dead rock - need help

wyang76 · 03/28/2007, 01:00 PM

Setting up a 65 gallon tank with about 60 pounds of dead rock (these rocks were once live rock in a tank I had a few years back).

Will the dead rock become live rock on its own over time? Or do I need to add live rock to seed it?

How long would it take?

thanks all.

SJGreene · 03/28/2007, 01:13 PM

The dead rock will become live again, in time. To help seed the rock you should add a few pounds of new live rock.

As for how timing, it will likely take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for new LR to seed your old rock and for your cycle to complete.

WaterKeeper · 03/28/2007, 01:20 PM

The dead rock doesn't not become liverock on its own. It does need LR to seed it and it will take a bit longer than 6 weeks for it to become live once again. Change those weeks to months and you may be seeing the rock be an effective biofiltration media once again.

wyang76 · 03/28/2007, 01:25 PM

6 weeks for the tank to cycle? Does this mean I am not able to add any fishes at this time?

thanks.

Krazy · 03/28/2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wyang76
6 weeks for the tank to cycle? Does this mean I am not able to add any fishes at this time?

thanks.

Correct, you shouldnt add fish during the cycle

wyang76 · 03/28/2007, 01:49 PM

Wow.. didn't realize it took that long to cycle.

What should I do in the meantime?

WaterKeeper · 03/28/2007, 01:52 PM

Hold on a minute wyang. We were talking just getting the tank set up with rocks. Planning fish at this stage is useless unless you plan on getting fully cured LR at the LFS.

SJGreene · 03/28/2007, 01:53 PM

Test your water during your cycle for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Once Ammonia and Nitrite read 0, do a water change to lower your Nitrate and then you can start adding livestock.

WaterKeeper · 03/28/2007, 02:20 PM

Cycle we still just have a tank with old dead rock. What's to cycle? Am I missing something here?

shag26272 · 03/28/2007, 02:33 PM

i know marcorocks says that there is still dead plants and stuff in there base rock that will cause a cycle, but fish food or something would cause your bacteria to grow also just like a biowheel works, but you wouldnt get any of the life that was on the LR like worms and such unless you seeded

WaterKeeper · 03/28/2007, 02:43 PM

I'm not too familiar with this Marco rock. I take it is LR that dried out at some time.

As I just mentioned in another reply, you can soak it in a bleach solution. Take about a 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon or very warm water and add the rock. Let it soak overnight then rinse it well. Let it air dry for a day or two until you know the pores are dry. Then rinse it again and add it to your tank. That treatment usually gets rid of any old organic matter clinging to the rock and should prevent an ammonia spike.

SJGreene · 03/28/2007, 02:50 PM

WaterKeeper,

Well since wyang76 is talking about setting up a new tank with old rock and asking if LR should be added to seed the dead rock, don't you think that the plan is to add water and have the tank cycle? That's the way I read it. Maybe I misunderstood.

Also, my 4 to 6 weeks comment regarding the length of the cycle was not indicating the time for the dead rock to become completely live again. I was meaning that the Nitrogen cycle should be completed in that time if LR was used to seed.

Sorry for not being clearer.

wyang76 · 03/28/2007, 02:50 PM

Waterkeeper,

I think I will purchase some live rock to seed the dead rock and let the tank cycle.

Hypothetically speaking, what if I did not add any live rock to cycle the tank. I would assume that the dead rock would just foul up the water. Is this correct?

thanks,

Wayne

WaterKeeper · 03/28/2007, 03:15 PM

Wayne.

A lot depends on the date on the Tombstone (or is it Tombrock) of the dead rock. From your first post it appears that the rock met its maker around 2005 or so and has been sitting around dry. That means that most everything is pretty well decayed already and only dehydrated remains will remain. The bleach soak I outlined above will pretty much take care of those remnants.

Once in the tank you can check ammonia levels after a day or two and see if there is any indicated. My own guess is it will be little, less, nothing. I'd get your seed rock at that point and add it. It will help if the seed is fully cured but you can get uncured and go through a tank cure. You seem to want fish pretty fast but you will need to wait some either way. You'll need to wait at least a month for sufficient biological activity to occur to add a fish and I do mean A fish. After a couple of weeks you can add another. Just take thinks slow. Since it will probably be half a year until the rock is indeed live again do large water changes on a frequent basis to keep water parameters in order.

