Live Rock

azank · Jul 6, 2019

Hi All,

I have aquired some live rock that has been out of a functioning reef for over a week. I plan on using this rock in my new reef. I pressured washed it and rinsed it in RODI. The rock is clean of debris but has algae that is drying on it. Should I acid wash the rock with muratic acid? If so, will the acid eat through the JB waterweld that is holding the rock structures together?

Thanks

road_runner · Jul 6, 2019

azank said:
Hi All,

I have aquired some live rock that has been out of a functioning reef for over a week. I plan on using this rock in my new reef. I pressured washed it and rinsed it in RODI. The rock is clean of debris but has algae that is drying on it. Should I acid wash the rock with muratic acid? If so, will the acid eat through the JB waterweld that is holding the rock structures together?

Thanks

Best advice I can give you is to cure these rocks before you put them in there. Power wash will not take out the nutrients saturating the rocks. Depend on how long rocks were used it might be saturated with nutrients.
Soak the rocks in rodi water with a strong circulating pump for couple of week, change the water every week. So you get all the po4 put of there..

azank · Jul 6, 2019

Ohashimz said:
Best advice I can give you is to cure these rocks before you put them in there. Power wash will not take out the nutrients saturating the rocks. Depend on how long rocks were used it might be saturated with nutrients.
Soak the rocks in rodi water with a strong circulating pump for couple of week, change the water every week. So you get all the po4 put of there..

With or without salt? Do you recommend anything else or just soaking in RODI? Should I worry about the dead algae? The rocks were only in a system for about 18 months.

road_runner · Jul 7, 2019

azank said:
With or without salt? Do you recommend anything else or just soaking in RODI? Should I worry about the dead algae? The rocks were only in a system for about 18 months.

I personally do 2 weeks rodi only flush every week.
Then I do 2 more weeks with salt water.
End the 2 weeks I test po4. If its zero rocks is ready if detectable keep in salt water for couple weeks more.
Its annoying but will make your life much easier if they had po4 and started leaching in your system after established..the is the real pain.

Style185 · Jul 7, 2019

Ummmm if it's a brand new tank it should cycle with the tank and be fine. As far as leaching anything it'll go with the cycle. Make your scape how you like it n go with it. Don't make things more complicated than they have to be! Anyhow happy reefing hope all works out!

road_runner · Jul 7, 2019

Style185 · Jul 7, 2019

Wait wait get a brute trash can with fresh rodi for 8 weeks flush periodically (every other minute) than repeat with salt water for 12 weeks.... you should be fine after that... disregard last comment

Style185 · Jul 7, 2019

Ohashimz said:
I think you are confusing cycle with cure..curing will not happen with the cycle..your post is not accurate by a large.. margin..
Op is using live rocks that was taken from another tank, not live rocks from ocean.
Cycling WILL not take care of nutrients and organics on the rocks.

What are we "curing" it of is it diseased? No I am correct it needs to be put in his "new" tank and cycled with its "diseased dead rotting parasites" the 2 go hand in hand. It'll rott setting of it's cycle

Style185 · Jul 7, 2019

Ohashimz said:
I think you are confusing cycle with cure..curing will not happen with the cycle..your post is not accurate by a large.. margin..
Op is using live rocks that was taken from another tank, not live rocks from ocean.
Cycling WILL not take care of nutrients and organics on the rocks.

What are we "curing" it of is it diseased? No I am correct it needs to be put in his "new" tank and cycled with its "diseased dead rotting parasites" the 2 go hand in hand. It'll rott setting of it's cycle

road_runner · Jul 7, 2019

Style185 said:
What are we "curing" it of is it diseased? No I am correct it needs to be put in his "new" tank and cycled with its "diseased dead rotting parasites" the 2 go hand in hand. It'll rott setting of it's cycle

This is really bad advice. Suggesting to take rocks that were used in another system and use it right away without at least aksing the OP how long rocks been used or what was the system it was used in, is not right approach..

OP said rocks were outside water for 2 weeks which means it's no longer live rocks. Organics died on these rocks...
So yeh, you can either deal with these organics outside your system or inside the system... one way or another these organics will break down..