Dry Rock "curing"?

[OCJoeR]

I'm fairly new to the form so I'm not sure if this is where to post this. I have another post in the "Member Tank" section but this seems to be a better place.

I've been reading several threads on setting up new tanks and watching several videos. I have a 45 gallon acrylic tank and a 35 gallon sump. I've managed to find a Somatic skimmer, Hyggar pump and several pounds of dry rock and sand. One of the videos I watched discussed "curing" the dry rock. It went through several steps including the first which included using bleach in the water for a day and a second step which included muriatic acid with the water for another day. The last step was a bath in salt water before placing the rock in the tank.

Are all 3 steps required? I have a large Rubbermaid container that I should be able to use so if all 3 steps are needed I could use it to accomplish that. It did say to put a power head in the container during the last step. If this all sounds correct let me know and I'll get started.

I've also ordered an RO system to start building up the necessary water to fill the tank. My next question is do I mix the water and salt in a third container then add it to the tank or can I just pour the RO water into the tank with the dry rock set up and add the salt until I get the correct saturation?

Thanks again for all the help on this first tank,

Joe

 

[Idoc]

No, all 3 of those steps aren't required.

It really depends on how "dirty" the rock is that you are using. If it has a lot of organic debri on it...ie: algae, old sponges, etc... then more static measures may be required.

You can usually just drop it on some freshwater, increase the temp around 85-90 degrees, use a powerhead, and then watch the water in a couple of days. If it turns yellow and smells, then you have a lot of debri on the rocks. If the water stays clear... then test the water for ammonia... if none, you're more than likely cured... then proceed to cycling in saltwater.

Post some pics of the rock you are planning to use.

 

[OCJoeR]

No, all 3 of those steps aren't required.

It really depends on how "dirty" the rock is that you are using. If it has a lot of organic debri on it...ie: algae, old sponges, etc... then more static measures may be required.

You can usually just drop it on some freshwater, increase the temp around 85-90 degrees, use a powerhead, and then watch the water in a couple of days. If it turns yellow and smells, then you have a lot of debri on the rocks. If the water stays clear... then test the water for ammonia... if none, you're more than likely cured... then proceed to cycling in saltwater.

Post some pics of the rock you are planning to use.

Here are photos of about half of the rock.

 

[Idoc]

Here are photos of about half of the rock.

It doesn't look very dirty. As long as you don't see any dried sponges in the cracks, I'd just use the fresh water technique described and test the water.

 

[OCJoeR]

It doesn't look very dirty. As long as you don't see any dried sponges in the cracks, I'd just use the fresh water technique described and test the water.

I'll give that a try and see what happens. I can give them a few days in the Rubbermaid tub while I'm plumbing the tank/sump.

Thank you for the suggestion and help,
Joe

 

[mrrealmadrid]

I just did acid for 30 mins... baking soda... rinse.... water tub with gallon of bleach for a week. Will rinse and let dry..... back in water add a dechlorinator.... rinse in ro water..... and then the tank to cycle... might be overkill but.... ehhh

 

[Greg P]

I'll give that a try and see what happens. I can give them a few days in the Rubbermaid tub while I'm plumbing the tank/sump.

Thank you for the suggestion and help,
Joe

While in the tub, after a few days/up to a week, test the tub water for PO4.
Now is a good time to 'cook' the rock if it has a high content. Cooking requires weekly 100% WCs until most/all PO4 is released from the rock.
After a successful 'cooking' you can move on to 'curing' or 'cycling' the rock in the tub, instead of involving your whole system with most likely much more water.

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Just wash it with plain tap water; you don't need or want to use any chemicals on it.

 

[OCJoeR]

Just wash it with plain tap water; you don't need or want to use any chemicals on it.

So no bleach or muriatic acid? And no need to use RO water or saltwater? That obviously sounds a lot easier but why do so many people and videos suggest the other method? In addition our tap water contains chlorine. Wouldn't that have to be rinsed out?

This is my first saltwater tank and I'd hate to spend all the time and money setting it up if I'm going to loose any fish or invertabrates I put in it just to save a little time in the set up.

Joe

 

[mrrealmadrid]

So no bleach or muriatic acid? And no need to use RO water or saltwater? That obviously sounds a lot easier but why do so many people and videos suggest the other method? In addition our tap water contains chlorine. Wouldn't that have to be rinsed out?

