live rock question
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Sethjamto
New member
I wouldn't blink an eye at bleaching. I got some LR locally from a reefer and the rock was slam covered in aptasia. I scrubbed, bleached, powerwashed, rinsed, rinsed, rinsed, ran a de-clorinator a few times on it, rinsed several more times, then let it air dry in the sun for a week. After that went into a tub of SW with a powerhead for a few weeks and then into my 90g. It went great!
Thanks sethjamto. I had my beautiful wife pick me up some bleach at the store tonight. Regular Clorox. I wanted it in case I needed it. I am still scrubbing away at this algae. This is starting to get old! Anyway, it seems logical to me that bleaching would be a way to kill off anything left after super scrubbing and rinsing. As long as I give it the proper cleaning and curing time I have to believe it should all be worth it in the end.
My 5 year old is excited about our stand build. That should keep us busy while the rock gets ready.
With any luck, I'll be posting my new set-up before too long.
My 5 year old is excited about our stand build. That should keep us busy while the rock gets ready.
With any luck, I'll be posting my new set-up before too long.
Saltliquid
New member
I have bleached and boiled any live rock I have been associated with for over 30 years; I do not trust live rock!
For some years I use to use it in the late 70s and early 80s and always had a hitchhiker or two that were a pain in the butt.
This will show why I would never bother using live rock.
This was my very dead rock still smelling of bleach for one of my tanks before setting it up and attaching corals.
This is that tank now.
For some years I use to use it in the late 70s and early 80s and always had a hitchhiker or two that were a pain in the butt.
This will show why I would never bother using live rock.
This was my very dead rock still smelling of bleach for one of my tanks before setting it up and attaching corals.
This is that tank now.
Beautiful tank liquidg! I can only hope to have a tank that colorful and vibrant one day.
I am hoping to do this right and avoid some of the nasty surprises I've read about with people setting up their new tanks.
Could you give me some advice on your bleaching procedure? I read another post that said 10:1 water/bleach. Let it soak for a day, then rinse the rock, use declorinator, and cure from there. Does this sound right?
Thanks in advance.
I am hoping to do this right and avoid some of the nasty surprises I've read about with people setting up their new tanks.
Could you give me some advice on your bleaching procedure? I read another post that said 10:1 water/bleach. Let it soak for a day, then rinse the rock, use declorinator, and cure from there. Does this sound right?
Thanks in advance.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Good question whether the FW bacteria will carry over to SW. I know the algae won't, but it will re-grow SW algae.
Why not just put it in the SW, and let it sit for a month or two before putting anything in.
Why not just put it in the SW, and let it sit for a month or two before putting anything in.
Saltliquid
New member
I get the hottest water I can in a 20 litre bucket and add 3 cups of pure liquid bleach from the super market and then sit in the dead rock and twist the bucket in my hands to circulate the water around the rock off and on for a couple times per hour till it is cold water and then leave the buckets sit for two days.
I then take it out rinse it thoroughly and soak it in RO water a few times and leave it in the weather for a couple of weeks to a month.
Or if our drain-creek is running at the time from rain I sit it in there for a couple of days after bleaching, I did that the last time.
I have tried the bacteria thing and it does not carry over!
I do this as well.
http://southeastqueenslandm.aforumfree.com/t1916-making-your-own-coral-encrusted-live-rock
Oh and These are important and I do mine with algae, don’t you try nutrient control that way, you need some serious understanding of bio functions to do it that way.
First up, have in place if you can some caulerpa, never in the display though!!!
Not much is needed but this helps balance nutrients, you won’t have enough or the correct amount or correct ones to do it all, but some balancing is a must.
Balancing means that algae will import not just nutrients but toxins as well that they convert via photosynthesis and leach them into the surrounding waters of all kinds of valuable elements.
Caulerpa species, more so racemosa are the only marine algae that will do this affectively!
Then make up a little reactor for nitra guard titanium on one level and some GFH on the next to assist the nitra guard with its other work upon phos.
You need to account for nitrate and phos no “matter what” or don’t go with stationary inverts at all.
Anything somewhere will provide some surface area and account for the nitrogen cycle to nitrate, from then on most tanks can not account for nitrate and phos with out help.
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Green Chromis
New member
:fish1: Beautiful tank Liquidg, I have been maintaining aquariums for over 40 years and have always used 100% live rock to start my tanks. It also depends on the quality of the rock your starting with, I love all the life on the rock and the diversity of life will give you a better chance of a successful aquarium. :fish1:
I think I'm going to do this with the bulk of the rock I have. I have more than I need right now so I'm going to do a scrub and cure for 2/3 of the rock.
Thanks. I'm feeling much more confident that this will ultimately work out well.
Saltliquid
New member
I have access to the best of live rock and hitchhikers of the not wanted types and excessive toxins are still all that live rock represents to me.
I make my own from sterilised base rock and add my types of life to it, no surprises and full control of the aquariums entire life form count and subsequent interactions that way.
