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View Full Version : Pukani rock help PLEASE!!!!!


LGB76
01/04/2013, 05:36 PM
I have a lot of pukani rock from BRS. I have everything to start my tank cycle this weekend.
My problem is after washing the rock of with a water hose it still has black stuff all over it. Is this ok or what do I need to get it off. Can I just place it in my tank and let it cycle like it is or what. I have no idea.

Augster
01/04/2013, 06:06 PM
While sculpting my Pukani and split a few into pieces, I noticed a heavy layer of organic material and dirt inside; not so bleached white like on the outside. I used a high pressure washer (gas powered) with the highest PSI nozzle to blast most of it off and whatever I could within the nooks and crannies.

Seems like it helped tremendously because I've been curing it now for 3 weeks and there was only some slight smell in the first couple days, but after that, absolutely no smell and no fuzz or other growth whatsoever. This is in a glass 25g tank with heater set to 80 degrees and Koralia 750GPH power head, all inside a 75g RubberMaid Tote to keep it out of light. I'm curing it in NSW (though ASW would do just fine) and have since performed two 100% water changes (I probably should be doing it bi-weekly, but the holidays got in the way).

Haven't tested parameters yet, but will do shortly. If the curing is complete, I will perform a 50% water change and let sit for 48 hours. Then test for P04. If above 1ppm then will initiate a lanthanum chloride treatment regimen, otherwise, it's ready for the display tank!

LGB76
01/04/2013, 06:18 PM
If my tank has not even been setup yet can I not just cure it in the tank while it cycles or is it important to get all the crap off?

Slystone
01/04/2013, 06:26 PM
I don't think you would want all that in your DT so I would at least soak it in a tub of saltwater and scrub with a brush.

Augster
01/04/2013, 06:43 PM
Sure, you can use your DT to cure it, but its recommended to cure rocks in complete darkness. Also, you definitely don't want to cure it inside your home due the stench that could arise from all the decaying of organic material.

Pukani also has a tendency to leech mass quantities of phosphates over long period of time so the more crud you can remove before curing, the better off you will be.

I am assuming you have or will do a DRY aquascape first since its much easier to do versus after you've cured and trying to move and cut rock up underwater.

BAGGERZ13
01/04/2013, 06:47 PM
I aquascaped with the rock in my DT and I tell you what...next time I will be doing it out of the tank. To the OP clean the rock the best you can out of the tank. Cure it then start to aquascape with it outside of the tank to do what you want it it. It is SO much easier trust me.

LGB76
01/04/2013, 09:36 PM
Do I need to cure with saltwater or just ro/di water. Or tap water?
How long should I cure it by its self?

Slystone
01/04/2013, 09:55 PM
This may help you.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=59

LGB76
01/04/2013, 10:46 PM
That article is about live rock. But thanks it had good info about live rock

Augster
01/05/2013, 12:00 AM
I suggest you read up on curing and treating Pukani here (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2049855). A summary of the steps is here, post #395 (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20461931&postcount=395).

NTP66
01/05/2013, 05:41 AM
+1

I went through the same thing with my Pukani, and after 3-4 weeks of curing it in a Brute with SW, and dosing with SeaKlear, my PO4 levels dropped significantly. Like others mention in that post, if you're going to dose with LC/SeaKlear, I wouldn't do it in your display tank. The film and precipitate that develops can be a pain to deal outside of a Brute. Before you do any of this, though, take the rock outside and hose it off really well with a powerful nozzle. Helps a ton, IMO.

HUNTER1
01/05/2013, 09:00 AM
I used 30lbs of pukani rocks in my 40g. The way I did it, I put them in an 18g plastic tub and put 5g of vinegar and 5g of tap water and letit sit for few days until it stopped bubbling. After that, I scrubbed every single rock to remove excess debris. If You can power wash after vinegar soak, that's even better. After all that's done, I soaked them overnight in RO/DI water and rinsed with RO/DI. Placed them in the tank and no problem. Tank is 4 months old now and coraline is starting on these rocks now.

LGB76
01/05/2013, 11:25 AM
I have a power washer. I will soak it in a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water for a few days with 2 tunze power heads and then blast it off with the power washer.

