Wet Dry rock

[nybyrne]

I was able to get about 100lbs of really nice dry rock (was live once) but the owner had left it sitting in the sun for a few weeks and then placed it into tubs with fresh/tap water. I am going to start my new tank cycle sometime in the next week or so and was wondering if I need to do some type of special preparation to the dry rock that sat in fresh water for weeks.

Thanks for the help,
Joe

 

[whosurcaddie]

I would put the rock in a couple rubbermaid containers with freshly mixed saltwater and let it sit for about a week. You will want a powerhead in the containers for some water movement. After a week is up test for phosphate. If you get phosphate readings change the water and wait another week and test again. Repeat this process until the water is free of phosphates. If you don't want to change water there is a chemical called lanthanum chloride its made by a company called seaklear. You can dose the water with lanthanum and it will bind up the phosphate and you wont need to change the water.

I dose Lanthanum directly to my tank so There's nothing to worry about when done properly. Hell in a rubber maid container you could just pour a cap full in, boom no more phosphate.

 

[whosurcaddie]

The lanthanum I use.http://www.amazon.com/SeaKlear-Phosphate-Treatment-Solution-Clarifier/dp/B008UMF4PQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415813641&sr=8-2&keywords=lanthanum+chloride

 

[nybyrne]

What if I dose dose Lanthanum in tank during the cycle? Will it hurt anything?

 

[whosurcaddie]

No that's fine be sure to research it though. You want to make sure you have all the pieces necessary. You basically need a doser of some kind I make all of mine the cheap way out of milk jugs. Then you need a set of 10 or 5 micron filter socks. You want to dilute about 10ml of lanthanum into a half gallon of ro/di water and dose it into your overflow. At the end of the drain line should be the 10 micron filter sock. You will need to change the socks often because the lanthanum creates phosphate crystals that clog up the socks very quickly. You want to dose about 1 drop every two seconds.