Curing rock from dry rock

[kilo5147]

i've had about 50 pounds of dry rock in my basement for about three weeks now what all do I need to put in there for it to cycle so it's good beneficial bacteria on it I have put purple in it and stress stuff in it for new tanks

 

[JOKER]

Just need flow heat and water

 

[kilo5147]

How long should I leave it in there I have light on it too

 

[Zacco]

What type of rock is it and where did you purchase it? Do you already have it curing in salt water or is it still "dry" ?

 

[kilo5147]

In saltwater for a month R so not sure the kind of rock

 

[Zacco]

Was the rock pre- cleaned by the supplier? Have you been doing water changes In your soaking tub. Dry rock leeches a lot of phosphates among other things in the "Cooking" process. Have you taken phosphate readings on the water your rock has been soaking in?

 

[kilo5147]

It was a new trash can brute

 

[kilo5147]

I washed rock off

 

[kilo5147]

No water change

 

[kilo5147]

Not checked but I did put water cleaner in it a couple times

 

[Zacco]

All the dry rock I purchase gets a Muriatic Acid Bath before the "Cooking Process" Extreme caution must be taken when working with Muriatic Acid. The diluted acid dissolves the outer layer of the rock taking any organic matter along with it. This greatly reduces the cooking time needed to cure the rock.

 

[Zacco]

Your water is probably loaded with phosphates leeching from the dried organic matter stuck in the crevices and holes in the rock. I would first start off by doing a water change and getting a phosphate test kit.

 

[Zacco]

Also when curing rock, it should be in a dark environment. Heated water and lots of flow from a power head. When your phosphate reading is near 0, then you can actually start the bacteria seeding phase.

 

[kilo5147]

I c I will test water

 

[Zacco]

Yep. Take some readings on the water. A lot of people buy dry rock, place it in their Display Tank, fill with water and start the cycling process. Then wonder why they are getting such bad algae blooms. Dry rock contains a lot of dead matter in all those nooks and crany's unless it has been through a cleaning process from the supplier. Patience young Jedi's. Soak your rock for a good month to 6 weeks in a trash can or rubber maid tub with heat, flow, Darkness, and water changes (aka=cooking phase) before adding it to the Display Tank. The cooking phase allows all of that dead matter to loosen up/dissolve.

 

[kilo5147]

So no light ok

 

[Zacco]

NO LIGHT. Unless you want algae to start growing in your cooking tub and on your rocks. Export phosphates and other nasty stuff through water changes.

 

[Zacco]

Before you change the water Kilo5147 make sure you do a phosphate test to see where your are at. If you change the water and then do a test it negates the purpose of the test. You wanna know how much phosphate is in the original water you started out with.

 

[Zacco]

Start adding some live rock to your tub. The bacteria will start feeding off the unbound phosphates and start the cycling process.

 

[Zacco]

Yes guy's. There is the Lauthanum Chloride trick to precipitate the phosphate, but that is another story to be told.