Used tank purchased with 2 buckets of rock in water..

[AboutToBeReefin]

I just bought a used reef tank and it came with a bunch of live rock in water in two buckets with lids. Piecing together the time period it must've sat there 1.5 weeks maybe a bit more. Its been stored there in his shed in Florida spring climate in the dark because of the lids. It appears to have some greenish on it and a few dark spots probably of dead stuff. but i cant tell if its live algae or just the color of the rock. So I am wondering if I should try to use it and hope it still has some beneficial bacterial to jumpstart my cycle or if i should just bleach or acidwash it to make it look all new and start fresh?

 

[AboutToBeReefin]

here are pics. Thanks! I threw an airstone in one in case that can help.

 

[mcgyvr]

If it was in a tank and taken out and has been sitting it saltwater with a lid chances are its perfectly fine and still populated with plenty of bacteria.. You may not have much of a cycle if any depending on how much of it you need/have and the tank will be up/running real quick..

A quick check of the water parameters now (ammonia/nitrites/nitrates) would be beneficial knowledge..

 

[kfisc]

Definitely agree; short of any contaminant introduced in the interim, it's a good find and you can just wait it out and test through any possible cycling. Looks like a nice bunch of rock.

 

[AboutToBeReefin]

Thanks so much guys!!! One last question, any idea what type of reefrock it is?one last pic of the batch that I put the airstone in

 

[kfisc]

Looks like a mix, but some of it (strictly a guess) I would venture is either Fiji or Tonga branch rock.

 

[mcgyvr]

Check the phosphate level too.. May want to take care of that (if there is a problem) before you put it into the tank..

 

[AboutToBeReefin]

Thank you both so much! Good call on the phosphates. Hopefully they leeched out long ago and I get lucky.