Quick question...if I am using dry rock for my upcoming tank, do I need to do anything with it beforehand? Or can I just set it in the tank how I want it, putty/glue them in place, and fill the tank with water and then let it all cycle together? I see posts of people having their rock sitting in tubs for weeks curing or something, but is that something you need to do with dry rock?
Dry Rock New Tank
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Scarybo
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You should cure your dry rock outside of your tank. Curing it in the tank risks an accumulation of phosphates from the die off on the rock. This is why you hear of people having issues with cyano and hair algae for long periods of time. If the rock is from a land based mine, you usually dont have the die off but curing is still good to develop a biofilm.
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
Some rock (especially Pukani rock) has tons of dead organic materials in it, even though it is dry rock. So, many prefer to "cure" the rock before cycling it in order to allow these organics to breakdown and leach out. This helps keep their water parameters in check during the cycle and much later. Some people go ahead and "cure" their rock at the same time they "cycle" their systems to build beneficial bacterial colonies. I think this is feasible for most types of dry rock...but I'm glad I didn't do it with my Pukani! The stuff that came out of that rock in the first week of the "cure" was disgusting...smelled terribly! This is how I cured my Pukani for about 6 weeks...then let it dry out and then played with my aquascape. Since I was planning on letting it dry out, I cured it in freshwater (with chlorine remover):
Interesting. I am going with the CaribSea Dry Rock, so not sure if that typically would need to be cured or not. But if curing is something I need to do, should I cure it now while waiting to order my tank etc? If I do that I would be done curing well before my tank would probably arrive because I have to wait so long for that. (floors are being redone mid-October).
savetheocean
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I used that and have had no issues.
Test led
Active Member
Are you using CaribSea Life Rock? If so it is covered in a dry bacteria film. All you need to do with it is shake out the loose stuff from shipping, build your aquascape, then add sand and saltwater. I have been using this rock in tanks for the last 3 years no need to cure it.
I'm using this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUFUSR4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I only have 10 pounds of it so far and will need another 40 pounds of rock, so I could go a different path as well.
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Big G
captain dunsel
I used this dry rock I found on amazon. It's a 40 lbs box of "mined" rock. Powerwashed it; let it dry; started building & gluing. Worked great! : https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8DVAO4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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captain dunsel
Just water and lots of it. A wire brush and an old screwdriver to dig out compacted material. Save all the loose pieces and grit. You can use them to cover glued connection joints. Just sprinkle them onto the glue and the glue/epoxy just disappears. And you can use the small bits for frags. Lots of good fun.
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
You'll probably be fine not curing it, but if you have the time before the tank arrives, can't hurt for a week or two. After a few days, check for ammonia...that will tell you if there's any organic stuff starting to break down or not. If there is, let it cure another week or so.
Scarybo
Active Member
Agreed with Idoc. This is mined rock. You shouldn't have major issues with not curing. You will however be much better off if you cure. I would cure in heated saltwater. It will allow bacteria to build a biofilm on the rock. This will reduce the risk of hair algae grabbing hold. Check for ammonia after a few days to ensure no die off.
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so literally all i need to do is put all the rock in a tub of saltwater with a heater and let it sit there and then test for ammonia? and let it sit until there are no signs of ammonia?
once it is done curing am I okay to just take it out, let it dry and chill in a closet for however long until I want to test different aquascapes and then put in the tank? Or do you need to cure it right before putting in the display tank?
once it is done curing am I okay to just take it out, let it dry and chill in a closet for however long until I want to test different aquascapes and then put in the tank? Or do you need to cure it right before putting in the display tank?
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
A Michigan guy agreeing with an Ohio State guy! I can now die... I've seen everything! Lol
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
If you plan on drying it out completely after curing it, don't waste the salt... just use freshwater (use a chlorine remover, though). If you are going to dry it out, any bacteria built up will also die off... so no real benefit to using saltwater in that scenario. Plus, you are going to want to do a lot of water changes... especially that first coupe of weeks! Salt mixing in RODI water gets time consuming and expensive! But, i used Puckani rock which had tons of organic stuff in it that had to be cured. You probably won't run into this problem and your cure will be really fast...1-2 weeks at most, probably!
Put a heater in the tub with the rocks, with a power head. Also, turn the temp up around 84-86 degrees... higher temps help break down the organic stuff quicker.
Don't get caught up testing parameters though. It will just drive you crazy. Check every so often. Don't worry about the ammonia too much... watch the phosphates leaching out! But, if not Pukani rock, this probably won't be an issue with yours. But if phosphates are there, get those out of the water so they don't get back in the rock! Many use Lantham Chloride...i used a mesh bag of Phosguard. That was what i monitored... i would take out the phosguard and let it run a couple days after a new water change... when the phosphates stayed low and didn't continue to climb, i called it quits and stopped the cure. If the Rick smells like salty rock, your good...if it smells putrid, your not done.
And no, you don't have to cure it again before you use it. Play with your aquascape ideas...put it in your tank with saltwater... and start your cycle!
When i started my cycle, i left the rock go for a week without dosing ammonia in order to see if the rocks would leach its own ammonia (if any other organics were still in the Pukani rock) to start my cycle. They didn't...i ended up dosing ammonia to 2ppm and started my cycle that way.
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Got it. So put the rock in tub of 84-86 degree water and test for phosphates. Phosphates = bad so if they're detected, use Lantham Chloride to remove. Do water changes every day or couple of days? And just keep monitoring phosphates, smell the rock and that should let you know when curing is good to go - when you smell it and you don't cringe lol. Then I can remove and let dry to play with and wait to put in tank.
Sound about right?
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
You got it....lol. yours is going to be very easy since not using Pukani rock. I doubt you get any organic breakdown... therefore minimal ammonia, minimal bad smell, and minimal phosphates...if any at all. If you have none of that in a week, then you are pretty well good to go.
Perfect. While we are on this topic, what is a good putty to use to hold the rocks together once I decide on a scape eventually? I was searching the forums, looks like JB Weld Waterweld is something people like?
