Used pukani rock in new rank

[Trever]

I'm setting up a brand new (first) tank.

Planning to buy used pukani rock from some guy off Craigslist. The used rock has been out of water for some weeks, because the guy took down his tank. So the rock is dry in the sense that all of the water has completely evaporated. It's truly dry as in "free from water"

Wet, dry, curing... should be so simple, but I'm completely confused.

What should I do with this rock? Cure it? Just stick it in water and treat it as if it were purchased marco dry rock that's never been used?

If it has to be cured, since this is a new tank, can that be done in the tank with just water?

Can nasty things live on rock out of water for any length of time and so when I put the rock back in water, it will all come to life? What about good things like nitrifying bacteria? About the only thing I won't worry about is covid...

I can understand that there could be dead, dry organics that won't come back to life but will undergo some sort of breakdown process in water and thus stink, but I'm not sure what else. Is that what curing is for- to remove dead stuff that will rot? Or is it to remove remaining harmful stuff that instantly comes back to life once put in water?

Bah. This is totally confusing.

Terms seem to be used interchangeably.

That is:

Wet rock: rock that actually has water on it. It's dripping. You can (I guess) buy this stuff or get from another reefer, with the idea that it has the bacteria you want on it- ALIVE. And I gather that's good, assuming you accept the bristle worms, cyano, ICH, whatever else is on it or isn't on it.

Dry rock: seems like this mined (or artificial?) rock that was in water when the dinosaurs were around. Anyways, point is it's basically sterile. Put it in water and give it life, with various methods to do this.

Dry rock that isn't wet: What I'm buying. Neither of the above.

I should add: I want this rock because I've both seen and lifted pukani and find it vastly superior to other rock, but can't buy "new" (dry in first sense above) pukani rock anymore (unsustainable commercial practice that's been discontinued).

 

[LBReefer]

I'd avoid using rock from someone else's tank, unless you know them well.

They may have contaminants, meds, etc in their tank that will now leach out into your new tank.

If you search on the forum, there are guides on how to cure rocks.

I'd recommend buying the manufactured, dry rocks from BRS, Marine Depot or your LFS. They have Marco rocks, real reef rock, etc. You will go through and ugly phasers some point, but I think jts the safest approach.

My $.02

 

[Trever]

replied to myself, can't delete this apparently

 

[fishguy242]

hi just my opinion ,hose it down good,put in vessel of saltwater 1.020 skim it for a month also a pump for circ,no heater needed

 

[Trever]

I'd avoid using rock from someone else's tank, unless you know them well.

They may have contaminants, meds, etc in their tank that will now leach out into your new tank.

If you search on the forum, there are guides on how to cure rocks.

I'd recommend buying the manufactured, dry rocks from BRS, Marine Depot or your LFS. They have Marco rocks, real reef rock, etc. You will go through and ugly phasers some point, but I think jts the safest approach.

My $.02

@LBReefer it sounds like you're implying there can be INORGANICS that are bad (stuff that will leach). This is not the same as stuff that will rot or pores or whatever that will come to life once put back in water. I can understand this but seems like a low concern... since the tank it comes out of wasn't ghetto.

 

[vanpire]

While there is a risk whenever you are using "used" rock, but some of these are rocks are so porous and light that they are incredible.

I would risk it. These are the steps I would take:

1. Power wash if you can. Or a standard hose if you don't have a power washer. Power washing is awesome though.
2. Bleach the rock.
3. Acid soak your rock - should only take you a few hours total. Take the rocks out immediately after the acid wash is done
4. Power wash again.
5. Soak rock in water with Lanthanum Chloride for as a long as you can and check for phosphate

Acid soaking will cause you to lose 5%-10% of your rock mass but you will lose a lot of outer layer where contaminants will be bound.

I do this and my tanks are fine using mostly previously imported live rock. The porosity and lightness of these rocks are hard to duplicate.

Hope that helps you.

 

[Trever]

This is interesting, but it still leaves me wondering- what is live rock? Does the word "live" have anything to do with whether the rock is wet, or can it refer to rock that has been out of water for several weeks? Googling and countless threads I have read only make this more and more confusing. At root, my question is biological. Hence, serious reference to covid above.

 

[vanpire]

True liverock comes from the ocean and has the prerequisite Microfauna, especially various strains of bacteria.

 

[Spieg]

I'd soak a piece in a small container of salt water for a few days then test for copper (this is the main risk in used rock). If no copper, then follow the advise above as far as washing and curing the rock before placing it in the new tank.

 

[tehmadreefer]

If your that worried about it, soak it in bleach for a day.l, then rinse well or dry in sun or even use liquid chlorine from Walmart.. Otherwise just rinse and stick it in, it’ll help with the cycle.