Reusing live (dead?) rock in new saltwater tank

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 08:10 AM

I'm brand new to this hobby, we have a few freshwater planted tanks but this is my first dabble into saltwater...any help would be appreciated!

I recently got a great deal on a bunch of marine aquarium supplies on Craigslist and it came with 90lbs of live rock and a couple bucketfuls of sand. The tank that it came from had been down for some time, but still had some water in it. The rocks, sand, and equipment are all pretty foul, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get the tank started up. We have a 72gal bowfront that has never been used, possibly with a 40gal sump that came with the bundle or we may use a 30 gal tank and modify it.

As for the live rock, is it safe to assume it is now dead? We want to reuse it, but not sure how to go about cleaning and curing and the best method for our situation. Can we use tapwater just to clean them before I cure it? Can we use the tank as a "bucket" and just cure it right in the tank if we arent putting fish or inverts in it for a while? What about the sand?

Thank you!

thile123 · 12/17/2009, 08:23 AM

All of the stuff are mostly dead if not all. I'd reuse the LR but throw away (or clean) the sand, remember to clean the equipments too. Soak whatever equipment you can in 60/40 mixer of vinegar/water overnight, and it should come out clean. You can use tap water to clean the sand; spray the LR quickly with the garden hose; don't leave the LR to dry for too long to prevent any further die-off. Once everything is cleaned and hooked up; put the sand and LR in the tank and start filling it with new saltwater. Now just sit back and wait for your tank to cycle. Check your water parameter (maybe daily or every other day) to verify that cycling process.

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 08:31 AM

I can use tap water to clean the sand and rock? That wont kill anything? Or is that mainly a concern once I have fish and other live things in there? Should I scrub it with anything? How about curing it? Or is that just what the tank cycling will do? I thought I'd buy a bit more LR to help "seed" it as many others suggest...would another 20lbs be plenty? To clean the sand..we just threw our freshwater sand (in portions) in a 5gal Home Depot bucket and ran a hose in it gently until it ran clear. Same method for saltwater?

der_wille_zur_macht · 12/17/2009, 08:40 AM

I'm a little confused - were the sand and rock dry, or sitting in the stagnant water in the tank?

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 08:44 AM

They were sitting in stagnant water in a tank. It probably covered the bottom 2.5 in of rock from when I saw it on, not sure if it had been sitting in a full tank prior to that. Either way, the tank had not been on, and the tank and water were gross. Its 90lbs of rock, so Id really like to use it instead of spending a buttload of money if possible.

Chris27 · 12/17/2009, 08:47 AM

If anything has been out of water for any amount of time, it's not live anymore, you just have rock and sand...with that said, the stagnant water that everything is sitting in can be bad news. Take a look in there, do you see anything alive, aiptasia, snails, hermits, algae, that sort of thing? You'll want to address any of those right now.

Soaking the rocks and sand in a mild bleach solution will kill off anything in there - and give you a fresh start. For the sand, give it a good rinse with the solution, and then spread it out on a tarp to dry. Once it's dry, the bleach will be gone, as will anything that was living in the sand.

The rocks can soak in the solution for a day or two, and then you can give them a good rinse and scrub with some tap water, then some de-chlorinator to get any of the bleach that remains.

Once you're ready to put everything back into the tank you can use some de-chlorinator if you want to be on the cautious side, but by then the bleach will be gone. Activated carbon can also be used to get anything that remains.

As stated before, a mild vinegar solution will clean your equipment to like new status, just make sure to rinse it well to remove any traces of it.

When you get everything back into the tank, a small amount of true live sand and live rock will get your bacterial filter going, and in a few weeks you'll be ready for fish.

Take a trip to the bookstore, and pick up a SW aquarium book, it'll prove to be a valuable reference during the first two months of starting up.

der_wille_zur_macht · 12/17/2009, 08:48 AM

You can definitely reuse the rock, though you'll want to take some action prior to clean it.

It's hard to give advice without seeing the rock in person. Any rock that was exposed to air for more than a few minutes is going to be pretty dead. Consider it as you would dry rock - scrub/soak/clean it with tap water until there is NO evidence of life or contamination, and pretend it's dry base rock.

Rock that was underwater MAY have some beneficial life, but arguably will be loaded with unwanted waste, as well. It's a tossup - clean it like the dead rock above, or clean it in saltwater, keeping it wet (again, with saltwater - you don't want to expose it to plain water if it's alive) the whole time, and use it to seed your new tank (and dry rock.)

Unless you want to spend several hours rinsing that sand, I'd toss it. Sand that's sat in stagnant dirty water is going to be pretty nasty.

Chris27 · 12/17/2009, 08:49 AM

Oh yea, by the way, welcome to the hobby!!!

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 08:49 AM

At this point it is considered dead rock right? Or if it's live still should I just clean it real well, not worry about killing everything and just add more live rock later? If this is the case, would washing it in fresh tap water wreak havoc later on when Im trying to cycle the tank?

