Live Rock Out Of water

sevenkillers · 10/22/2006, 06:16 AM

Hey I just purchased from a friend about 120lbs of rock.
However the live rock has been out of water for about 2 months.

I am cleaning them in a garbage can.
I have a 90 gallon tank which I can hook up to my system, and add the live rock. Would they be live again if I add them to my sytem.

I currently have a 220 Gallon Reef tank with a 40 gallon sump.
350lbs of live rock, and 180 lbs of live sand.

fsn77 · 10/22/2006, 06:39 AM

Eventually, yes. For now, you just have a bunch of base rock. Once you get it in your tank, your other LR will seed it and all the bacteria and critters will spread to it.

mwitten · 10/22/2006, 06:42 AM

You can make live rock from scratch, and from base rock, so I don't think there is an issue with making it "live" again, but certainly everything (bacteria, etc.) in it should be dead. It will take a fair amount of cycling, as well as re-seeding. Assuming here it was just pulled out and let dry, and that it was not "cleaned" in clorox or something like that.

Probably getting it in a tub cycling is where to start, and add a few pieces of "live" live rock. I would clean it off with a brush to get the worst of the dead sponges, etc. off. That might work better after a day or two of soaking, however.

I certainly would not add it directly to the tank, of course.

-Mike

10/22/2006, 06:16 AM	#1
sevenkillers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Stamford CT Posts: 219	Live Rock Out Of water Hey I just purchased from a friend about 120lbs of rock. However the live rock has been out of water for about 2 months. I am cleaning them in a garbage can. I have a 90 gallon tank which I can hook up to my system, and add the live rock. Would they be live again if I add them to my sytem. I currently have a 220 Gallon Reef tank with a 40 gallon sump. 350lbs of live rock, and 180 lbs of live sand.

10/22/2006, 06:39 AM	#2
fsn77 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: SC Posts: 777	Eventually, yes. For now, you just have a bunch of base rock. Once you get it in your tank, your other LR will seed it and all the bacteria and critters will spread to it.

10/22/2006, 06:42 AM	#3
mwitten Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Decatur, GA Posts: 126	You can make live rock from scratch, and from base rock, so I don't think there is an issue with making it "live" again, but certainly everything (bacteria, etc.) in it should be dead. It will take a fair amount of cycling, as well as re-seeding. Assuming here it was just pulled out and let dry, and that it was not "cleaned" in clorox or something like that. Probably getting it in a tub cycling is where to start, and add a few pieces of "live" live rock. I would clean it off with a brush to get the worst of the dead sponges, etc. off. That might work better after a day or two of soaking, however. I certainly would not add it directly to the tank, of course. -Mike