Dry rocks leaching

[Fishingandreefing]

All, I am preparing some old live rocks for my next build. I soaked them in vinegar for about a week then power washed them.

I then soaked them in tap water for some times, then rodi. I checked the phosphate was high so I dosed them with phosphate RX and changed out water with rodi weekly.

it’s been over 2 months process, I just checked phosphate with Hanna checker and yield .25.

now what?

 

[JoshO]

Keep soaking!

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Keep soaking!

For how long in your experience? Should I keep dosing phosphate rx?

 

[JoshO]

For how long in your experience? Should I keep dosing phosphate rx?

It would depend on how long it's taken to drop so far. If for example it's dropped by 50% in 2 months then likely longer! I've not used phosphate rx

 

[JoshO]

Are you at 0.25 by the way or 25ppm?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Are you at 0.25 by the way or 25ppm?

.25 which is high

 

[JoshO]

Just wanted to clarify!
How often are you changing the water you soak in?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Just wanted to clarify!
How often are you changing the water you soak in?

Weekly

 

[JoshO]

If you're happy to use tap water try to change out every 48 hours, test each time to see if it's reducing. Give them a quick rinse through too.
The more often that dilution occurs the faster it should clear in theory, as movement from high concentration (the rock) to low (fresh water) can occur more readily

 

[rfgonzo]

It can take months to eliminate phosphates. Last tank I setup I soaked pukani dry rock for just under 7 months.
I would keep doing what your doing and add Lanthanum chloride. It will be cheaper and last longer then phosphate RX.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

It can take months to eliminate phosphates. Last tank I setup I soaked pukani dry rock for just under 7 months.
I would keep doing what your doing and add Lanthanum chloride. It will be cheaper and last longer then phosphate RX.

dang. Though it would be nice to utilize this lock down time to set up my tank. Already have phosphate Rx in hand and It requires about 2 drops per bucket and I got 3 buckets.

 

[rfgonzo]

dang. Though it would be nice to utilize this lock down time to set up my tank. Already have phosphate Rx in hand and It requires about 2 drops per bucket and I got 3 buckets.

It may take less time for you. Your working with old LR, I was working with Dry Rock. I also soak in RO/DI, SW. Not Tap FW.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

It may take less time for you. Your working with old LR, I was working with Dry Rock. I also soak in RO/DI, SW. Not Tap FW.

Those were old live rocks that have been sitting in the yard for a couple of months. I used tap first then rodi.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I was thinking getting a container like this and run it fully blast on gfo reactor. Dang it!

 

[waleedreef]

Dry rock is leaching phosphate. Continue curing, salt water, heater and water change every 2 weeks 50%. No need dose anything. You can’t stop dry rock from leaching phosphate unless ph is 8.4 and this not possible in cure stage.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Dry rock is leaching phosphate. Continue curing, salt water, heater and water change every 2 weeks 50%. No need dose anything. You can’t stop dry rock from leaching phosphate unless ph is 8.4 and this not possible in cure stage.

Can you explain why a heater is needed? And what’s the different soaking in rodi vs saltwater.

 

[Miller535]

If it were me I wouldn't worry about .25. I would just set it up. While that is high it's not that high.

Little story, I had high phosphates, too high to even use the red sea phosphate test which I think goes up to 4. I eventually started using GFO, which lowered my phosphate down to a good level. I stopped monitoring it. My PO4 bottomed out and I got dinos. Got rid of dinos but had to start dosing PO4 because I stripped it out of the rock to a point where my rock would just drink PO4 every time I dosed it. And I was dosing daily. Had to dose for weeks.

I would set the tank up and get it cycling, and dose Phosphate RX if you have to at the end of the cycle. Just my 2cents

 

[Fishingandreefing]

If it were me I wouldn't worry about .25. I would just set it up. While that is high it's not that high.

Little story, I had high phosphates, too high to even use the red sea phosphate test which I think goes up to 4. I eventually started using GFO, which lowered my phosphate down to a good level. I stopped monitoring it. My PO4 bottomed out and I got dinos. Got rid of dinos but had to start dosing PO4 because I stripped it out of the rock to a point where my rock would just drink PO4 every time I dosed it. And I was dosing daily. Had to dose for weeks.

I would set the tank up and get it cycling, and dose Phosphate RX if you have to at the end of the cycle. Just my 2cents

when you ran gfo was there corals in? I ran only 50% and some corals are stripped. Not 100% sure if it was gfo, but that’s the only new thing I added. Lots of people had that problem too

 

[Miller535]

when you ran gfo was there corals in? I ran only 50% and some corals are stripped. Not 100% sure if it was gfo, but that’s the only new thing I added. Lots of people had that problem too

No, no coral in that tank. I could be wrong, but I believe that happens with corals when people use too much GFO and it sort of shocks the system by removing a lot of PO4 quickly. If you do use GFO, I would recommend going lower then the recommended amount.

 

[zoomonster]

Hmmm... me personally I would use muriatic acid. I stepped out of the hobby a few years and when I restarted about 6+ years ago I unboxed all my rock and etched it all. Now that said some of the dead rock out there (Pukani and Marco come to mind) for sale would probably dissolve like an alka seltzer tablet. Mine was all originally dense Hawaiian, Marshall and Fiji etc.

In any case use care if you go the acid route i.e. read how to do it and wear at least goggles and chemical resistant gloves.