Adding new dry rock?

Evan West · Aug 2, 2017

So I picked up some branch and shelf dry rock to add to my tank but im not sure how to go about doing that, im gonna guess I need to cure it first tho lol. Will a bucket of salt water, pump and heater do?

tdileo · Aug 2, 2017

If it's dry you don't need anything except water. You can just use fresh RODI. Let it sit for as long as you can bear (up to a week if possible) and switch out the water every so often. This will leech any phosphates on nitrates built up into the water instead of your tank

trevormass7 · Aug 2, 2017

You can put a small piece of live rock in with it then sugar dose and it will help get rid of phosphates faster

amps · Aug 2, 2017

I just did the same thing. I acid washed my rock pieces and then gave em a soak in RODI water for 2 weeks, same as I would with starting a new tank. After that, I just dropped it in the tank

ksfulk · Aug 3, 2017

Unless its a HUGE addition (like more than 50% 0f the rock volume you already have in the tank), adding new pieces of rock to an established tank is fine. You'll get some uglies, but it will age quickly in the tank, and you CUC can handle the algae as it grows. This is all assuming your tank is stable and you dont have a huge amount of algae in the DT as it is. Ive added about thirty pounds of rock over the past year to my tank, and Ive never seen an issue with it. You can always put some in and test. If you see things going south, just pull it out.

Freddy0144 · Aug 3, 2017

trevormass7 said:
You can put a small piece of live rock in with it then sugar dose and it will help get rid of phosphates faster

I have not heard of sugar dosing for phosphate do you have any articles on that? I would love to read them.

Evan West · Aug 3, 2017

Thanks for the feedback! I just scrubbed it all off and I have it sitting in a bucket of RODI and ill leave it there for a week and change the water a few times, then ill add it.