Curing Dry Rock

davidcsmith · 03/17/2013, 04:50 PM

I just bought 30lbs of Pukani Dry Rock from BRS. I have a 125 gallon reef setup with a lot of live rock with coraline algae. Can I just add the dry rock to my tank, or do i have to cure it first?

jerpa · 03/17/2013, 05:45 PM

The pukani should be cured before adding it to an established tank. It is dry but it has plenty of dead organic matter, and even whole animals trapped in there, that will release plenty of ammonia once it gets wet and starts to decay. Throw it in a bucket with a powerhead and heater for a few weeks. I would change the water a few days in as it will be quite dirty.

OregonReefer2 · 03/18/2013, 12:00 AM

There are a number of threads on that rock. Many people have had phosphate issues with it that a "cure" in a bucket won't solve... Do a search for "pukani"

bertoni · 03/18/2013, 10:37 PM

At the minimum, I'd cure it in a bucket with a powerhead until the ammonia level stays zeros for a while. If the phosphate level is acceptable at that time, you can use the rock as is. Otherwise, you might want to try a GFO or lanthanum chloride treatment.

03/17/2013, 04:50 PM	#1
davidcsmith Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1	Curing Dry Rock I just bought 30lbs of Pukani Dry Rock from BRS. I have a 125 gallon reef setup with a lot of live rock with coraline algae. Can I just add the dry rock to my tank, or do i have to cure it first?

03/17/2013, 05:45 PM	#2
jerpa Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 2,174	The pukani should be cured before adding it to an established tank. It is dry but it has plenty of dead organic matter, and even whole animals trapped in there, that will release plenty of ammonia once it gets wet and starts to decay. Throw it in a bucket with a powerhead and heater for a few weeks. I would change the water a few days in as it will be quite dirty. __________________ Jer Current Tank Info: 40b basement sump, 40b refugium, 30g frag

03/18/2013, 10:37 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	At the minimum, I'd cure it in a bucket with a powerhead until the ammonia level stays zeros for a while. If the phosphate level is acceptable at that time, you can use the rock as is. Otherwise, you might want to try a GFO or lanthanum chloride treatment. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/18/2013, 12:00 AM	#3
OregonReefer2 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 324	There are a number of threads on that rock. Many people have had phosphate issues with it that a "cure" in a bucket won't solve... Do a search for "pukani"