Rock for new tank?

[Avengerx77]

I want to start my new tank with dry/dead rock? It is a 130 gallon and will be using Carib Sea Arag-live sand. I was planning to start the cycle with the raw shrimp method. In terms of rock, I have two types that I have questions on:

1- I just got some rocks from my LFS, but I guess they are not completely "dry", since I can still see some algae attached to it half dead, but I am sure if I put them into the tank it might come back at some point and they also have that "sea smell" :) . Question here, is how much time should I leave them drying in the sun until I can safely say it is dry rock for my tank.

2- Very old tank rock that I had in the open for about 2 years. It was sitting in my backyard since then receiving rain, dirt and grass, so no life whatsover. Question is if I can use them immediately or could the rain during all this time could have affected this for aquarium usage? Here is a pic of the rock.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp277/Avengerx77/imagejpg1_zps548ecadc.jpg (http://s419.photobucket.com/user/Avengerx77/media/imagejpg1_zps548ecadc.jpg.html)

[Xavibear]

You should cure that rock before using it for your tank.

[Avengerx77]

You should cure that rock before using it for your tank.

For both type of rocks? What's the best way to cure them? Note that this rock is for starting a new tank, not for an established one. For the ones I got from the LFS, they have it all in big containers with no water and I think he had them in there for a few weeks already. I just brush them and clean them a little bit and I am planning to dry them with sunlight for an additional week before starting the aquascape.

[Xavibear]

I would cure the rocks first. Put the rocks in a container with saltwater & a powerhead. Let the rock cycle, test the water, do some water changes when nitrates start getting high & wait it out until the rock stops leaching out bad stuff.

You could do this in the tank, but in the tank you may have some algae issues from phosphates.

[Avengerx77]

Ok, so I guess these are going to be my next steps:

1. Dry all rocks under the sun for about two days.
2. Put all rocks in a dark container with saltwater and a powerhead for as long as needed.
3. Check for Ammonia/Nitrates/Phosphates every 3-4 days.
4. Make water changes as needed to lower any bad parameters from point above
5. When everything is near zero, pull out the rock and dry them out for 1-2 days for aquascaping
6. Put aquascaped rock in DT to start cycle with raw shrimp.

How that sounds? Should I add chaeto in the sump during cycle time?

[SwampyBill]

If wanting completely clean, dead dry rock, you could do a muriatic acid bath. I just did 70 lbs of rock I'd had sitting dead for 2 yrs. PM me or check threads on how to do muriatic acid bath...It's very easy if done correctly.

[Xavibear]

Figure out your aquascape before you start curing the rock, that way can glue pieces together the way you want. Don't dry the rock after curing. Just place it into the tank. The rock will be fully cycled & make getting ready for life in your tank quicker.

[nickg]

Very cool.

[SloppyJ]

you dont have to cure the rock before it goes into the tank. But it would make the cycle faster. Personally, I didn't.

[Avengerx77]

Figure out your aquascape before you start curing the rock, that way can glue pieces together the way you want. Don't dry the rock after curing. Just place it into the tank. The rock will be fully cycled & make getting ready for life in your tank quicker.

Problem is that if I do the aquascape first, I will not be able to put them in the container, so I would have to start the cycle directly in the DT, which is what you recommended to avoid. I guess that once cured, I can do the aquascape and immediately put in the DT or if the acid bath that Bill mentioned will help to eliminate any potential phosphates. At this point, not sure if the rocks will release any ammonia, as it might not have any died off.

[Xavibear]

you dont have to cure the rock before it goes into the tank. But it would make the cycle faster. Personally, I didn't.

true, but rock that has sat outside for 2 years might leach phosphates for awhile. Better to let it cure in a tub than in the tank where the phosphate will cause you problems for some time.

[Avengerx77]

Keep in mind that the rocks that has been outside are just 4 rocks and they represent about 1/5 of the total rock that will go in the DT, the other 4/5 were bought at my LFS, which are dry but stored in a container, not sure if it makes a difference or not (guessing not :) )

[Xavibear]

There is no way to tell if & how much it may leach. The acid bath that SwampyBill will work well if you want to set up the tank quicker. I never done it & don't know much about it.

[Avengerx77]

Ok, I just did the acid bath. Thankfully, I am still alive :)

This is how some of my rocks looks now. Seems cleaner, but I thought they will look a little whiter, but don't have a comparison on what to expect. I still see some of the old algae attached to rocks, but less alive, I guess. Should I use another method for it or should it be dead by now? Will leave the rock to dry for another day. For some reason the pics were uploaded up side down :spin2:

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp277/Avengerx77/image1_zps611a6499.jpeg (http://s419.photobucket.com/user/Avengerx77/media/image1_zps611a6499.jpeg.html)

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp277/Avengerx77/image_zps3136943b.jpeg (http://s419.photobucket.com/user/Avengerx77/media/image_zps3136943b.jpeg.html)

[SwampyBill]

How long did you keep rocks in acid solution? Mine were almost white when I finished.

[Avengerx77]

I did it for 30 minutes, so not idea, maybe because the type of rock, yours were different. I already did the aquascape so will go with the rocks as they are. Just waiting for the stand to mount the DT and start the cycle.