killing live rock?

[jerl77]

ok i am redoing my 40 breeder and going to start fresh
so my question is i removed all the rock and its outside in buckets right now how long before it died?
i am going to wait and they bring it back in and scrab the s$$$ out of it
so how long should i leave it outside for?
its about 25 degrees here in new york

 

[btkrausen]

I've heard a lot of people "cooking" the rocks, but I'm sure freezing them should do just as well. By cooking or soaking them, I'd think it would remove stuff at the same time of killing it as well. I might do that to some of my rock that I've taken out before using it again, just to make sure its clean

Where in LI are you from? I was born in Smithtown, and lived in Patchogue until we moved to Kentucky. I still have family in East Moriches and Riverhead

 

[nixer]

i would say cooking would work better.
it would help break down some of the nastys rather than preserve them for breaking down later.
either way i would do a hypersalinity dip first to make sure most things leave the rock

 

[Captain Nemo]

No you will be fine either way. Freezing kills the bacteria also. Leave it out until it's dried and you should be fine. Food luck.

 

[nixer]

why would you want to nuke your rock? do you have some kinda pest?

 

[mufret]

The cold and drying the rock will rid it of the nitrifying bacteria but will not get rid of some of the nasty algaes.

 

[skinz78]

I would leave it out for a few nights and then take it and put it in some RO/DI rinse and scrub. Then boil it in some clean RO/DI for 30 min each rock. Once again rinse and scrub in fresh RO/DI. Then let it sit in a tub of fresh clean RO/DI for a week with powerheads blowing on it. Then repeat the rinse, boil, rinse, then soak again. Repeat till you are satisfied that you have gotten it clean.

 

[jledon4]

if you really want to clean your rock, the best way to do it is by diluting bleach in the water were the rocks are with a powerhead blowing on them. i would recommend to do it for at least a week and some more days with water change and addition of more bleach halfway through. after you're done with the dipping, flush them with r/o and allow them to dry. it doesn't take long for the bleach to evaporate from the dried rock. this is how i make sure nothing goes into the tank other than the rock. good luck.

 

[jerl77]

algea was killling me

 

[raymond]

the rock will die off, but if you dont cook it before putting it in the tank, the rock will each out all the stuff that died and your tank will get alot of nitrates and such. i would boil it in some water and rinse well before putting it in the tank and then go to pet store and buy a real good piece with alot of coarline and let it seed all the rock