Old rock ... did I screw up

[Amstar]

I had some old old live rock and lace rock that was sitting in a tote in the garage for 2+ years.

started a new 40 gallon out with it - tank is cycled - the uglies are just really ugly and more so than just brown. Is this going to be an issue down the road? - do I rip it out and start over with other rock - or get a rocking cuc and cut back my lights

 

[Amstar]

 

[Tumey]

From your pics it doesn’t look horribly out of hand yet. Have you added fish or corals yet? If not I think I’d try exactly what you’re thinking with a strong cuc and shorten the light schedule to help get through the uglies

 

[Amstar]

No fish - a small piece of xenia and piece of sps that broke off in another tank - corals doing good -

 

[DanConnor]

Personally I would have run it for a few months with lights off, but since you don't have much I would do the less lights and cuc.

 

[Amstar]

I might pull the corals - lights off and add clean up crew - see how that goes. Then slowly ramp lights back up lights in the new year

thanks for the advice

 

[George81]

I had live rock I stored for 12+ years. Before I used it I soaked it in rodi and bleach for 3-4 weeks. I still battled the uglies for nearly 6+ months. You’re probably ok. I tried black outs, vibrant, it wasn’t until i pulled the rocks and peroxided them, wire brushed them.
there is a thread on here somewhere about rasping and peroxiding rocks, some say it doesn’t work. It worked for me.

 

[RobW]

I had rock stored for a few years. I soaked in rodi and bleach for about a week. Then I scrubbed all the rocks with a stiff bristle brush. Soaked it back in rodi for a week at a time with a pump circulating and changed the water every week over the course of a month or so trying to let anything leech out. Then I mixed saltwater and put the rock in that for about 6 weeks to let cure. Never had an issue.