i found something now what

[swissgaurd]

i was doing some spring cleaning today .behind my furnace I find this black bucket,quite heavy.
I open it and theres a bucket full of live rock in water.
its been sitting there for 2 yrs.
what do I do with it.the water is crystal clear,no odours.

 

[Intricateart]

I'm shocked that it doesn't smell. I can't in good conscious recommed that you use it though.

 

[swissgaurd]

what if I boiled the rock and dried it out

 

[Alyxx]

Can't really see why not. But personally I would bleach it. 2 years with little to no waste to process and it probably isn't very live anyways

 

[Intricateart]

Probably fine, but let it dry out completely too, post boiling.

 

[TonsOfun]

Muriatic acid bath

 

[Bad Company]

Why all the boiling/acid recommendations? I got some rock that was in a 5 gal pail for a few months, I changed the water in the pail, let it sit a week, changed it again, then added a piece a day to my tank over the course of a week and a half. No spikes, and the clean up crew loved me. Are we that afraid of hitchhikers?

 

[TonsOfun]

I wouldnt be afraid of hitchhikers after two years, just phosphates leaching from the rocks...

 

[evolved]

Never, ever, boil live rock!

 

[turbo21]

I wouldnt be afraid of hitchhikers after two years, just phosphates leaching from the rocks...

Where would the phosphates come from? All phosphates would have leached into the water in the bucket long ago.

Phosphate doesn't appear on it's own it is added in from fish poo and food (an external source)

I would change the water in the bucket. Let it sit for 24 hrs. Repeat maybe 2 more times

Then you are good to go


Especially since it was sealed

 

[skiwez]

Please no don't boil it. Cooking Rock should not be taken literally. Phosphates if there were any to begin with will still be there didn't get any better or worse. If the bucket doesn't stink I would recommend dumping all the water put fresh saltwater in and a powerhead. Ghost feed and test for the normal ammonia, nitrite, & nitrate. Should treat like any other cycle. what would be even better is you have a QT tank cycle it in there. once values stabilize put in display

 

[fishroomlady]

Never, ever, boil live rock!

!!!!!! I would think you could dry it out and then wash it real well.

 

[chefishman]

I think the anti -boiling is due to the posibility of inhaling something . nasty toxins or possible paly toxin fumes. something like that

 

[swissgaurd]

I wonder if I test the water for nitrates and phosphates should I get a reading. if not rinse them and dry them out in the sun then reseed them.
if I do get a reading put them in the garden?

 

[turbo21]

I wonder if I test the water for nitrates and phosphates should I get a reading. if not rinse them and dry them out in the sun then reseed them.
if I do get a reading put them in the garden?

No not the garden

If you do get a reading. You can treat it like any other rock. Change the water in the bucket a few times. And then test again. And you will be good to go

 

[FL_Reefer]

Bleach and water for a day or two, then fresh water for a few days then dry and good to go! U can get very sick from boiling rock! It's been two years in a bucket, what's a couple days in some bleach water?

 

[reeffirstaid]

If it were me, I would simply re-cycle it. Place it in a 10 gallon tank, with tank water, a heater and a skimmer (adding a bacteria cycle booster). Let the rock sit for a couple of weeks and recycle, allowing the protein skimmer to pull any waste out of the water. Do that for about a month, test the water in the tank, if you have no ammonia, no nitrates, and no phosphates - then it should be alright and live again.

 

[ReefPiracy]

Again boiling rock can cause toxins to be released into the air. I cycle rocks all the time out of my display. I take them out, place outside in a bucket that is cover loosely for a week or whatever you feel is long enuff to turn white. I don't want any animal/cat/dog getting into the stuff. Then just use a little tank water to soak for a few days and then place back in display. I do this just to kinda refresh the cycle. If you really want to cycle the rock before going in a tank use a heater and tank water to soak for a week or two. Even use a light for 4 hours.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

There should be no worry about phosphates leeching. That would only be from the soft layer, which is probably gone of it's been in a bucket for years. Power washing and drying out should get rid of anything that might be left. Anything that has precipitated on to the rock is not going to leech. Besides phosphates might not be the worry everyone has thought but if that's the concern, $20 and 20 minutes of muriatic takes care of that