dead rock - need help
- Thread starter wyang76
- Start date
The dead rock doesn't not become liverock on its own. It does need LR to seed it and it will take a bit longer than 6 weeks for it to become live once again. Change those weeks to months and you may be seeing the rock be an effective biofiltration media once again.
Hold on a minute wyang. We were talking just getting the tank set up with rocks. Planning fish at this stage is useless unless you plan on getting fully cured LR at the LFS.
:lol:
Cycle we still just have a tank with old dead rock. What's to cycle? Am I missing something here?
Cycle we still just have a tank with old dead rock. What's to cycle? Am I missing something here?
shag26272
New member
i know marcorocks says that there is still dead plants and stuff in there base rock that will cause a cycle, but fish food or something would cause your bacteria to grow also just like a biowheel works, but you wouldnt get any of the life that was on the LR like worms and such unless you seeded
I'm not too familiar with this Marco rock. I take it is LR that dried out at some time.
As I just mentioned in another reply, you can soak it in a bleach solution. Take about a 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon or very warm water and add the rock. Let it soak overnight then rinse it well. Let it air dry for a day or two until you know the pores are dry. Then rinse it again and add it to your tank. That treatment usually gets rid of any old organic matter clinging to the rock and should prevent an ammonia spike.
As I just mentioned in another reply, you can soak it in a bleach solution. Take about a 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon or very warm water and add the rock. Let it soak overnight then rinse it well. Let it air dry for a day or two until you know the pores are dry. Then rinse it again and add it to your tank. That treatment usually gets rid of any old organic matter clinging to the rock and should prevent an ammonia spike.
SJGreene
New member
WaterKeeper,
Well since wyang76 is talking about setting up a new tank with old rock and asking if LR should be added to seed the dead rock, don't you think that the plan is to add water and have the tank cycle? That's the way I read it. Maybe I misunderstood.
Also, my 4 to 6 weeks comment regarding the length of the cycle was not indicating the time for the dead rock to become completely live again. I was meaning that the Nitrogen cycle should be completed in that time if LR was used to seed.
Sorry for not being clearer.
Well since wyang76 is talking about setting up a new tank with old rock and asking if LR should be added to seed the dead rock, don't you think that the plan is to add water and have the tank cycle? That's the way I read it. Maybe I misunderstood.
Also, my 4 to 6 weeks comment regarding the length of the cycle was not indicating the time for the dead rock to become completely live again. I was meaning that the Nitrogen cycle should be completed in that time if LR was used to seed.
Sorry for not being clearer.
Wayne.
A lot depends on the date on the Tombstone (or is it Tombrock) of the dead rock. From your first post it appears that the rock met its maker around 2005 or so and has been sitting around dry. That means that most everything is pretty well decayed already and only dehydrated remains will remain. The bleach soak I outlined above will pretty much take care of those remnants.
Once in the tank you can check ammonia levels after a day or two and see if there is any indicated. My own guess is it will be little, less, nothing. I'd get your seed rock at that point and add it. It will help if the seed is fully cured but you can get uncured and go through a tank cure. You seem to want fish pretty fast but you will need to wait some either way. You'll need to wait at least a month for sufficient biological activity to occur to add a fish and I do mean A fish. After a couple of weeks you can add another. Just take thinks slow. Since it will probably be half a year until the rock is indeed live again do large water changes on a frequent basis to keep water parameters in order.
Hope that helps.
A lot depends on the date on the Tombstone (or is it Tombrock) of the dead rock. From your first post it appears that the rock met its maker around 2005 or so and has been sitting around dry. That means that most everything is pretty well decayed already and only dehydrated remains will remain. The bleach soak I outlined above will pretty much take care of those remnants.
Once in the tank you can check ammonia levels after a day or two and see if there is any indicated. My own guess is it will be little, less, nothing. I'd get your seed rock at that point and add it. It will help if the seed is fully cured but you can get uncured and go through a tank cure. You seem to want fish pretty fast but you will need to wait some either way. You'll need to wait at least a month for sufficient biological activity to occur to add a fish and I do mean A fish. After a couple of weeks you can add another. Just take thinks slow. Since it will probably be half a year until the rock is indeed live again do large water changes on a frequent basis to keep water parameters in order.
Hope that helps.