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 08:51 AM

I posted that as you were posting it

Thanks for the welcome! I'm excited to learn about all of this, I never realized how interesting this side could be! I'm worried we'll get bored with our little freshwater pets lol

der_wille_zur_macht · 12/17/2009, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pongo3d

At this point it is considered dead rock right? Or if it's live still should I just clean it real well, not worry about killing everything and just add more live rock later? If this is the case, would washing it in fresh tap water wreak havoc later on when Im trying to cycle the tank?

If it's been dry for more than a few minutes, then yes - pretend it's dead. Clean it REALLY REALLY WELL. Use tap water. Rinse it in RO/DI if you're nervous, but even after a thorough cleaning the rock will likely be so loaded with nutrients that tap water won't add to the problem.

der_wille_zur_macht · 12/17/2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pongo3d

I'm worried we'll get bored with our little freshwater pets lol

I kept FW as a kid, always dreaming of switching to the "more exciting" marine world. After 10 or 15 years of marine tanks, I got back in to planted FW a few years ago, and now I love and appreciate both. They're very different, I'm sure you'll keep your interest in both. marine tanks are like a trip to Las Vegas - everything is flashy, exciting, and in your face. Planted FW tanks are like camping in the middle of nowhere - serene and peaceful.

Chris27 · 12/17/2009, 08:52 AM

That's right, most of it is dead - and the stuff that isn't dead will be pretty nasty! Tap water won't give you any problems in the future, as you're just going to be giving it a rinse with it.

Chris27 · 12/17/2009, 08:53 AM

Man you guys type quick!

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 08:56 AM

I think Ill just look at it as dead rock and clean it from there. So if tapwater is fine to clean it, any tips on getting all the gunk off? Once it's clean, put it in the tank and start cycling it? Or cure it first? Thanks for helping and being patient, this is a lot to take in over a couple short days, I feel like I might have a thousand questions rolling around and I can't read enough on it.

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris27

Man you guys type quick!

I agree...before I even get the chance to ask a question, it's already answered it seems

der_wille_zur_macht · 12/17/2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pongo3d

I think Ill just look at it as dead rock and clean it from there. So if tapwater is fine to clean it, any tips on getting all the gunk off? Once it's clean, put it in the tank and start cycling it? Or cure it first? Thanks for helping and being patient, this is a lot to take in over a couple short days, I feel like I might have a thousand questions rolling around and I can't read enough on it.

Again, it would really depend on seeing the rock in person. Soaking it in FW for a few days might help loosen some of the gunk up, then scrubbing/spraying it. Whatever you do, try to get as much of the gunk off as possible.

Since it's a new tank, curing in the tank vs. out doesn't really matter a ton. If you get it really clean, you might as well cure/cycle in the tank. Add a few small pieces of fresh live rock, keep the tank lit (to help encourage coraline spread), run your heaters, skimmer, whatever other equipment you have. After a week or two you'll know how good of a job you did cleaning it, based on how high nutrients spike. Once things have been stable for a few weeks, you can start thinking about livestock.

mojo10 · 12/17/2009, 09:14 AM

Trust me you will never, never , never get bored with salt water... As for the sand it will take more work to clean it than it would cost too replace with new , and a big welcome.

pongo3d · 12/17/2009, 09:23 AM

I think I've come up with a plan of attack for the rocks. We are planning on cleaning the sand as well, we've got nearly 10 gallons of it and would hate to toss it. Thank you for your help!

12/17/2009, 08:10 AM	#1
pongo3d Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 14	Reusing live (dead?) rock in new saltwater tank I'm brand new to this hobby, we have a few freshwater planted tanks but this is my first dabble into saltwater...any help would be appreciated! I recently got a great deal on a bunch of marine aquarium supplies on Craigslist and it came with 90lbs of live rock and a couple bucketfuls of sand. The tank that it came from had been down for some time, but still had some water in it. The rocks, sand, and equipment are all pretty foul, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get the tank started up. We have a 72gal bowfront that has never been used, possibly with a 40gal sump that came with the bundle or we may use a 30 gal tank and modify it. As for the live rock, is it safe to assume it is now dead? We want to reuse it, but not sure how to go about cleaning and curing and the best method for our situation. Can we use tapwater just to clean them before I cure it? Can we use the tank as a "bucket" and just cure it right in the tank if we arent putting fish or inverts in it for a while? What about the sand? Thank you! Last edited by pongo3d; 12/17/2009 at 08:21 AM. Reason: change title

12/17/2009, 08:40 AM	#4
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	I'm a little confused - were the sand and rock dry, or sitting in the stagnant water in the tank? __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

