Dry Rock Curing...

[pdiehm]

Had my pukani in brute bins since 11/26/2014. Saltwater, for the most part but when not in saltwater, was soaking in RODI.

My recent Hanna 736 tests had 1 bin at 0.08 (could be 0.04 or 0.12) and the other at 0.10 (could be 0.06 or 0.14). I've been dosing with a capful of SeaKlear (LC) twice daily (morning and night).

I have the water heated, with a 750 gph in each bin.

Do I need to do anything? Should I change water? Just keep dosing with LC? Add bacteria? Note: I am not trying to "cycle", just trying to get as many of the phosphates out of this rock as I can.

I called BRS, and the swear up and down that the rock shouldn't take this long to leach out the PO4. A few of my rocks are not white, they have brown sides that can't be brushed off, or scraped off.

I've toyed with dropping them in acid for 15 minutes, but I love the way the rock looks and am afraid Acid will change that, but I'm getting eager to get this tank set up, and I really don't want to deal with ugly nuisance algae because I didn't get the phosphates under control.

Am I doing anything wrong? What should I be doing differently?

 

[saltyphish]

I would just soak it in ro/di water only until you get rid of the phosphates. You aren't trying to cycle the rocks right now so nothing to harm plus allows you to do 100% water changes and a rinse without wasting salt. IMO soak the rocks in ro/di only and change out all the water and rinse the rock every 2-3 days. Eventually it should leach it all out.

 

[pdiehm]

Tonight's tests:

Dosed last night and this morning with SeaKlear.

0.01
0.02
0.02 (haven't dosed this one in about 4 days)

 

[pdiehm]

Getting closer.

Last 2 tests:

3/13/2015 (no dosing of LC afterwards):

0.03
0.04
0.00

3/16/2015:

0.02
0.03
0.00

Once again, did no dosing. Looks like that the testable PO4 is close to being leached out. Will test again on Wednesday. If the one bin is 0.00 for the 4th time in 5 tests, I would be safe to assume that is cured and ready to cycle when I set up the tank. The other 2 bins are very close, and quite honestly my PO4 reading could be some stuff that has fallen off and is sitting in the tub..

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[saltyphish]

Sounds like you are on the right track.

 

[pdiehm]

PO4 test today:

Big Bin: 4 (0.01ppm)
Small Brute 1: 0 (0.00ppm)
Small Brute 2: 0 (0.00ppm)

***Note, I scrubbed the rocks in the Big Bin and Small 1 on Friday. Everytime I think my rock is close to being cured, I get a PO4 spike. Having said that, I'm very certain that I could manage this with GFO once I get one.

 

[pdiehm]

Tests today: I think we are finally ready to move to the next step and not have algae issues due to the Pukani rock:

4 (0.01 ppm)
2 (0.01 ppm)
0

Is that a proper assumption at this point?