Soaking Rocks

[Big Country]

Just bought a 24g aquapod nano from WAMAS member. I want more rock in the tank and have alot of old florida base rock which has been sitting in my yard dry for a couple of years. Was thinking about using it for this tank which will be used to grow out frags and to keep some small fish that would get lost in my display. I cleaned the rock the best I could last night and put it in a saltwater bath with a powerhead to clean it some more.

How long should I leave it soaking before I can put it in the tank?

Is it going to go through a cycle like fresh liverock does?

Should I throw some chunks of liverock from my sump into the water with it?

[Brian Ward]

Just bought a 24g aquapod nano from WAMAS member. I want more rock in the tank and have alot of old florida base rock which has been sitting in my yard dry for a couple of years. Was thinking about using it for this tank which will be used to grow out frags and to keep some small fish that would get lost in my display. I cleaned the rock the best I could last night and put it in a saltwater bath with a powerhead to clean it some more.

How long should I leave it soaking before I can put it in the tank?

Is it going to go through a cycle like fresh liverock does?

Should I throw some chunks of liverock from my sump into the water with it?

 

 

 

You just want to be sure that it seems clean - no detritus to get released into the tank. The rock will not cycle since there is no bacteria on it to die off. No need to add LR to the water it's in now - just put it in the tank once it's clean and the existing LR in there will seed the new rock with bacteria.

[flowerseller]

Hey Charles,

 

Along the lines of Brian but if you are not 100% sure it never got fertilizer or worse on it, you can do a W/C on your display and add that water plus a few pieces of LR to your holding tank.

Keep well circulated with a vigerous rolling boil at the surface.

[Big Country]

Thanks guys, I do have water mixed for a display tank water change this weekend so I will put that in with the rocks and put a mag 7 pump in there to get the water moving.

I don't think the landscapers in my neighborhood use alot of fertilizer but I don't know what might have gotten into the rocks since they were just piled up in the yard for awhile and did have some dirt and grass clippings on them that I scrubbed off.

I'll let them soak for a few days, I'm not in a big hurry to get more rock in the tank.

[Brian Ward]

Thanks guys, I do have water mixed for a display tank water change this weekend so I will put that in with the rocks and put a mag 7 pump in there to get the water moving.

I don't think the landscapers in my neighborhood use alot of fertilizer but I don't know what might have gotten into the rocks since they were just piled up in the yard for awhile and did have some dirt and grass clippings on them that I scrubbed off.

I'll let them soak for a few days, I'm not in a big hurry to get more rock in the tank.

 

 

 

I think Chip wants you to use the water from the water change to add to the holding tank. That will introduce bacteria and organisms to the rock whereas your newly mixed water will not.

[Big Country]

I think Chip wants you to use the water from the water change to add to the holding tank. That will introduce bacteria and organisms to the rock whereas your newly mixed water will not.

 

I knew to use the dirty water coming out of the display was what he was suggesting, I just didn't state that I was going to use the water I take out when I do the water change to soak the rocks. My bad.

[treesprite]

good luck with it. I'd probably be afraid to use it, but these guys pretty much know what they're talking about.

[dbartco]

have a power washer? hit it first, then go with the above. Country boy like you should have one.

[Big Country]

No power washer but being from WV I could always throw the rock in the back of my pickup truck and go to the car wash with some quarters

[flowerseller]

No power washer but being from WV I could always throw the rock in the back of my pickup truck and go to the car wash with some quarters

Hey us city folk do it too.

 

I've gotten some of the funniest looks at the things I've taken to power wash.

Run a few minutes on rinse to make sure it's clear.

[edkruzel]

I don't like to add anything but LR now especially in a smaller system, but have in the past as you're doing now; I soaked them in a tub/rubbermaid with a good amount of bleach and allowed it to circulate for a few days. Then it got a triple rinse in fresh water and left out to dry in the sun. Once bleach is dry it's harmless.