This is my first saltwater tank and I'd hate to spend all the time and money setting it up if I'm going to loose any fish or invertabrates I put in it just to save a little time in the set up.

Joe

If you trust the rock is clean new dry rock from a reliable place a simple rinse is ok. But rock that has already been in a tank I just dont trust. The extra steps will save you headaches later

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

It's generally live rock that needs curing, not (new) dry rock. And I would especially be afraid of using chlorine bleach.

 

[OCJoeR]

Just found another thread on this subject someone there also suggested just soaking in water with lots of water changes to get rid of whatever comes out of the dry rock. I'll start this later today and just keep changing the water. I've got to run by the pet store to pick up test kits to check on what I get out of this rock and also to keep track of the tank once it's set up. Any suggestions on which one/ones to get? Are the big kits with everything under the sun really necessary or do I just need a few basic testing items?

Joe

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

I've got to run by the pet store to pick up test kits to check on what I get out of this rock and also to keep track of the tank once it's set up. Any suggestions on which one/ones to get? Are the big kits with everything under the sun really necessary or do I just need a few basic testing items?

Joe

Stay away from API test kits, use Red Sea or Salifert. I have personally had trouble with API, and have read of many others who also have.

 

[Vsrt17]

If you want to stay away from muriatic acid as it's really harsh and bleach, I would consider distlled white vinegar. That's what I used after plenty of of research on some old rocks and it worked great. You just have to soak them longer, about a week compared to muriatic acid's 30min soak. I did a 1 to 10 ratio of vinegar to water.

 

[Anirban]

I'm fairly new to the form so I'm not sure if this is where to post this. I have another post in the "Member Tank" section but this seems to be a better place.

I've been reading several threads on setting up new tanks and watching several videos. I have a 45 gallon acrylic tank and a 35 gallon sump. I've managed to find a Somatic skimmer, Hyggar pump and several pounds of dry rock and sand. One of the videos I watched discussed "curing" the dry rock. It went through several steps including the first which included using bleach in the water for a day and a second step which included muriatic acid with the water for another day. The last step was a bath in salt water before placing the rock in the tank.

Are all 3 steps required? I have a large Rubbermaid container that I should be able to use so if all 3 steps are needed I could use it to accomplish that. It did say to put a power head in the container during the last step. If this all sounds correct let me know and I'll get started.

I've also ordered an RO system to start building up the necessary water to fill the tank. My next question is do I mix the water and salt in a third container then add it to the tank or can I just pour the RO water into the tank with the dry rock set up and add the salt until I get the correct saturation?

Thanks again for all the help on this first tank,

Joe

Hi Joe,
Looking at your rock they are a little dirty by appearance. Looks like they are from another system specially the yellow one. As you possibly already know that the muriatic acid will simply dissolve the top layer and hence all the top layer organics will go. The bleach will kill anything left behind by muriatic acid. Now once these are done your rock will have definitely less organic material from the starting point. But remember you need to soak it really well before use. So, the third step of the process needs time. Its better to wash them and soak them in RO/DI water for at least a week ( you don't need salt water) or till the smell of bleach is gone (you will need to change the soaking water few times). Once the smell is gone you can put the rock for a week in salt water and then put it in the tank. I follow this and lot of other people too. Its a long process but the result is always good with the least amount of organic going into a tank. Some people do either bleach or acid which is fine too but this is generally better and tested. Those natural rocks can really soak up a lot of organics compared to the mined ones. Hope this helps.

 

[cvrle1]

I would skip acid, especially if you dont know what you are doing. It can be dangerous and cause a lot of issues your health wise. Also, acid literally destroys top layer of the rock, so you can lose anywhrere between 10-25% of rock with it. Bleach is much safer, and will get you to the same spot, with bit more time. I had about 100G of rock that was used previously, taken out and placed in the rubbermaid container without water for 6 months. Everything that was on it died of course. I soaked all the rock in bleach/water mix for a week, gave it a good rinse, air dried for a week and then put into RO/DI water and tested for phosphate leaching. PO4 came back at 0 and rock was good to go. You can also add de-chlorinator to make sure bleach is gone, but if you air dry it long enough this step may be redundant. Just test water with chlorine strip to make sure all bleach is gone.

