Pukani Rock leacing PO4 like mad

[bertoni]

You could start curing the rock and treating it with lanthanum chloride. I'd just put it in a tub with some RO/DI water and a powerhead for aeration, and let it go. A tiny bit of fish food once a day might help make sure there's some food for bacteria. If you want it to be doing filtration sooner, curing it with saltwater would work better.

 

[DozerDozer]

Got my RODI unit installed today. Now I can dose LC and do water changes. I will post my phosphate numbers. quick question. Does my BRS dual tds meter test water from source and after DI or does it test water from after first two filters and then after DI? I ask because my meter reads only 11tds from source then 0 for after. 11 tds is pretty good source water, No?

 

[bertoni]

11 TDS is very low for source water. I would guess that that measurement is taken after the RO membrane, but I could be wrong.

 

[rrasco]

11 is low, but I would also assume that is after your RO? My source is like 350, 6-12 after RO and 0 after DI. Setup your meter to check after RO then after DI, test your source manually or before you install the dual meter.

 

[DozerDozer]

This question is off topic.- I'm buying the innovative marine 38 gallon nano tank. I'm not too familiar with LED lights. I know I want the 92 watt light. My question is which one? They have A 10K 14k 20k or a dual spectrum. I'm not sure the difference. Any help would be great. Thanks. I'm planning on keeping all kinds of corals and a few small fish. Thanks

 

[mattheo]

I am going to put 40lbs of pukani dr rock in a bin with saltwater to cure it.

What kind of powerhead should I put in it? (gph)

Also should I put a heater and ph probe?

I want to let the dry rock few day to see if it is leaching PO4 (I get the hanna phosphorus checker).

 

[bertoni]

Even a very small one, like 300 gph, likely is more than enough for curing rock. I wouldn't bother with a heater at this point, personally, or with checking the pH.

 

[mattheo]

Thanks bertoni.

I read somewhere that treating Pukani rocks with muriatic acid and bleach and then LC was making it a dead rock... thus defeating the purpose. And having to wait for ages with some live sand to grow some bacteria/coraline.

What do you think ?

 

[bertoni]

The muriatic and bleach treatment does kill the rock. I wouldn't do it, but I'm more patient with delays than most.

 

[mattheo]

I am patient too! Few weeks...

So we want to keep it alive? In other words, is it a problem to have it dead if we can re-seed it thru live sand properly?

What are the alternative that would keep it alive ? RODI water changes ? SW water changes? LC ? Just Muriatic or Bleach?

I soaked my rocks in fresh SW to test PO4, and within 24hrs the water was all yellow and the whole garage was stinking. I tested the PO4 with Hanna Checker Phosphorus ULR, it gave me straight 200 (the max of the device) => 0.61, so it is probably more.

Still sticking to the OT Pukani/PO4 leaching/LC I am a somewhat lost.

 

[OregonReefer2]

I am patient too! Few weeks...

So we want to keep it alive? In other words, is it a problem to have it dead if we can re-seed it thru live sand properly?

What are the alternative that would keep it alive ? RODI water changes ? SW water changes? LC ? Just Muriatic or Bleach?

I soaked my rocks in fresh SW to test PO4, and within 24hrs the water was all yellow and the whole garage was stinking. I tested the PO4 with Hanna Checker Phosphorus ULR, it gave me straight 200 (the max of the device) => 0.61, so it is probably more.

Still sticking to the OT Pukani/PO4 leaching/LC I am a somewhat lost.

Pukani isn't really "live rock" It's been out of the water for a long time by the time it gets to you... Live rock, by most peoples definition, would be rock that's been in the ocean or tank and has established some beneficial bacteria and other water dwelling organisms living on/in it.

I'm in the process of re-aquascaping (I'm the OP BTW, my account got messed up so I had to make another) with my extra Pukani and some rock from TBS.

My plan is an acid dip (just the Pukani / already done) and to let the rock cycle in SW with a dead shrimp (new rock is on week 5 of cycling) while dosing LC to suck out the phosphates. At this stage I'm very happy with the results I'm getting. The phosphates have declined to unreadable and I'm about ready to place it in the tank.

 

[mattheo]

OP, do you have coraline on the previous rocks you mentioned few months ago? Do you have pictures?
Qhen the LC precipitates, in the brute with the powerhead of water circulation: Doesn't the precipitate stays cloudy in the water instead of staying at the bottom of the bin? (So can't add drops of more LC to the same water)

 

[bertoni]

Hmm, I guess I don't know what might be on the Pukani rock. If it has live animals, then I wouldn't want to kill them. Bacteria and other microbes are less interesting, since they'll reseed on their own.

 

[mattheo]

All right, yesterday I soaked my rocks in muriatic acid (1:10) for 20min, powerwashed it, then let it soaked in tap water with bleach (2:10) for 24hours, powerwashed it again tonight.
It's been soaking in tap water with dechlorinator (Seachem Prime, 50ml for 25gal) since an hour.

Now I am a little bit confused, what's next ? I get SeaKlear.

Should I soak the rocks in fresh saltwater -instead of tap water- with some seachem and see if phosphate are rising after 24hours and start LC treatment?

Or should I let it soak in this tap water with dechlorinator for the night and tomorrow put it in fresh SW and monitor the PO4?


As a side question, I also read somewhere that after the acid/bleach/LC treatment, I need to totally dry the rock for few weeks before putting it in my DT (new DT!). Can't I just put the wet cleaned rocks in a DT with SW, some bio-spira, live sand and start cycling with a dead shrimp?

 

[bertoni]

You can soak the rock in tap water if the tap water has a low phosphate level and you just want to remove any phosphate. If you want to start the cycling process, you need to use saltwater. In either case, a powerhead will help keep the tank water from becoming anoxic.

 

[Maureensreef]

leaching rocks and algae scubbers

leaching rocks and algae scubbers

When starting a new tank with dry rock, uncured and letting it cycle in the display while using an algae scrubber and skimmer in the sump, would the scrubber use the phosphates the rock might be leaching to grow algae on the scrubber instead of in the display tank?

 

[YoungREEFA]

Okay guys, theres a wealth of info on here and i thing this thread needs a sticky!
Now, i bought 40 pounds of dry rock from premium aquatics. So i just soaked it for a few days then threw it in. I never had an algae problem before but now guess what, GHA on the rock thats new, and minimal on the previous rock in there thats live. I have had i in the tank for maybe 2 months, and the algae isnt terrible, the snails are trying there best and leaving white patches and traces of clean rock. I run everything HOB like the skimmer and powerfilter with chemipure and purigen.

So i think there are two decent ways to solve this. A. Hook up a reactor and run some sort of phos Sponge then take it our after a day and run some gfo.
Or run a whole bunch of water changes because i feel the snails can eat it al if i place em on the rock a few times a day!

I dont have a phosphate tester as i never had a po4 problem, but i know its in there and i need your help!
Thanks !

 

[bertoni]

For Maureensreef: The algae scrubber might reduce phosphate as well as many other methods, although it's possible that the algae will become nitrogen-limited, and not be able to keep up with the release of phosphate. You could try it, and add GFO or use some similar approach if needed.

 

[bertoni]

For YoungREEFA: I would try using GFO first. I suspect that water changes will cost more, over the long run.

 

[mginn]

Using LC while cycling a tank

Using LC while cycling a tank

If I am cycling a tank with a large percentage of dry rock would it be possible to add lanthium chloride directly to the DT while cycling, instead of performing this process out of the tank in trash cans.