Live/Dead Rock Help!

[Billybatz9]

Okay Guys,

Here is the deal...

1. I bought a fish tank, along with some live rock in a bucket a year and a half ago at a garage sale.
2. Found out saltwater tanks cost too much, said Hell no. Put the buckets outside. After opening one up after about two weeks, I found out that one had green algae, so I stored them in the garage.
3. Year and half later, I wanted to get into saltwater again.

My question is... Is my rock safe to use in my fish tank? Pictures are below. The white rock with all the holes and the small brain looking rock next to it is the bucket that had all that green algae (which is what I am assuming is the black streaks on the bucket).

First Bucket... (6 lbs of rock) [/SIZE]

The black line is what separated the rock that was from the inside and the tip of the rock that was outside of the water.

Red Spots on the brain looking rock. What could it be?

Second Bucket (8 lbs of rock)

More Red algae looking stuff. What could it be?

IS THIS ROCK SAFE OR DEADLY FOR FISH TANK? Alsoo... How do I get it alive again??

 

[spikey114]

i would buy some new live rock and cycle your tank with your old/dead rock. The bacteria and living stuff should spread to your dead rock over time, making it live again.

 

[Billybatz9]

i would buy some new live rock and cycle your tank with your old/dead rock. The bacteria and living stuff should spread to your dead rock over time, making it live again.

Thanks for the reply. Do you by Any chance know what the red stuff is? Also, how much live rock would I need to make all my dead rock live again?

 

[acabgd]

You just need a few pieces, nothing big. As for the "stuff", it could be anything.

 

[Silvergryphon]

Probably wouldn't hurt to spray the rock down good, maybe do a bleach soak and acid bath to clean up any remaining organics inside, as well as help remove some of the phosphates that are most likely trapped in the rock.

 

[spikey114]

Probably wouldn't hurt to spray the rock down good, maybe do a bleach soak and acid bath to clean up any remaining organics inside, as well as help remove some of the phosphates that are most likely trapped in the rock.

Yeah.. That's a good idea.. Probably get the dead stuff off you probably don't want

 

[shesacharmer]

I would just scrub your rock with a stiff brush, hose it off, and use it to cycle your new tank. Add one or two pieces of live rock from a friend or LFS. Just because it has been sitting in buckets for a year is no reason not to use it or to kill off the bacteria down in the center of the rock. You want that bacteria and it takes years to get down in there. If you decide to add sand to your tank try to get a cupful from a healthy tank to add to yours to kickstart the bacteria there as well.

 

[Billybatz9]

So no bleach soak? Just scrub? What if the red stuff is bad? I can see a lot in the inside of the rocks. Can't reach inside to scrub.

 

[Brando457]

I did the same thing leaving my rocks out in a bin for like a year. All I did when I reused the rock was put it in a container w/ a powerhead and regular water for a few days. Then I dried the rocks out and scaped my tank, having no issues w/ them at all.

I was worried like you are and was going to go nuts with bleach and stuff, but there is really no need.

 

[Billybatz9]

I did the same thing leaving my rocks out in a bin for like a year. All I did when I reused the rock was put it in a container w/ a powerhead and regular water for a few days. Then I dried the rocks out and scaped my tank, having no issues w/ them at all.

I was worried like you are and was going to go nuts with bleach and stuff, but there is really no need.

Thank you. How much live rock did you buy to make your old live rock live again?

 

[Brando457]

None, I cycled it with a shrimp and ghost feeding. I let it cycle for a few weeks and once everything was 0 added my clean up crew. Currently I have 13 fish in the tank, but 4 of them will be moved soon.

 

[acabgd]

So you have 13 fish in how big of a tank? With 14lbs of LR?

 

[Billybatz9]

Just realized the bucket with the algae problem still has green algae on both rocks. I believe this is from being left outside. Should I bleach soak those rocks? Scrubbing off is not an option because it won't come off.

 

[JWClark]

I would not bleach--just rinse and brush off in salt water. That red stuff you are asking about is coralline algae--you want that. Pretty amazing that it has survived for 1.5 yrs in a bucket.

Might want to keep in a larger container w/ a pump of some kind to move water and air stone to aerate the water. Maybe do a few water changes (with good salt water made w/ RODI) to clean the rock out a little bit. If you are just wanting fish then I would just rinse and use (PO4 leaching not as much of an issue--other than possible unwanted algae blooms).

Don't dry out--this rock is still live--has bacterial colonies and such that you want. Any new live rock you introduce will add the same stuff you kill off anyway--but will have more diversity since it wasn't in a stagnant bucket for 1.5yrs.

 

[Billybatz9]

I would not bleach--just rinse and brush off in salt water. That red stuff you are asking about is coralline algae--you want that. Pretty amazing that it has survived for 1.5 yrs in a bucket.

Might want to keep in a larger container w/ a pump of some kind to move water and air stone to aerate the water. Maybe do a few water changes (with good salt water made w/ RODI) to clean the rock out a little bit. If you are just wanting fish then I would just rinse and use (PO4 leaching not as much of an issue--other than possible unwanted algae blooms).

Don't dry out--this rock is still live--has bacterial colonies and such that you want. Any new live rock you introduce will add the same stuff you kill off anyway--but will have more diversity since it wasn't in a stagnant bucket for 1.5yrs.

I tried scrubbing off the dried green algae, but it's not coming off. Thanks for the reply