Augster
01/05/2013, 11:47 AM
Just don't keep the rock soaked in fresh water for too long, as the low pH of fresh water will dissolve the calcium carbonate of Pukani. In fact, as tmz suggests in that lengthy Pukani thread, fresh water may act to cause the Pukani to leech even more phosphates (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=19086337&postcount=29), and thus recommends against soaking in fresh water (e.g. RO water). Or maybe soak for no more than 24 hours just to dissolve the surface layer off the rock only.

I had a small piece of Pukani rubble laying in my 34g while I was soaking that tank in a vinegar/tap water solution to clean it, and the rubble eventually dissolved completely after about a week or so.

LGB76
01/05/2013, 12:16 PM
So should I soak it in ro/di water and vinegar or what do u suggest?

Augster
01/05/2013, 12:39 PM
I personally did not soak in fresh water, however, I did power wash with tap water at the highest pressure until every bit of loose material was removed, then started the curing process (soaking in salt water).

After the curing is completed, either through the "smell test" (no smell) or testing for zero ammonia, you can then either go straight to lanthanum chloride treatment (Seaklear) "just to be safe," or do what I'm going to do, which is 50% water change after curing, wait 48 hours, then will only perform LC treatment if phosphates are around 1ppm or more.

So the above is what I'd recommend and am performing myself.

The biggest concern is massive phosphate leeching, so if you are paranoid in that department, you can do what a few others have done: 1) muriatic acid bath, 2) power wash, 3) short fresh water soak (tap or RO/DI), 4) lanthanum chloride treatment, 5) final process of standard live rock curing. It is important to definitely perform an LC treatment afterwards if you did any sort of fresh water soaking, as this will hopefully remove any "freed" phosphates that came about due to the dissolving of the calcium carbonate by fresh water.

As you can see and have been offered, there are many ways to "skin a cat." Any given procedure may work well for some, but not for others. You can either read through that entire lengthy thread to get everyone's opinion to formulate your own strategy (which is what I did along with research on other forums), or agree with the logic behind the OP's final recommendation for preparing Pukani rock for the display tank, which are the steps I am following and recommending to you.

Due to the dangers inherent with muriatic acid, and local ordinances that may govern how you handle and dispose of it, I personally wanted to avoid using muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid).

And if you haven't figured it out by now, all "curing" and any LC treatments are done in saltwater. Also, if you do LC treatments, once complete you should thoroughly rinse the rock and clean your equipment as it leaves a powdery white residue.

LGB76
01/05/2013, 02:51 PM
What is LC treatment?

Augster
01/05/2013, 04:13 PM
Lanthanum Chloride, such as Seaklear.

LGB76
01/06/2013, 08:39 PM
I powerwashed the crap out of the rock and no change what so ever. Just as nasty and black. I was about to start curing the rock in my garage but its just to dang cold outside for it to be effective I think

HUNTER1
01/07/2013, 08:59 AM
Soak them in 50/50 vinegar and water even just for one day or two, it will bubble and dissolves the crud and scrub the remaining dirt. You dont need powerhead, maybe a heater but not necessary.

jmifland
01/07/2013, 09:25 AM
You will definitely need to use Lanthanum Chloride or you will most likely have hair algae issues down the road. It will slowly leach phosphates into the water. I currently have y rock in a large 25 gallon bucket with two powerheads and a heater with just RO/DI water.

I am going to let it sit like that for 2 months while slowly dripping LC into the container.

MrClam
01/07/2013, 03:29 PM
Seems like a lot of work just to kill your rock. Why not buy dry rock instead?

SPotter
01/10/2013, 11:22 AM
I started my tank 10 months ago with 150lbs of pukani rock. I cured it for 2 months using LC and when the rocks entered my tank po4 was at zero on Hanna ULR checker. for the first 5-6 months I had no issues with po4 but then all of sudden my po4 levels were steadily rising. I am exhuasting gfo every 5-7 days, I have tried drip treatments with LC into a 10 micron filter sock and the level drops temporarily. So I decided to take a couple of the bigger pieces out and test them in a 20g tank with new saltwater, a heater and a powerhead. 18 hours later po4 is registering at .06. Now I am faced with the task of pulling out 150lbs of rocks, dipping them and starting over. If you havent put the rocks in your tank yet.....dip them in acid and spend the time to get rid of the crud now. Just my .02.