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reefermike1
01/18/2014, 08:53 AM
I'm not a noobie, but been out of the game a long time, and never started a tank this way...so

I've got some really old dead dried out liverock that I want to use in my new build. I'm estimating around 80-100 pounds of it. The rock came from a reef setup that was converted to FW, and then left stagnant for who knows how long. I'm sure the rock is loaded with dead organics that will all decay when introduced to saltwater.

I read a thread on a different board about cooking LR, not on a stove but basically put it in a dark tank full of sw for a couple months with a heater and a powerhead. The idea is that the bacteria can do its job to the organics without allowing algae to take hold.

My question is how do I introduce the bacteria? Is it a natural occurrence when anything is put into sw, or do I need to seed it with a new piece of LR? I want to get a tank running to cook the rock this weekend.

thanks

Mark Bianco
01/18/2014, 09:01 AM
You will also have to do several water changes once safe then I would use the ghost feeding method of curing the rock. The bacteria will naturally grow but it needs a food source.

Mark

mfinn
01/18/2014, 09:21 AM
Before I would use old dead rock that wasn't cleaned, I would do a bleach soak.
2 cups bleach to 5 gallons of fresh water and soak overnight.
Rinse then do another soak using a heavy dose of a dechlorinator.
Then let dry for a day.

ggrillo
01/18/2014, 09:29 AM
I would at least add a source of new bacteria wether it be a scoop of live sand from someone's tank or some established rubble rock

HumbleFish
01/18/2014, 11:47 AM
reefermike, I kinda did the same thing when I got back into the hobby. Used "dead" LR that had just been sitting in a drum for years. I "seeded" it by using a raw shrimp from the grocery store (in a media bag so I could take it out later). All you need is a "spark" of ammonia to get the bacteria going again. Ghost feed the tank flake food after that to keep the bacteria spreading.

Now, mfinn has a good idea about soaking it in bleach water beforehand to clean the rock out. Also, some people give their rock an acid bath to eliminate any phosphates that might have leached into the rock.

reefermike1
01/18/2014, 11:58 AM
reefermike, I kinda did the same thing when I got back into the hobby. Used "dead" LR that had just been sitting in a drum for years. I "seeded" it by using a raw shrimp from the grocery store (in a media bag so I could take it out later). All you need is a "spark" of ammonia to get the bacteria going again. Ghost feed the tank flake food after that to keep the bacteria spreading.

Now, mfinn has a good idea about soaking it in bleach water beforehand to clean the rock out. Also, some people give their rock an acid bath to eliminate any phosphates that might have leached into the rock.


could you provide specifics on the acid bath? or a link? (search doesn't seem to work on here)

mfinn
01/18/2014, 02:27 PM
The idea with the acid bath was to strip off the surface layer of the rock which may
( or may not ) contain a lot of phosphate.
Take 2 cups of muratic acid to 5 gallons of water and let it bubble for about a hour.
Then rinse the rock very well.
I usually let it dry for a couple days after.

I use to do this with old rock that I had already bleached.
But recently a person on another forum, who other people claim that he really knows his chemical stuff, says that it may be doing more harm than good.
Not sure I buy into it, but along the way I bought into the idea of the acid bath in much the same way.

HumbleFish
01/18/2014, 07:25 PM
could you provide specifics on the acid bath? or a link? (search doesn't seem to work on here)

This post from sirreal contains two links, explaining two different methods:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21186623&postcount=2