ok so I'm thinking about starting up a tank again I tore down my last tank when my now six year old daughter was born I just didn't have the time for it. the question I have is I kept all the live/base rock but it was left outside is this something that I could use again if it were cleaned and cooked or would it be better just to go buy some again? I'm just wondering because it has sat outside for years but then I think to myself some of the base rock people buy im sure has sat out somewhere. if I can still use it what would be a good way of getting it ready? thanks for the advice
old base rock
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Pat24601
Well-Known Member
I have no problem with using 6 year old dry rock. I’m fact, I prefer it. No hitchhikers and, as you said, dry rock was left outside somewhere.
I think the only question is what was it exposed to. Any pollution types items? Absorbing phosphates? I don’t know where it was sitting and what it was exposed to, but that obviously is the concern.
In some ways it might be better than live rock that’s been sitting in some algae farm of a tank absorbing phosphates that a LFS might be selling.
That’s a long and probably unhelpful way of saying, I think it would be fine, but it depends.
thinking about it now I should have let it dry out and put it in a tote but I dident. I have it sitting on a wooden bench exposed to the sun the dust in the air and what little rain we get up here I live in the desert. It wasent exposed to any pollution type items just the stuff floating around in the air and what little rain that hit it. how should I deal with these rocks? should I rinse them with ro water then put them in a brute can with ro water and a powerhead and change out the water to get all of the dust out of them?if so after that what is the next step use saltwater a heater and power head and let it sit in that for a while? thanks for the help
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
This would be my concern as well.
You will find many opinions for using/not using old previously used rock. I've reused mine and would do so again as long as it wasn't exposed to anything that would negatively affect the tank. Being outside makes me worry about the additional nutrients (and anything else) that it may have picked up if it was in the dirt. If this was the case, I wouldn't risk it.
I am one who would go with already cured rock or even better rock from the ocean. But, I don't mind the hitchhikers the way other do.
I know how hard it is to start a new tank and I don't want these rocks to cause me problems later on I was just trying to save them just because I tore down a 120 gallon tank and there is a lot of rock that I could use I would hate for all of it to be a waste...that being said I don't want to cause myself problems because I'm trying to save some money on base rock. it wasent sitting in the dirt it was off the ground I was just saying it was exposed to the dust in the air
Though I'm not as experienced as other members here but I logically don't see a reason why they should not be used . I would have given the rocks a good pressure washing and then storing them in a saltwater tank for 3-4 weeks so that the organic matter inside the rock can feed the bacteria and seed the rock.
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I was thinking the same but there are a lot more experience people out there and when I do set up the new tank I'm trying to keep from running into problems. I have had a few saltwater tanks in the past and starting out I have had some trouble tanks until I got more experience and I do know from that it doesent take much to have problems and I'm trying to avoid that. thanks for the input guys and gals
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
Off the ground? Sounds better to me, but I really don’t know. It just depends on what it was exposed to. I actually think it would probably be OK, but what if it’s not?
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
You can always 'cook' that old rock. I'm not talking about literally boiling rock on your stove, do not do this. The term 'cook' is used as a way to explain a process that may include bleaching or not and/or 2+months in a darkened plastic tub, weekly saltwater changes, circulation, etc. to get rid of anything else that they were exposed to. Adding light may also help to get those nitrates and organic phosphate out fo the rock as well, scrubbing off that algae that grows while you are 'cooking' it instead of in the tank.