chuckdallas
06/06/2011, 06:46 AM
I have 3 rather large pieces of rock that I found next to a bush in the garden. I found these 4 months ago, so I wrote to see how to determine of they are suitable for the aqaurium. A few people wrote in and said to drop a teaspoon or two of vinegar on the surface to see if it bubbles, which is supposed to indicate that the rock is carbonate based. Okay the term "carbonate based" may be wrong, I just remember people saying add some vinegar and see if it bubbles up, which it did. I never used the rock in the tank, so I left it up against the edge of the house for 3 months here in Miami. I purchased a lot of frags at the local Frag Swap 2 weeks ago and don't have larger flatter rocks for zoas and acans to "spread out" while they are growing, so I want to use these rocks to make good bases for them.
Ok, to the point. I rinsed them twice with tap water, then put them in a rubbermaid tub with about a 1/2 cup of bleach and a powerhead for 1.5 days last week. Dumped the water out and added more fresh water and added a cup of vinegar yesterday. Will soak for 2-3 days, then rinse, lather and repeat. Okay, no lather, just kidding. After the second rinsing with fresh water, I plan to drain the freshwater and add new salt water with the powerhead. The rubbermaid is covered, so I shouldn't be getting any errant dust or many particles in the tub.
Can I throw a piece of fresh shrimp into the tub as soon as I add the salt water to start the cycling process sooner or should I go shrimp-less for a week first? I was planning on just glueing the new frags to the newly cleaned dry rock without cycling, but everyone here told someone else on anotehr thread that it would be better to wait the 2-4 weeks it takes to cycle the new rock.
Ok, to the point. I rinsed them twice with tap water, then put them in a rubbermaid tub with about a 1/2 cup of bleach and a powerhead for 1.5 days last week. Dumped the water out and added more fresh water and added a cup of vinegar yesterday. Will soak for 2-3 days, then rinse, lather and repeat. Okay, no lather, just kidding. After the second rinsing with fresh water, I plan to drain the freshwater and add new salt water with the powerhead. The rubbermaid is covered, so I shouldn't be getting any errant dust or many particles in the tub.
Can I throw a piece of fresh shrimp into the tub as soon as I add the salt water to start the cycling process sooner or should I go shrimp-less for a week first? I was planning on just glueing the new frags to the newly cleaned dry rock without cycling, but everyone here told someone else on anotehr thread that it would be better to wait the 2-4 weeks it takes to cycle the new rock.