100 lbs old live Rock

[saltguynh]

I used to keep a large saltwater aquarium when i was young. The fish all died off and I think i just turned off the filters and let it all fie off and water evaporate. fast forward about 20 years. I just went and picked it all up. im looking to try to regrow the live rock. There about 100lbs of it. how should I go about this. its been sitting dry or maybe damp as its been in a basement for 15 years at least

 

[The_Paradox]

I used to keep a large saltwater aquarium when i was young. The fish all died off and I think i just turned off the filters and let it all fie off and water evaporate. fast forward about 20 years. I just went and picked it all up. im looking to try to regrow the live rock. There about 100lbs of it. how should I go about this. its been sitting dry or maybe damp as its been in a basement for 15 years at least

Was it fairly well covered or sealed? If not I would rinse and scrub it in tap water and treat it as regular rock. If you’re sure nothing contaminated it while sitting in the basement treat it like cheap live rock. Tub it with a power head and heater for 2-3 weeks in salt water and call it good. No matter what scenario you will still need to test as you set up the tank to verify everything is moving along as it should.

 

[Uncle99]

I’d tub those rocks in garbage cans, dark, flow, bottle bacteria.
After a few weeks, I’d dump the water, clean the can add new water and another bottle bacteria (your choice but different brand)
Cook that up for a few more weeks and they are ready.

 

[saltguynh]

Was it fairly well covered or sealed? If not I would rinse and scrub it in tap water and treat it as regular rock. If you’re sure nothing contaminated it while sitting in the basement treat it like cheap live rock. Tub it with a power head and heater for 2-3 weeks in salt water and call it good. No matter what scenario you will still need to test as you set up the tank to verify everything is moving along as it should.

no not covered i just let the water evaporate out. rock was still in the tank as it sat 20 years ago. but without water. just soak it with a power head no filtration?

 

[saltguynh]

I’d tub those rocks in garbage cans, dark, flow, bottle bacteria.
After a few weeks, I’d dump the water, clean the can add new water and another bottle bacteria (your choice but different brand)
Cook that up for a few more weeks and they are ready.

no filtration just a power head?

 

[The_Paradox]

no not covered i just let the water evaporate out. rock was still in the tank as it sat 20 years ago. but without water. just soak it with a power head no filtration?

I’d soak, rinse, and scrub in tap water first. After that tub them. No real need for filter. It’s not going to hurt but I don’t see any real benefit.

 

[bobnicaragua]

You need to seed the dead rock with some real live rock from an established tank.

 

[bushdoc]

This rock is full of dead organic matter, which will start decaying if you soak it in fresh or saltwater. Surely you can go this way, but it would take pretty long for all matter to decay fully and dissolve, lots of water changes. I would speed it up by bleaching it for a week or so and then rinsing thoroughly few times and then obviously you would like to seed it with either commercial bacteria or bacteria from established tank.