CURING DRY ROCK

[Newbie012000]

Hello everyone. Like so may topics in this hobby, methods of doing things can result in success with a variety of methods. And like many sources on the internet, you can find conflicting info.

 

I started curing dry pukani about a week ago. Large Brute can, warm salt water, and a lid and circulation pump. I plan to cook the rocks for 2 - 3 months

 

SHOULD I PERFORM WATER CHANGES REGUALRY? If so 100% or 20% and how frequent?

 

I personally was going to do a 100% after 30 days to get more clean water in the can, but don’t even feel that it is necessary for this purpose. Please share your thoughts and experience. Thx in advance

[D805]

After picking off all the visible dead matter, I soaked mine in bleach and tap water for the first week just to get rid of any remaining organics. Hosed it off really well after the bleach soak and then used RODI water for the next 3 weeks(added dechlorinator). Week 5 is when i started using saltwater to start the cycle. I've been cycling since November in the brute trashcan. Need to get my plumbing finished so I can get this rock in the tank. lolThere are some good BRS videos on curing the dry Pukani.

[Mrches]

I have had good success with soaking the rock in saltwater, with a heater, circulation pump for flow, and use an old skimmer to pull crud out.  Keep it in the dark, top off water as needed, and replace half water every 2 weeks.  Typically cured 8-12 weeks...depending on type of rock.  I think Pukani takes longer.  I have kept chemicals and such out of the process...time and natural processes seem to work fine.  BRS has a great video, link below...I think I will try bleach next time.

 

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/brstv-investigates-what-is-the-best-way-to-cure-dry-live-rock/

[Mrches]

For some reason the link will not post...google this;

BRStv Investigates: What is the best way to cure dry live rock?

[Origami]

For some reason the link will not post...google this;

BRStv Investigates: What is the best way to cure dry live rock?

 

Here you go. Just post the youtube link and it should embed the video (but it has to be of the form hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxx for it to embed automatically (http or https):

 

[Newbie012000]

Thx everyone.

[overklok]

There is a lot of organic material in Pukani rock. Sponges are a main component that gets into the voids that Pukani is known for. I bleached, I ran acid. I cured mine in a large vat with fresh chlorinated water. I  blasted the rock with a hose to remove as much of the sponge as I could mechanically. After weeks of soaking, cleaning and blasting, I then used lanthunum chloride to remove the remaining phosphate from the rock. You want to take your time curing this rock. It is a great substrate. If you do not cure it correctly, you will be growing algae, instead of corals.

Edited March 6, 2018 by overklok