Need some advice on how to properly clean some rock
 

Hi there, my friend just gave something like 50 pounds of live rock, well not that live anymore cause he had them without water and plus he had a major coral die off on his tank. He no longer has his tank running that's why he gave them to me. The advice that i need is that is it enough to put in boiled water? Or do i need to do somthing else to really clean them cause i dont want to put in my sump if they still some bad stuff.

Thanks,

Manny

Well if all the rocks are bone dry, that means every living thing in there is dead.
you need to have the rocks cycled separate than your running saltwater tank with a heater lights lots of water movement and wait,probably you need to do a few water changes during that period.

Why did all his coral die? are you sure it has nothing to do with the rocks? maybe the rocks been thru a copper treatment?

Since the rocks are already dried. I would do an acid bath, muriatic acid, to remove a tiny layer of the surface and any po4 trapped within. Then cycle as normal, in a bin of course.

Forgot to mention the copper part.
i like the idea with muriatic or hydrochloric acid,be very careful if you are going threw with the acid treatment.Very corrosive to anything it comes in contact with.

Can you tell me more about the acid thing?

Muriatic or Hydrocloric acid is a highly corrosive,strong mineral acid.Hydrogen Chloride solution.
In simple dilute the acid with water place your rock in it, make sure its outside or very well vemtilated acid will react with calcium (your rock is a calcium base) stripping a thin layer out into solution, clean your rock afterwords thoroughly with some fresh water test for ph and your rock is ready for a cycling period.

I dont think these rocks have been in copper treatment ever, i think his corals died because he was using tap water and i told not to. Anyways, how long would i need to cycle them for? Do i need to be checking for water parameters as well? Would i have an ammonia spike in there?

if it was me i would cook the rock for a min of 3 months. AKA cycle it as per usual but in the dark.. NO LIGHT AT ALL... this will cycle the rock and the lack of a photo period will kill off any remaining algae spores etc.... and yes dry or not there is still living ( OK NOT LIVING BUT WILL SEED THE TANK) algae on it... i have started with dry rock a couple of times and still come up with valonia and red turf....

IS THERE ANY DANGER? HOW DO YOU HEANDEL IT? HOW DO YPU POT THE ROCK IN AND HOW DO YOU TAKE IT OUT?

Guys, do I really need to cycle these rocks even though they're going in my sumps?