 

[Don_Jorge]

I used dry rock like this for my setup and just let the dead algae die off contribute to the cycle, I did rinse in water before I added them tho

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

The water soak is the determine is you have organics that may slowly rot in saltwater. Let it soak with a PH and heater and take it out after 48 hours. Test for ammonia (or a good sniff) and if it smells then throw it in freshwater and bleach at a 1:8 or 1:10 ratio. White mineral deposits may be dead coralline which can come off with a 30 bath in muriatic or vinegar and water solution. Rinse well after treating any rock and air dry any remaining bleach before throwing it in some SW to cycle.

The main point from these posts are to inspect "dry rock" from any source if it has been in a tank. Rocks that went straight into a bucket can had organics that will rot and phosphates that can leach. I personally like doing acid baths and bleach if I reuse rock from an old build as it removes pretty much everything and gives you a fresh start.

 

[OCJoeR]

Hi Joe,
Looking at your rock they are a little dirty by appearance. Looks like they are from another system specially the yellow one. As you possibly already know that the muriatic acid will simply dissolve the top layer and hence all the top layer organics will go. The bleach will kill anything left behind by muriatic acid. Now once these are done your rock will have definitely less organic material from the starting point. But remember you need to soak it really well before use. So, the third step of the process needs time. Its better to wash them and soak them in RO/DI water for at least a week ( you don't need salt water) or till the smell of bleach is gone (you will need to change the soaking water few times). Once the smell is gone you can put the rock for a week in salt water and then put it in the tank. I follow this and lot of other people too. Its a long process but the result is always good with the least amount of organic going into a tank. Some people do either bleach or acid which is fine too but this is generally better and tested. Those natural rocks can really soak up a lot of organics compared to the mined ones. Hope this helps.

Hi Anirban,

Thank you for the reply. So my question is don't I want to kill anything left on this rock from the prior tank? I thought that's what all the "curing" was about, making sure nothing bad gets into the new tank. I don't have a problem working with muriatic acid. I've had swimming pools and used it all the time for correcting the ph level. I've also used it to acid wash tiles. This will all take place outside so it's not going to be where fumes will overcome some poor soul who gets too close. However, Cvrle1 seems to say that it will take "10-25% of the rock with it" if I use acid. I was planning on using maybe a 10% solution and only leaving them in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes and followed by a fresh water rinse and then soaking back in fresh water with some bleach for some time. Then Don Jorge says to just "rinse them in water" before adding them to the tank.

I am in no rush to get the tank set up. I do wish I knew about this dry rock issue before I started building the stand/bookcase. I could have had all this soaking while construction was going on. I think I'm going to go the overkill route and do a short mild acid bath followed by fresh water rinse then a bleach soak followed by a soak in RO water. I'll pick up a PO4 test kit and test after each soak and see what direction things are going. Then put them in the tank and fill the tank and let that run for several weeks, testing a couple times a week.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and help,

Joe

 

[Anirban]

Hi Anirban,

Thank you for the reply. So my question is don't I want to kill anything left on this rock from the prior tank? I thought that's what all the "curing" was about, making sure nothing bad gets into the new tank. I don't have a problem working with muriatic acid. I've had swimming pools and used it all the time for correcting the ph level. I've also used it to acid wash tiles. This will all take place outside so it's not going to be where fumes will overcome some poor soul who gets too close. However, Cvrle1 seems to say that it will take "10-25% of the rock with it" if I use acid. I was planning on using maybe a 10% solution and only leaving them in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes and followed by a fresh water rinse and then soaking back in fresh water with some bleach for some time. Then Don Jorge says to just "rinse them in water" before adding them to the tank.

I am in no rush to get the tank set up. I do wish I knew about this dry rock issue before I started building the stand/bookcase. I could have had all this soaking while construction was going on. I think I'm going to go the overkill route and do a short mild acid bath followed by fresh water rinse then a bleach soak followed by a soak in RO water. I'll pick up a PO4 test kit and test after each soak and see what direction things are going. Then put them in the tank and fill the tank and let that run for several weeks, testing a couple times a week.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and help,

Joe

He is right in saying that you will loose approximately 10-25% after muriatic acid wash based on the acid strength and yes you want to kill everything left on the rock from prior tank and that's why you clean them with acid and bleach. Just soak and wash with RO/DI water multiple times and atleast for a weak. Then finally soak in salt water before use.