Adding someone's rock to my established aquarium?

[Scarlette]

hi guys!

So I was looking to add more rock to my aquarium and a girl is getting rid of hers. It's just sitting in a bucket dried out. How do I go about cleaning these so I don't re start the nitrogen cycle and kill my tank?

Thank you!

 

[dbl]

If it were me, I would give the dried out rock a vinegar bath to make sure all past sins are washed away. I would actually use muratic acid but that's not for everyone. Once soaked in vinegar/acid and rinsed well, it's best to let it sit out in the sun for a while.

Once that's done, put the now clean rock in a bucket/tote/trashcan/whatever with saltwater, a powerhead and a heater if necessary. Not necessary but if possible throw in a small piece of your own live rock to seed it. Or use one of the many available bottled bacteria products to seed it. Let it soak (cure) for a couple of weeks or more.

After it's cured, you should be able to add it to your tank with little risk of a full cycle. Add it in stages if you're talking about a bunch of rock.

That's my $.02 anyway...others will vary.

 

[Scarlette]

Thank you!

 

[Preme]

If it were me, I would give the dried out rock a vinegar bath to make sure all past sins are washed away. I would actually use muratic acid but that's not for everyone. Once soaked in vinegar/acid and rinsed well, it's best to let it sit out in the sun for a while.

Once that's done, put the now clean rock in a bucket/tote/trashcan/whatever with saltwater, a powerhead and a heater if necessary. Not necessary but if possible throw in a small piece of your own live rock to seed it. Or use one of the many available bottled bacteria products to seed it. Let it soak (cure) for a couple of weeks or more.

After it's cured, you should be able to add it to your tank with little risk of a full cycle. Add it in stages if you're talking about a bunch of rock.

That's my $.02 anyway...others will vary.

Couldn't say it any better... totally agree!!!!

 

[Scarlette]

What if I stuck these pieces in a old fish tank with salt water, power head and heater and let them cycle?? Also what is this rust color stuff?

 

[dbl]

You can certainly use on older fish tank for the curing process. That will fall in to the "whatever" category of my previous list...lol.

That rust color stuff is exactly why you do a vinegar/acid bath to clean it first. Then you can put it in your old tank to cure.

 

[taintstick]

Yea go with the cycling in a different tank method. Give it a good cleaning first to wash off dust and other BS that's on it. Once you think your done, rinse it one more time haha. Then dry it out again and throw it into the old tank. Begin cycling for a few months. I would use your display tank water as you do water changes for the rocks cycling.