Hanna's checker and the brute bin reads 0.00 ppm :fish1:
Very interesting. So in theory - if you setup a brand new tank and ran the cycle with the shrimp - ammonia, etc... and then did nothing more after the cycle was "cured" - your rock would slowly lose the bacteria? Anotherwords, it is the constant addition of fish waste, food, etc... that keeps the bacteria alive?
Yes.
Yes.
chatyak
New member
Very interesting. So in theory - if you setup a brand new tank and ran the cycle with the shrimp - ammonia, etc... and then did nothing more after the cycle was "cured" - your rock would slowly lose the bacteria? Anotherwords, it is the constant addition of fish waste, food, etc... that keeps the bacteria alive?
Yes.
How would one run a coral-only tank or a coral QT then?
