Advice with reviving old dead rock

jwheeler · 10/28/2018, 03:51 PM

I’ve read all kinds of threads and still confused. I’ve got some about 10 years old rock that I had in a nano cube. I want to get back in hobby and use this rock. I got it out and there was some yucky green and brown dead stuff on it. I used a power washer and blew tons of little stuff all off of it. I now have it sitting in a tub of water in dark. Just plain well water for now

My question is what do I do next to get it good and clean? Do I need to soak it in bleach or just keep rinsing it off for a few days?
What should I do after it’s clean to get a cycle going? Start using saltwater and a heater and RO/DI water and get a piece of live rock to mix with it?

Thanks for any help!

Pslreefer · 10/28/2018, 04:16 PM

Soak it in bleach for a day or 2, then soak in rodi water for 2 days, then dried out in the sun and should be good.

Use some seafood from your grocery store to get a cycle going.

billdogg · 10/28/2018, 04:20 PM

If it were mine, I would have done as you have. IMHO, it's ready now for a little ghost feeding to get it to cycling. You need to use salt water, but I would skip the bleach/acid/etc. Any little bit of stuff left on it will just add to the start of the nitrogen cycle.

jwheeler · 10/28/2018, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg

If it were mine, I would have done as you have. IMHO, it's ready now for a little ghost feeding to get it to cycling. You need to use salt water, but I would skip the bleach/acid/etc. Any little bit of stuff left on it will just add to the start of the nitrogen cycle.

Keep it in the dark, or move it to tank?

What do you mean by ghost feeding?

mcgyvr · 10/28/2018, 06:56 PM

Im with billdog..
Just put it in the tank and start the cycle by adding a shrimp to decompose or just sprinkle fish food in for a week or so or whatever your preferred cycling method is.
A powerwash is all I do with my old rock when I want to use it again.. Then just start the cycle

billdogg · 10/29/2018, 08:19 AM

Like mcgyvr said, I'd just arrange it in the tank, add sand, and start the cycle going. Lights on or lights off. The cycle will happen regardless. With lights on, you will get a bit of a head start on the inevitable "new tank uglies" - cyanobacteria, diatoms, etc that all new tanks go through.

Ghost feeding is just putting a little bit of a food source (a pinch of flakes/cocktail shrimp/whatever) in with the rocks so there is something for the bacteria to feed off of. And yes, the denitrifying bacteria will be there regardless of whether you choose to add "bacteria in a bottle", a cup of live sand, a piece of "live" rock from your LFS, etc or not.

jwheeler · 10/29/2018, 10:13 AM

Thanks for the help. Should I even mess with getting a new piece of LR from LFS or just roll with what I have?

mcgyvr · 10/29/2018, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwheeler

Thanks for the help. Should I even mess with getting a new piece of LR from LFS or just roll with what I have?

There is no "need" to seed with live rock..

Having said that..
The only time it can hurt though is if it was to bring in some unwanted hitchhiker which many people make out to be more of a problem than it really is..
It could help to speed up the cycling process some..

10/28/2018, 03:51 PM	#1
jwheeler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Demotte, IN Posts: 399	Advice with reviving old dead rock I’ve read all kinds of threads and still confused. I’ve got some about 10 years old rock that I had in a nano cube. I want to get back in hobby and use this rock. I got it out and there was some yucky green and brown dead stuff on it. I used a power washer and blew tons of little stuff all off of it. I now have it sitting in a tub of water in dark. Just plain well water for now My question is what do I do next to get it good and clean? Do I need to soak it in bleach or just keep rinsing it off for a few days? What should I do after it’s clean to get a cycle going? Start using saltwater and a heater and RO/DI water and get a piece of live rock to mix with it? Thanks for any help!

10/28/2018, 04:16 PM	#2
Pslreefer In Memoriam Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Port St Lucie, FL Posts: 597	Advice with reviving old dead rock Soak it in bleach for a day or 2, then soak in rodi water for 2 days, then dried out in the sun and should be good. Use some seafood from your grocery store to get a cycle going.

10/28/2018, 04:20 PM	#3
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	If it were mine, I would have done as you have. IMHO, it's ready now for a little ghost feeding to get it to cycling. You need to use salt water, but I would skip the bleach/acid/etc. Any little bit of stuff left on it will just add to the start of the nitrogen cycle. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

10/28/2018, 06:56 PM	#5
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Im with billdog.. Just put it in the tank and start the cycle by adding a shrimp to decompose or just sprinkle fish food in for a week or so or whatever your preferred cycling method is. A powerwash is all I do with my old rock when I want to use it again.. Then just start the cycle __________________ Who me?

10/29/2018, 08:19 AM	#6
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	Like mcgyvr said, I'd just arrange it in the tank, add sand, and start the cycle going. Lights on or lights off. The cycle will happen regardless. With lights on, you will get a bit of a head start on the inevitable "new tank uglies" - cyanobacteria, diatoms, etc that all new tanks go through. Ghost feeding is just putting a little bit of a food source (a pinch of flakes/cocktail shrimp/whatever) in with the rocks so there is something for the bacteria to feed off of. And yes, the denitrifying bacteria will be there regardless of whether you choose to add "bacteria in a bottle", a cup of live sand, a piece of "live" rock from your LFS, etc or not. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

10/29/2018, 10:13 AM	#7
jwheeler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Demotte, IN Posts: 399	Thanks for the help. Should I even mess with getting a new piece of LR from LFS or just roll with what I have?