Backyard reef rock

[Sticker shock]

I had a buddy that shut down his reef years ago. When he found out I was setting up a reef he offered me his rock (~50 lbs) and there were some pretty choice pieces there. Only problem is that it has been sitting outside for about 10 or so years. I was going to just sort of go throught the curing process with bleach and see how it looks. I'm just wondering if sitting out side for all this time and then adding it to a clean tank would be setting myself up with issues, or if the curing process would take care of everything. I'm assuming its no different than any other live rock just different organisms in it than normal.

You should have seen the stuff come out of this rock when I started soaking it. It may not have been live rock as we typically think of it, but it certainly was alive....there were more hitchikers than I could believe. I wouldn't even keep it in my house it was so full of bugs.

 

[Retro Reefer]

The only concern I have with rock sitting outside for years would be possible contamination from things like weed killers and pesticides.

 

[Sticker shock]

That stuff wouldn't be an issue here...not exactly a manicured part of a yard. It was next to a permanately muddy and unuseable type land and there was certainly not any type of lawn maintenance going on in terms of sparying. The only worry would be if the groundwater was contaminated by anything in the area.

 

[C. Eymann]

I'd do an acid bath on it all and you should be good to go.

 

[ca1ore]

I retrieved rock from my backyard once after it sat for 4 years. Wash it well, give it a good long soak, and you should be fine.

 

[bearsfish]

I would set up a tub with water and bleach.. let is sit in there with a pump for a week or two, then empty, refill, put in 5x the typical amount of decholoronator, turn the pump back on, let it sit for a week or two. Then dry it completely, and check for smells, anything other than the smell of rock and do it again... once there is no dirt, soil, or bleach smell you are good to go..