How to cure Pukani rock?

[Kaimana969]

So I guess I'd better get started on curing 100 lbs of rock since it seems to take forever. I was going to follow Bulk Reef Supply's method for curing rock, placing it into a big tub full of heated water and agitate it. How long does it generally take to cure? Any tips for a newbie?

 

[nursedude]

I used BRS Pukani, and the BRS dry rock. I cured mine in a 44 gallon rubber made in the garage. I provided agitation and heat as well. I also used my skimmer in the bucket. I figured it would help with the cycle and break in my skimmer.

Before placing it in the container, I sprayed my rock with a hose to remove some of the dead material and found it has a lot of dead material on it, I mean a lot. Because of this I didn't have to add anything to begin the cycle, the dead organisms did the trick. Of course patience is helpful as it does take some time to cycle; however, it is worth it as this is some beautiful rock. I glued mine to make some nice shapes that appear to be larger whole pieces of rock, verses just stacked individual pieces in the aquarium. In fact, if I had it to do over again I would only use the Pukani.

 

[evolutionZ]

i didnt cure pukani but cured a load of nasty live rocks. Took a total of 3 weeks, patience is key here! i also dose AF Pro bio S (bacteria) once a week. lots of GFO and AC were used to remove the phosphate that were leeching.. after 3 weeks, ammonia was 0 and nitrate was raising. its been 6 weeks and finally po4 are almost no longer leeching out from the rocks. would suggest at least 6-8 weeks of curing for the rocks to be at its optimal condition!

 

[tjnorthdakota]

last time I cured pukani two months is when I started to see nitrites at 0 and the phosphates stop leaching. I let it go for another month to for good measure

 

[CrayolaViolence]

I've cured rock several ways. I've put it in bins and let it sit, then I've used skimmers (which speed up the process a bit) along with hermits and crabs (really speeds it up) to pick off debris. My experience with BRS rock is the stuff is relatively clean when you get it. Yeah it does have some junk, but compared to what it looks like fresh out of the box, it's WAY cleaner.
You can wash it off then drop it in a bucket with a wave maker and heater for a couple weeks. I've got a sensitive nose, so I can usually smell the stuff and tell when it's okay. Clean rock smells like fresh ocean. Rock with debris smells like moldy dead stuff.

 

[JUNBUG361]

Thread in reef discussion called preparing rocks has good info. Hope it helps

 

[dlp211]

Thread in reef discussion called preparing rocks has good info. Hope it helps

Link for the lazy

 

[Kaimana969]

Thanks very much everyone! Just what I needed. I had read about people doing acid washes with the Pukani but it wasn't something I wanted to tackle. Nice to know that I don't have to.

So my understanding is that once I've cured my rock, then I aquascape in the tank, fill the tank with saltwater, then start to cycle it? Or will it already be cycled? I'm confused.

 

[PeterHall]

I would also use phosphate remover like seaklear. I had rocks sitting in RODI and would add it every once in a while in the months leading up to adding to my 300 gallon. Set everything up, added some bacteria in a bottle and the tank cycled quickly. Nuisance algae came and went and now the tank is pristine which was a surprise as the sources of the rock was suspect.

I also acid washed them which seemed to help.

 

[nursedude]

Thanks very much everyone! Just what I needed. I had read about people doing acid washes with the Pukani but it wasn't something I wanted to tackle. Nice to know that I don't have to.

So my understanding is that once I've cured my rock, then I aquascape in the tank, fill the tank with saltwater, then start to cycle it? Or will it already be cycled? I'm confused.

You should be testing (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, also phosphate) as the rock is curing; because, it can begin to cycle while in the curing stage. The dead organisms on and within the rock kick off the nitrogen process, which encourages beneficial bacterial growth (cycling). You should see an expected order of organics: ammonia, nitrites and then nitrates, each of these represent a different form of bacteria now processing an organic compound in the water. Once this happens you can add the rock to your tank, and start slowly with live stock. Remember it takes time for the bacteria to grow and compensate for the higher organic loads of our tank additions.

I almost missed my ammonia spike, which would have made me wonder if it ever occurred and question if I had cycled my rock. Thus, why most people will recommend testing during the curing process. Also, Pukani by it's nature is very porous and you will hear people describe it as leaking phosphate. I don't necessarily subscribe to the rocks leach xyz, organic, but I do believe Pukani retains a tremendous amount of dead biological media and this leaches phosphate. This is more of the curing process, by curing the rock outside the display tank it is ultimately easier to manage unwanted organics with water changes or media before putting them into the display tank. IMO, it is much easier to reduce phosphate while curing, verses when it reappears in the form of nuisance algae in your aquarium later. I hope this helps and doesn't sound condescending. I too found cycling and curing confusing. I believe this came about because of the use of dry rock, which requires curing, verses the live rock we used to use, which required cycling.

 

[Skynite]

Should I worry about removing all the dead worm skeletons before begining my cycle? I used a pressure washer to remove as much as I could without blasting the rocks to bits. Should I not use rocks with excessive worm skeletons?

 

[Swensos]

I soaked my pukani in a watered-down vinegar bath for three days and swished them in the water whenever I walked by them. The amount of sponges, crab-bits, softened feather worm casings, and random gunk that came out was amazing. I know I didn't get it all out, but the less organics you have decomposing in their the better, I suppose.

 

[Skynite]

You should be testing (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, also phosphate) as the rock is curing; because, it can begin to cycle while in the curing stage. The dead organisms on and within the rock kick off the nitrogen process, which encourages beneficial bacterial growth (cycling). You should see an expected order of organics: ammonia, nitrites and then nitrates, each of these represent a different form of bacteria now processing an organic compound in the water. Once this happens you can add the rock to your tank, and start slowly with live stock. Remember it takes time for the bacteria to grow and compensate for the higher organic loads of our tank additions.

I almost missed my ammonia spike, which would have made me wonder if it ever occurred and question if I had cycled my rock. Thus, why most people will recommend testing during the curing process. Also, Pukani by it's nature is very porous and you will hear people describe it as leaking phosphate. I don't necessarily subscribe to the rocks leach xyz, organic, but I do believe Pukani retains a tremendous amount of dead biological media and this leaches phosphate. This is more of the curing process, by curing the rock outside the display tank it is ultimately easier to manage unwanted organics with water changes or media before putting them into the display tank. IMO, it is much easier to reduce phosphate while curing, verses when it reappears in the form of nuisance algae in your aquarium later. I hope this helps and doesn't sound condescending. I too found cycling and curing confusing. I believe this came about because of the use of dry rock, which requires curing, verses the live rock we used to use, which required cycling.

Thanks for the PM. I couldn't reply, don't have privilege yet but wanted to say thx for info.