Weight difference between live/dead rock

scarface70706 · 07/30/2011, 01:46 PM

hey guys i was wondering if there's a weight difference between live rock and dried dead rock? im assuming there is but i could be wrong. if there is whats the difference?

Raggamuffin · 07/30/2011, 01:48 PM

just to give you an idea the "rule" is 1-2 pounds depending on how dense the rock is for live rock in your tank. Dry rock I ordered 25 pounds for a 40g tank and only used 1/2 to 2/3 of it and it is still over filled.

scarface70706 · 07/30/2011, 02:01 PM

hmmm ok. thats very interesting. ok so i have a 90 gal tank and have about 30 lbs of dry rock. this rock hasent been alive and in water for over 2 yrs. the only water that touched this rock was tap water just to rinse them off from the old sand stuck to it. what would the 30 lbs weigh out to when im the tank? should i be soaking these rocks in salt water to bring them up to their original weight?

Raggamuffin · 07/30/2011, 02:04 PM

it would be a good idea to let then soak in saltwater with a powerhead to leach out what may be in there. you will end up with 45 or 50 pounds after it is soaked.

scarface70706 · 07/30/2011, 02:11 PM

sweet! i like that idea since that means saving money. should i soak this in my tank while im mixing the salt water?

lordofthereef · 07/30/2011, 02:25 PM

If you are going to soak it (not a bad idea), I'd just use fresh water (RO if you have it). No sense wasting all that saltwater.

scarface70706 · 07/30/2011, 02:27 PM

why would it be wasting salt water? would i need to dump out the water after soaking? also how long should i let it soak for?

papagimp · 07/30/2011, 05:30 PM

it would be wasting saltwater since the rock is dead, nothing alive to worry about keeping in saltwater for and being dried out dead rock, it's bound to leech some nastiness into the water, so you definatly dont' want to soak them in saltwater and then put that saltwater into your tank. I've recently setup a new system using rock that had been dried out and dead for a few years as well, and I'm simply re-curing it all. Using saltwater, with flow and changing water occasionally to rid it of the nastiness the rock is leeching back into the water. I'll keep this up until it cycles and my nitrates/phosphates in that water start to stay 0. The length of how long to do this for would depend on how well you cleaned the rock when you first took it out of the water to dry out and die. I didn't clean mine very well and it's been over a month now and it's still spiking nitrates and phosphates pretty darn high, I expect another month or so of this until it's where I'd call it "usable" live rock.

scarface70706 · 07/30/2011, 08:49 PM

ok thanks for the tip. i will def. start soaking these rocks in rodi water in some 5 gal buckets for a good week or two. i will be putting this rock at the bottom of the tank and then live rock on top of it so it "seeds". i was told this would be the right way when mixing dead and live rock.

07/30/2011, 01:46 PM	#1
scarface70706 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,364	Weight difference between live/dead rock hey guys i was wondering if there's a weight difference between live rock and dried dead rock? im assuming there is but i could be wrong. if there is whats the difference?

07/30/2011, 02:25 PM	#6
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	If you are going to soak it (not a bad idea), I'd just use fresh water (RO if you have it). No sense wasting all that saltwater. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

07/30/2011, 05:30 PM	#8
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	it would be wasting saltwater since the rock is dead, nothing alive to worry about keeping in saltwater for and being dried out dead rock, it's bound to leech some nastiness into the water, so you definatly dont' want to soak them in saltwater and then put that saltwater into your tank. I've recently setup a new system using rock that had been dried out and dead for a few years as well, and I'm simply re-curing it all. Using saltwater, with flow and changing water occasionally to rid it of the nastiness the rock is leeching back into the water. I'll keep this up until it cycles and my nitrates/phosphates in that water start to stay 0. The length of how long to do this for would depend on how well you cleaned the rock when you first took it out of the water to dry out and die. I didn't clean mine very well and it's been over a month now and it's still spiking nitrates and phosphates pretty darn high, I expect another month or so of this until it's where I'd call it "usable" live rock. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

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07/30/2011, 01:48 PM	#2
Raggamuffin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brandon SD. Posts: 541	just to give you an idea the "rule" is 1-2 pounds depending on how dense the rock is for live rock in your tank. Dry rock I ordered 25 pounds for a 40g tank and only used 1/2 to 2/3 of it and it is still over filled.

07/30/2011, 02:01 PM	#3
scarface70706 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,364	hmmm ok. thats very interesting. ok so i have a 90 gal tank and have about 30 lbs of dry rock. this rock hasent been alive and in water for over 2 yrs. the only water that touched this rock was tap water just to rinse them off from the old sand stuck to it. what would the 30 lbs weigh out to when im the tank? should i be soaking these rocks in salt water to bring them up to their original weight?

07/30/2011, 02:04 PM	#4
Raggamuffin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brandon SD. Posts: 541	it would be a good idea to let then soak in saltwater with a powerhead to leach out what may be in there. you will end up with 45 or 50 pounds after it is soaked.

07/30/2011, 02:11 PM	#5
scarface70706 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,364	sweet! i like that idea since that means saving money. should i soak this in my tank while im mixing the salt water?

07/30/2011, 02:27 PM	#7
scarface70706 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,364	why would it be wasting salt water? would i need to dump out the water after soaking? also how long should i let it soak for?

07/30/2011, 08:49 PM	#9
scarface70706 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,364	ok thanks for the tip. i will def. start soaking these rocks in rodi water in some 5 gal buckets for a good week or two. i will be putting this rock at the bottom of the tank and then live rock on top of it so it "seeds". i was told this would be the right way when mixing dead and live rock.