12/17/2009, 08:48 AM	#7
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	You can definitely reuse the rock, though you'll want to take some action prior to clean it. It's hard to give advice without seeing the rock in person. Any rock that was exposed to air for more than a few minutes is going to be pretty dead. Consider it as you would dry rock - scrub/soak/clean it with tap water until there is NO evidence of life or contamination, and pretend it's dry base rock. Rock that was underwater MAY have some beneficial life, but arguably will be loaded with unwanted waste, as well. It's a tossup - clean it like the dead rock above, or clean it in saltwater, keeping it wet (again, with saltwater - you don't want to expose it to plain water if it's alive) the whole time, and use it to seed your new tank (and dry rock.) Unless you want to spend several hours rinsing that sand, I'd toss it. Sand that's sat in stagnant dirty water is going to be pretty nasty. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

12/17/2009, 09:14 AM	#18
mojo10 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Roanoke Posts: 75	salt water Trust me you will never, never , never get bored with salt water... As for the sand it will take more work to clean it than it would cost too replace with new , and a big welcome.

12/17/2009, 08:23 AM	#2
thile123 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: texas Posts: 65	All of the stuff are mostly dead if not all. I'd reuse the LR but throw away (or clean) the sand, remember to clean the equipments too. Soak whatever equipment you can in 60/40 mixer of vinegar/water overnight, and it should come out clean. You can use tap water to clean the sand; spray the LR quickly with the garden hose; don't leave the LR to dry for too long to prevent any further die-off. Once everything is cleaned and hooked up; put the sand and LR in the tank and start filling it with new saltwater. Now just sit back and wait for your tank to cycle. Check your water parameter (maybe daily or every other day) to verify that cycling process.

12/17/2009, 08:31 AM	#3
pongo3d Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 14	I can use tap water to clean the sand and rock? That wont kill anything? Or is that mainly a concern once I have fish and other live things in there? Should I scrub it with anything? How about curing it? Or is that just what the tank cycling will do? I thought I'd buy a bit more LR to help "seed" it as many others suggest...would another 20lbs be plenty? To clean the sand..we just threw our freshwater sand (in portions) in a 5gal Home Depot bucket and ran a hose in it gently until it ran clear. Same method for saltwater?

12/17/2009, 08:44 AM	#5
pongo3d Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 14	They were sitting in stagnant water in a tank. It probably covered the bottom 2.5 in of rock from when I saw it on, not sure if it had been sitting in a full tank prior to that. Either way, the tank had not been on, and the tank and water were gross. Its 90lbs of rock, so Id really like to use it instead of spending a buttload of money if possible.

12/17/2009, 08:47 AM	#6
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	If anything has been out of water for any amount of time, it's not live anymore, you just have rock and sand...with that said, the stagnant water that everything is sitting in can be bad news. Take a look in there, do you see anything alive, aiptasia, snails, hermits, algae, that sort of thing? You'll want to address any of those right now. Soaking the rocks and sand in a mild bleach solution will kill off anything in there - and give you a fresh start. For the sand, give it a good rinse with the solution, and then spread it out on a tarp to dry. Once it's dry, the bleach will be gone, as will anything that was living in the sand. The rocks can soak in the solution for a day or two, and then you can give them a good rinse and scrub with some tap water, then some de-chlorinator to get any of the bleach that remains. Once you're ready to put everything back into the tank you can use some de-chlorinator if you want to be on the cautious side, but by then the bleach will be gone. Activated carbon can also be used to get anything that remains. As stated before, a mild vinegar solution will clean your equipment to like new status, just make sure to rinse it well to remove any traces of it. When you get everything back into the tank, a small amount of true live sand and live rock will get your bacterial filter going, and in a few weeks you'll be ready for fish. Take a trip to the bookstore, and pick up a SW aquarium book, it'll prove to be a valuable reference during the first two months of starting up.

12/17/2009, 08:49 AM	#8
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	Oh yea, by the way, welcome to the hobby!!!

12/17/2009, 08:51 AM	#10
pongo3d Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 14	I posted that as you were posting it Thanks for the welcome! I'm excited to learn about all of this, I never realized how interesting this side could be! I'm worried we'll get bored with our little freshwater pets lol

12/17/2009, 08:52 AM	#13
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	That's right, most of it is dead - and the stuff that isn't dead will be pretty nasty! Tap water won't give you any problems in the future, as you're just going to be giving it a rinse with it.

12/17/2009, 08:53 AM	#14
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	Man you guys type quick!

12/17/2009, 08:56 AM	#15
pongo3d Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 14	I think Ill just look at it as dead rock and clean it from there. So if tapwater is fine to clean it, any tips on getting all the gunk off? Once it's clean, put it in the tank and start cycling it? Or cure it first? Thanks for helping and being patient, this is a lot to take in over a couple short days, I feel like I might have a thousand questions rolling around and I can't read enough on it.

12/17/2009, 09:23 AM	#19
pongo3d Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 14	I think I've come up with a plan of attack for the rocks. We are planning on cleaning the sand as well, we've got nearly 10 gallons of it and would hate to toss it. Thank you for your help!