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Unread 01/22/2012, 06:22 PM   #1
mudcat1
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Cooking live rock and let salinity reach 1.030. Have I killed the bacteria?

I bought some live rock from another reefer about 5 months ago. After transporting it home I put it in a brute trash can with RODI water but no saltwater. I put in a power head for circulation but no heater (the temperature fluctuates between 70 and 75 degrees). I have been adding old saltwater to the trash can after I do water changes from my existing tanks. I don't have a lid for the trash so the water has been evaporating. I have been adding RODI topoff water to keep the salinity at 1.024. I recently forgot to add RODI topoff and the salinity has risen to 1.030.

Have I killed the bacteria on my live rock?

I did not have saltwater available when I purchased the rock and did not want the rock to dry out so I used RODI only. Can the bacteria survive in RODI water?

I am going to buy a lid for the trash can to minimize the evaporation.


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Unread 01/22/2012, 06:39 PM   #2
philosophile
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Well, if you kept in just ro/di water, then yes you probably killed most of it.... But the bacteria is literally everywhere. So keeping it SW will colonize slowly. But there isn't much point in trying to cook it until the bacteria colonizes.


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Unread 01/22/2012, 06:40 PM   #3
sporto0
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Saltwater bacteria can't survive in freshwater, RO/DI or not.


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Unread 01/22/2012, 07:41 PM   #4
mudcat1
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Well that's a bummer, what a rookie mistake.

Do you think putting old water from my saltwater tanks will regenerate the bacteria? Or do I need to seed it will live rock? I won't need the rock for several months so time is on my side. Otherwise I guess I should let the rock dry and store it until I need it.


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Unread 01/22/2012, 07:50 PM   #5
smoq
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You should be fine with just water from your tank, but since you said you have some time before you need your LR, borrow some LR from somebody and place it along with yours in a bucket of saltwater with powerhead to circulate it.


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Unread 01/22/2012, 08:40 PM   #6
mudcat1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smoq View Post
You should be fine with just water from your tank, but since you said you have some time before you need your LR, borrow some LR from somebody and place it along with yours in a bucket of saltwater with powerhead to circulate it.
OK I will reseed it with live rock. Do I have to use a heater to keep the water around 76 degrees or is circulation all that is necessary? Just want to make sure that I don't screw anything else up. Do the salinity swings cause problems with the bacteria (it fluctuated between 1.020 and 1.030)?


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