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moonp13
06/09/2011, 05:53 PM
Ok, so heres the deal. I had some live rock in my sump and i took it out and forgot about it in a bucket with saltwater. its been about 2 weeks. I tested the water it is in, and like i figured the ammonia level is at 2.0, the nitrite is 0, nitrate is ~0, and phosphate is at like 2. The rock is now a rusty color.

My question is can I save this rock and crush it to be used as substrate for my incoming red mangroves without harming anything. If not, what can i do to "save" it for use in the next 3 days?

firebirdude
06/09/2011, 06:06 PM
Hmmm... you're seeing ammonia and the rock has visually changed color. Sounds to me like it's toast (meaning it must be cycled again). This means you're not using it within 3 days...

moonp13
06/09/2011, 08:00 PM
bummer. so now, to take action i suppose. so now what do i need to do to cure it? boil it to get rid of all the nasty, put it in a bucket with lots of flow and light it for 12 hours a day?

beckbrass
06/09/2011, 08:13 PM
Bucket with heater, air stone, and flow. No need for light change the water once and a while. Wait a month or 2 and once your readings are stable your done. When you change water it's easier if you transfer all rock to a new bucket and swish the rock around in the old bucket to remove any debris, aka dead matter, this will help speed up things.

firebirdude
06/09/2011, 08:18 PM
Bucket with heater, air stone, and flow. No need for light
Agreed.

moonp13
06/09/2011, 08:26 PM
i cant speed up the process by any means? i ha e a three year old established tank.

firebirdude
06/09/2011, 08:29 PM
If you could speed it up, don't you think we'd all do it?

ja4207
06/09/2011, 08:32 PM
Is it going back in an established tank?

If it is instead of curing it I would cook it and once all dead rinse off and throw back in sump. Process should take only a few days in this heat to kill everything.

moonp13
06/09/2011, 08:41 PM
i cant speed up the process by any means? i ha e a three year old established tank.

ja4207
06/09/2011, 08:45 PM
Is it going back in an established tank?

moonp13
06/09/2011, 08:54 PM
no my plan was to start a mangrove tank until they are a proper height for my refugium. the tank is aboit 20 gallons. i plan on putting live sand into the tank and seeding it with a cup of sand from my main tank. the only.problem is that i dont have any lr to spare from the main amd i needed thia other stuff.

kingfisherflesh
06/09/2011, 09:08 PM
Rock is totally useable...you might just have ammonia from die-off.

Let it cycle...or better yet put it in clean water with the above listed and test again in a week. Some ammonia is to be expected when you just dump rock in a bucket.

firebirdude
06/09/2011, 09:30 PM
Hell. A small amount of ammonia isn't going to hurt mangroves. Do it up.

schoch79
06/09/2011, 09:35 PM
Yeah from what it sounds like you plan to use it for it should be fine to throw right in a tank with some mangroves. From what I understand the only life in the tank will be the plants and the "live" rock. I can't say for sure about saltwater tanks but alot of freshwater plant people start a brand new tank with plants in it. They even say that the plants help with the ammonia and what not right from the start.

moonp13
06/09/2011, 11:21 PM
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/moonp13_2006/SAM_0379.jpg

so, heres my setup. pretty basic lol. 10-30 gallon heater. set at 78 degrees. a pump from one of my discarded protein skimmers, and a dual line air pump. i have the light over it right now. but its just a basic 100w bulb. sound okay? im pretty sure the light will end up going. haha.

beckbrass
06/10/2011, 07:31 AM
Looks good, no need for the light, I'd just put a cover over the bucket to help with evaporation

121
06/10/2011, 10:12 AM
I would of just given it a good rinse in RO and put it straight back in the tank.

jimmy frag
06/10/2011, 10:18 AM
its fine, put it in your new tank. dont boil it.

scuzy
06/10/2011, 11:20 AM
Well if you're using it for a mangrove tank who cares if it's cycled or not?

moonp13
06/10/2011, 11:57 AM
Well if you're using it for a mangrove tank who cares if it's cycled or not?

i was planning on adding fish for nitrate support for it to grow well. i dunno if it needs the fish, but i know its meant to go into a refugium like area and the plants are just too small right now. I was going to grow them a little taller before they go into the refugium. i dont want them just floating around in there with some ugly thing anchoring it down.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 12:00 PM
I would of just given it a good rinse in RO and put it straight back in the tank.

i gave it a "good rinse" and then some, and the ammonia levels are still high at 1.0.

davocean
06/10/2011, 12:09 PM
The only thing that could really make a difference in speeding up the new cycle would be to scrub off any dieoff/dead sponge, but it still is basically starting over again.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 12:14 PM
well, heres my plan, and you guys can give me any pointers. I plan on going to the lfs to pick up some live sand for my spare 20 gallon tank and put it in there. Im going to get about a cup of sand from my existing 3 year established tank and seed the new sand with it. Then im going to get the "somewhat alive" rock and put it in there. soon as my mangroves come in im going to put them in there too and wait for the levels to go back to normal and maybe get a fish or two for the tank.

davocean
06/10/2011, 12:20 PM
I would buy dry sand before shipped live sand, and seed that w/ a handful of established sand for fastest cycle.
Shipped live sand costs more and usually comes w/ dieoff that actually can make it take longer to cycle.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 12:22 PM
okay. i was thinking about 4 inches of sand. how do you seed the new with the old. just pour it on top before adding water? or lay down about 3 inches, pour old sand on top, then put remaining inch or so ontop of that?

davocean
06/10/2011, 12:31 PM
I usually place a handful in one spot after water added, or if I transfer from an existing tank, established sand, I'll take the top half inch of existing and lay that on top.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 12:38 PM
thats quit a bit of sand!

davocean
06/10/2011, 12:51 PM
Well for the animals I keep I require a DSB, at least 4", preferably 5-6".
But again this is my system setup for animals that require DSB, specifically sand dwelling sea anemones.
In transfering tanks that have a DSB over a year old I will only keep the top half inch, but in a new system just a small handful will seed a new/dry sand bed rather quickly.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 12:53 PM
okay, i thought you wanted me to take a half inch of my current established dsb and seed the new. so just a handful. cool.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 12:55 PM
why only one spot on the sandbed?

davocean
06/10/2011, 01:04 PM
It probably doesn't matter all that much, but I've been taught it's kinda like a little breeding colony area for the living things in that sand.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 01:06 PM
okay awesome. thanks for all your help. ill let you guys know how things go wro...errr go right.

moonp13
06/10/2011, 11:50 PM
here are my little seedlings. dont mind the cloudy water lol.
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/moonp13_2006/SAM_0382.jpg