Curing Dry Rock

lpsreefer · #1 09-05-2012, 02:01 PM

I think if you do a week or two in ro/di and do an extra 2-4 weeks in saltwater it would be better.
I had it in ro/di water for a week then in saltwater for 8 weeks worked fine no issues.

Enigma · #2 09-05-2012, 02:03 PM

I could do that. It would give more time for bacteria to colonize.

How often did you change the SW water, Matt? And, what percentage of water change did you do?

lpsreefer · #3 09-05-2012, 02:13 PM

The last batch was just shy of about 150 pounds in a 100 gallon tub. I only did 5 gallon change every week, but the 5 gallons was from my main tank.
Bacteria still needs a food source to reproduce or spread.

You don't really have to do water changes all that much as you want bacteria to grow and there is no light for algae.

If after your first week in saltwater. If all your tests come out zero, then I wouldn't do a change for a few weeks. If your po4 is high then do a big water change as te rock is leeching.

riceboy · #4 09-05-2012, 02:13 PM

When i cured my dry rock i just simply added it to my tank, i mean there is nothing to die off and no pests in the rock to cure it. Your simply just trying to seed it with your live rock and make it into live rock. In my 82 gallon build I basically took the shelf rocks i got from tony, drilled and made a structure that i liked and put it into my tank with my existing live rock (note to self throw away rock with aiptasia

) and never had an algea bloom cause there was nothing to die of on the rocks.

Enigma · #5 09-05-2012, 02:16 PM

Some of this stuff definitely needs cured/cooked out of the main display system! Dry rock can be like adding a phosphate bomb to your tank. I've used it three times without curing . . . never again. I've had huge GHA issues twice.

lpsreefer · #6 09-05-2012, 02:22 PM

With eco rock it's tuff sometimes as you don't know how long it's been stored and how. Or for that matter how many times it's been store in places. Ie warehouse, back rooms, store fronts.
Dust or people touching always better to play it safe!

Doug · #7 09-05-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riceboy

When i cured my dry rock i just simply added it to my tank, i mean there is nothing to die off and no pests in the rock to cure it. Your simply just trying to seed it with your live rock and make it into live rock. In my 82 gallon build I basically took the shelf rocks i got from tony, drilled and made a structure that i liked and put it into my tank with my existing live rock (note to self throw away rock with aiptasia

) and never had an algea bloom cause there was nothing to die of on the rocks.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=89284

Does not always work that way. I added mine as you mentioned.

mseepman · #8 09-05-2012, 03:06 PM

The new dry rock has no bacterial way to fight off the invasive algae's, so they tend to get them more easily, just like in Doug's situation.

Coasting · #9 09-05-2012, 03:09 PM

I boiled mine for a good 20 mins because I read that topic. Just added it to a salt water bin with biomax media I was storing in my SW canister filter. No idea what I'm doing but I hope that adds some good stuff to the dry rock and the boiling helped get rid of stuff I didn't want.

Wouldn't it be better to cure longer in sw then fresh so you get the sw bacteria you want?

pseudonym · #10 09-05-2012, 03:23 PM

Well.. I am going to ask an obvious question that it seems no one has thought of.. or maybe I am missing something.

Why buy dead rock manufactured rock and then seed it for the same cost as already live manufactured rock??

http://www.ecoliverock.org/

Not only is it cheap, but all profits go to reef conservation. It is Canadian and shipping is even free and included in the cost. Unless dead rock is waaay cheaper than $2.80/lbs with shipping, there doesn't seem to be a point in using it.