Question about curing live rock

[Justin....#JAMAS]

So i bought this one piece you see on the right that was dry rock and its pure white...the other two rocks i found a large tank with a sump and all the works on some guys lawn by the curb bc he was just throwing it all away and he let me have what i wanted so i decided to cure these three rocks together! Well ive been "cooking" them in saltwater with a powerhead for a few weeks now. Ive done a 100% wc on them once a week cleaning them and brushing them when transferring to new saltwater....the guy had these two rocks in a sump and they already have some coraline on them but there are some black ish spots on some of the rock and was wondering if thats how the rock just looks or what it is? I didnt cure the dry rock i got from my lfs, just rinsed it and put it in my tank and it was covered in brown hair algae in a week so i took it out of my tank and thats why im curing that dry rock with the two rocks i found! Does anyone else ever get rock that has black on it? sorry for the paragraph but all important info to get the right info i need! Thanks guys

 

[Maritimer]

I don't see anything way outta line there. Rock that's been in another tank will have had algaes of various sorts on it, and some of those will leave some color. Over time, algaes of various sorts will color the new rock, as well. Any dead organic matter in the rock should decompose during the curing period, offering an extra source of nutrient to the bacteria you're trying to cultivate.

You may wish to test for phosphates, as some rocks will leach them into the water.

~Bruce

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

I don't see anything way outta line there. Rock that's been in another tank will have had algaes of various sorts on it, and some of those will leave some color. Over time, algaes of various sorts will color the new rock, as well. Any dead organic matter in the rock should decompose during the curing period, offering an extra source of nutrient to the bacteria you're trying to cultivate.

You may wish to test for phosphates, as some rocks will leach them into the water.

~Bruce

Sweet! Thanks for the info bro! So no worries about the black on the rocks than, cool i was worried i wouldnt be able to use it bc they are some pretty pourous nice looking rock that would incorporate perfectly into my aquascape

 

[DesertReefT4r]

For sure test for po4. I am curing some old live rock thatbhas been dry for many years and its leaching a ton of po4 after 1 week of curing. Your rock looks normal to me. Cure it and cook it for as long as possible.

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

For sure test for po4. I am curing some old live rock thatbhas been dry for many years and its leaching a ton of po4 after 1 week of curing. Your rock looks normal to me. Cure it and cook it for as long as possible.

Its been about 4 weeks now it has been curing! The rock i got from this guys sump was pretty nasty at first but has cleared up alot and already has so much coraline! Also a little tunnel in the rock that looks pretty cool! Heres a few pics so you could maybe see the black stuff im talking about......will test for po4 in a min and post it back here....

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

just tested my po4 and it is between .5 and 1 for the water in the rocks that are curing....guess i need to keep curing until it reaches 0 correct?

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

Alright well i hope some of you guys are still watching this thread, bc i wanted to ask something really quick.....so the 2 small pieces of live rock that came out of another reefers sump with coraline all over it already, has been curing in one of my buckets for a total of right at 1 month....over that month ive done water changes, scrubbing the rock and dipping it to rinse off whatever may be on it, and switching it into freshly mixed saltwater, than cover and sit with a powerhead, for 1 month........ive tested po4 a few times through this journey and it was around 1ppm, but it has been at .5ppm now for the last 2 weeks.........should i wait until it drops to 0ppm to add the live rock to my display, or would it be safe to go ahead and incorporate into my aquascape in my display now?