Does the BRS pukani need to be cleaned before I put it into my tank? If so, what is a good way? I'm in an apartment so I am limited to what I can do.
BRS Pukani?
- Thread starter mallorieGgator
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It might have a little bit of dust on it, i would just rinse it in a bucket with salt or RO water before you put it in your tank. From what I can remember mine was pretty clean when I got it.
I got 90ish lbs and cycled my tank with it. If its going in a new tank I wouldn't clean it, but if it's going in an established then I would (maybe) just rinse it off.
I faced this just last week, myself. 
About half of my order was pretty clean, but the other half had a few dark patches of gunk on them. It could have been caked on dirt, but it wasn't coming off easily and was deep in the rocks as well (might have been dead algae).
I read up on ways to clean it, and several people suggested a quick bath in muriatic acid. It didn't get all of it off, so I just took a garden hose with the pressure nozzle to it. Most of it came off from what I could see, but maybe a good soak before a spray down with a hose would have worked just as well.
About half of my order was pretty clean, but the other half had a few dark patches of gunk on them. It could have been caked on dirt, but it wasn't coming off easily and was deep in the rocks as well (might have been dead algae).
I read up on ways to clean it, and several people suggested a quick bath in muriatic acid. It didn't get all of it off, so I just took a garden hose with the pressure nozzle to it. Most of it came off from what I could see, but maybe a good soak before a spray down with a hose would have worked just as well.
I don't have experience with BRS's Pukani, but restarted my nanos rock work with dry Pukani from a local guy years back. I had to dig out a few dead corals and shells that gave it a mild sewer smell for lack of a better word. Once everything organic was removed and the rock was rinsed off it cycled in the tank with the old sand and never threw a noticible ammonia or nitrate spike, but grew an unnerving fine grasslike algae over most of the exposed rock surface for the first month or two. It went away on it's own, so I just figured it was something nutritious on the surface I didn't leech out enough.
AJreefs
Active Member
My BRS pukani had to be cooked, it came with all sorts of things in it, crabs, sponges, inverts. I placed all my rock in a bin with a powerhead and changed the water weekly for three months using water from my tank.
AJreefs
Active Member
Yes, okease dont put your rock on the stove and literally "cook" it. Cooking in this case is just a way of exhausting all the organic build over time using water that wont be added to the tank. Water changes are the key!!!
Dave3112
2500 Club Member
Haha! I know what you meant AJ. I was referring to the "cooking" process as placing it in a container and doing frequent water changes, circulation and skimming for about 3-4 months. I cooked mine until the water no longer smelled like rotten fish and sweaty feet.