Hope that helps.

03/28/2007, 01:00 PM	#1
wyang76 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 164	dead rock - need help Setting up a 65 gallon tank with about 60 pounds of dead rock (these rocks were once live rock in a tank I had a few years back). Will the dead rock become live rock on its own over time? Or do I need to add live rock to seed it? How long would it take? thanks all.

03/28/2007, 01:20 PM	#3
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	The dead rock doesn't not become liverock on its own. It does need LR to seed it and it will take a bit longer than 6 weeks for it to become live once again. Change those weeks to months and you may be seeing the rock be an effective biofiltration media once again. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

03/28/2007, 01:52 PM	#7
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Hold on a minute wyang. We were talking just getting the tank set up with rocks. Planning fish at this stage is useless unless you plan on getting fully cured LR at the LFS. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

03/28/2007, 02:20 PM	#9
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Cycle we still just have a tank with old dead rock. What's to cycle? Am I missing something here? __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

03/28/2007, 02:33 PM	#10
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	i know marcorocks says that there is still dead plants and stuff in there base rock that will cause a cycle, but fish food or something would cause your bacteria to grow also just like a biowheel works, but you wouldnt get any of the life that was on the LR like worms and such unless you seeded __________________ .

03/28/2007, 01:13 PM	#2
SJGreene Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 293	The dead rock will become live again, in time. To help seed the rock you should add a few pounds of new live rock. As for how timing, it will likely take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for new LR to seed your old rock and for your cycle to complete.

03/28/2007, 01:25 PM	#4
wyang76 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 164	6 weeks for the tank to cycle? Does this mean I am not able to add any fishes at this time? thanks.

03/28/2007, 01:49 PM	#6
wyang76 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 164	Wow.. didn't realize it took that long to cycle. What should I do in the meantime?

03/28/2007, 01:53 PM	#8
SJGreene Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 293	Test your water during your cycle for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Once Ammonia and Nitrite read 0, do a water change to lower your Nitrate and then you can start adding livestock.

03/28/2007, 02:43 PM	#11
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I'm not too familiar with this Marco rock. I take it is LR that dried out at some time. As I just mentioned in another reply, you can soak it in a bleach solution. Take about a 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon or very warm water and add the rock. Let it soak overnight then rinse it well. Let it air dry for a day or two until you know the pores are dry. Then rinse it again and add it to your tank. That treatment usually gets rid of any old organic matter clinging to the rock and should prevent an ammonia spike. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

03/28/2007, 02:50 PM	#12
SJGreene Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 293	WaterKeeper, Well since wyang76 is talking about setting up a new tank with old rock and asking if LR should be added to seed the dead rock, don't you think that the plan is to add water and have the tank cycle? That's the way I read it. Maybe I misunderstood. Also, my 4 to 6 weeks comment regarding the length of the cycle was not indicating the time for the dead rock to become completely live again. I was meaning that the Nitrogen cycle should be completed in that time if LR was used to seed. Sorry for not being clearer.

03/28/2007, 03:15 PM	#14
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Wayne. A lot depends on the date on the Tombstone (or is it Tombrock) of the dead rock. From your first post it appears that the rock met its maker around 2005 or so and has been sitting around dry. That means that most everything is pretty well decayed already and only dehydrated remains will remain. The bleach soak I outlined above will pretty much take care of those remnants. Once in the tank you can check ammonia levels after a day or two and see if there is any indicated. My own guess is it will be little, less, nothing. I'd get your seed rock at that point and add it. It will help if the seed is fully cured but you can get uncured and go through a tank cure. You seem to want fish pretty fast but you will need to wait some either way. You'll need to wait at least a month for sufficient biological activity to occur to add a fish and I do mean A fish. After a couple of weeks you can add another. Just take thinks slow. Since it will probably be half a year until the rock is indeed live again do large water changes on a frequent basis to keep water parameters in order. Hope that helps. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29