Old rocks should I reuse them

[oki2oki]

Hi
I got these rocks from my friend who year ago started his tank and then decided to end it and completely dismantle his tank. I got his old rocks and I was wondering should I or can I use them in my new tank? I am thinking of starting new reefer 250 and I was wondering can I some these rocks in anything to complete clean them and be safe that I will not get something bad from the start for my new reef tank. Any suggestions?

Thanks A

 

[dstockwell]

Sure, complete clean don’t see why not.

 

[Dreminon]

 

[KK's Reef]

It might leach out some phosphates for a short while, but should be safe to use. Cure it like you would any other rock.

 

[oki2oki]

It might leach out some phosphates for a short while, but should be safe to use. Cure it like you would any other rock.

Thanks. I will need to get more rock because this will not be enough for my new tank. So I should cure this one and new rock I get before using it in my new reefer?

 

[doubleshot00]

Soak it in bleach over night. Then rinse and let it sit outside in the sun for a few days. Then its ready ti be added ti your tank.

 

[jabberwock]

Not worth it in my opinion. Dry rock is relatively inexpensive, and that rock has no benefit except being free. You might be importing a bunch of unforeseen historic issues that you do not want to deal with. Make a fire pit out of it.

 

[KK's Reef]

Thanks. I will need to get more rock because this will not be enough for my new tank. So I should cure this one and new rock I get before using it in my new reefer?

Ideally, yes. If you're getting dry rock, I don't see a need to cure that, but some people do. I used dry Real Reef Rock for my tank and had it wet from day 1. I had no intention of curing, but I left the tank running for a month or so before adding fish and coral, so it was a bit of an unintentional cure. I didn't detect any phosphate before or after my cycle.

 

[JNalley]

it's fine, if you really want to clean it thoroughly, use some muriatic or citric acid in a bin... it will dissolve everything organic, if using Muriatic Acid, you can neutralize with baking soda, if using citric acid you can just rinse it off in clean water (after neutralizing with baking soda I would also rinse the rock if going the muriatic acid route). I would not use bleach personally because it can take many days for the insides of the rock to dry and evaporate the chlorine in the bleach. Using Acids you can tackle this in a day or two no more by simply neutralizing it...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

IMO, the main reason to clean it is if it may have been exposed to something you don't want in your tank. For example, if it was left outdoors for a long period of time, there's a possibility pesticides, etc, might have been used around it (in my part of the country, trucks come around frequently and spray for mosquitoes...)

Otherwise, since you're starting a new tank, any organics that might still be on the rock will just provide an ammonia source for your cycle.

 

[oki2oki]

Thank you all

 

[Mikey-D]

Stole these inputs from: https://www.reef2reef.com/members/beazer247.176009/

He mentioned it from another thread. Just sharing the love.

Natural curing live rock for saltwater fish tanks? - BRStv Reef FAQs

In terms of how to cure live rock, there are three main methods used by hobbyists: natural, bleach and acid. Our focus today is using the natural method and we answer three direct questions: 1. What is a natural cure? 2. When is it appropriate to naturally cure rock? 3. How

www.bulkreefsupply.com

How to cure live rock with acid for a saltwater aquarium - Reef FAQs

Acid curing is the most aggressive method of curing rock. It is also the least safe among the accepted methods of how to cure live rock for a reef tank or saltwater aquarium. There are very few instances in which we consider acid curing a necessity over a bleach or natural live rock cure. We will

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Bleach Curing Dry Rock for a Saltwater Reef Tank - BRStv Reef FAQs

There are three main methods for curing live rock for a saltwater reef tank: natural, bleach and acid. Our focus today is using bleach for curing dry rock and we answer three direct questions. 1. What is a bleach cure? 2. When is it appropriate to bleach cure rock? 3. How to do

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Dburr1014]

it's fine, if you really want to clean it thoroughly, use some muriatic or citric acid in a bin... it will dissolve everything organic, if using Muriatic Acid, you can neutralize with baking soda, if using citric acid you can just rinse it off in clean water (after neutralizing with baking soda I would also rinse the rock if going the muriatic acid route). I would not use bleach personally because it can take many days for the insides of the rock to dry and evaporate the chlorine in the bleach. Using Acids you can tackle this in a day or two no more by simply neutralizing it...

+1 This is what I did.

I had rock I got from a fairly new system in the 1990's. I broke that tank down and gave the rock to my brother-in-law for his new tank he was setting up. He used it for about 20 years. He got bryopsis and re-start his his tank with new rock and left the old outside for about a year. I took it back and cooked it in Muratic acid and put it in my tank. This was about 6 years ago and still using it. Zero problems from 30+ year old rock.

I hate waste, I'm not of the "throw it away" generation to be fair.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Those rocks look pretty dense. May not be, but picture looks that way. If they do not work as they are, you can always break them up to then put together as you want for aesthetics.
Also, a good cleaning (whether acid bath or bleach bath, good rinse and dry out) and you have some rocks you can use in a sump if it is larger too. No need to throw out.

 

[jabberwock]

If you are not familiar with handling muriatic acid, please be extremely careful. I mopped the floor of an industrial building once when I was a kid (summer job). By the end of the day, the metal mop bucket was full of holes and leaking like a shower head. Use the correct PPE and follow all instructions and warnings.

 

[oki2oki]

If you are not familiar with handling muriatic acid, please be extremely careful. I mopped the floor of an industrial building once when I was a kid (summer job). By the end of the day, the metal mop bucket was full of holes and leaking like a shower head. Use the correct PPE and follow all instructions and warnings.

I watch the video of someone suggesting it here earlier and I am not familiar with it and I am not going that route. I have time so I will go with soak it in salt water for couple of weeks and hope for it to be clean. Thank you for your suggestion and warning.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If you are not familiar with handling muriatic acid, please be extremely careful. I mopped the floor of an industrial building once when I was a kid (summer job). By the end of the day, the metal mop bucket was full of holes and leaking like a shower head. Use the correct PPE and follow all instructions and warnings.

Sounds like that Breaking Bad episode...

 

[JNalley]

IMO, the main reason to clean it is if it may have been exposed to something you don't want in your tank. For example, if it was left outdoors for a long period of time, there's a possibility pesticides, etc, might have been used around it (in my part of the country, trucks come around frequently and spray for mosquitoes...)

Otherwise, since you're starting a new tank, any organics that might still be on the rock will just provide an ammonia source for your cycle.

The organics will also be a source of phosphate, which is probably the hardest nutrient to manage for most people, honestly. That's the sole reason I would always clean rock that has been out of a system for a while, no matter what.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Not without curing them first…imo it’s just easier to buy new rock. They are only a few dollars a lb. and many are filled with beneficial bacteria making cycling easier/faster.