Live Rock

[Casket_Case]

I’m not sure what the right topic for this is, but I got more live rock a few months ago and took some old rock out, as I got new better quality rock and there wasn’t enough room in my tank for both the old and new rock. Since then I upgraded to a forty gallon from a twenty gallon and the rock I removed before I had just let sit on the back porch. So all the bacteria and critters on it have died out and the rock is dry, but I want to put that dry rock in my forty gallon now for more structure... what should I do? It’s covered in pill bugs, some leaves, dirt, et cetera. I washed them off and cleaned them the best I could with water from a spigot but I’m worried that’s not enough. Is there any proper way to clean it? Should I just let it sit in a bucket of saltwater for a while before reintroducing?

 

[lapin]

Pressure wash it if you can. Letting it soak in salt water and do a few water changes over a few weeks to rid it of any left over organics.

 

[Casket_Case]

Pressure wash it if you can. Letting it soak in salt water and do a few water changes over a few weeks to rid it of any left over organics.

Thanks! I’ll do that today

 

[Jon Fishman]

I’d just throw it in

 

[Casket_Case]

I’d just throw it in

I’ll try both, I’ll pressure wash then just throw it in and skip marinating it. I submerged the rock in freezing cold then steaming hot water to shock anything in it and a giant wolf spider crawled out of it... not cool for an arachnophobe. But pressure washing should take care of anything like that

 

[Casket_Case]

Would adding three chunks of the dry rock at once mess with parameters? It’s only a few pounds of rock and I have a forty gallon.

 

[lapin]

The only issue you will have is fit it has phosphate or organics. Organics will create ammonia. Phosphates can feed algae. Only you know what is in that rock.