Pukani dry rock from BRS

[Tjr1992]

I recently bought 10 pounds of pukani dry rock because I bought an IM Nuvo 8. Well, seeing as the rock is very porous, I got a lot for my money. I made a neat little aquascape for the IM Nuvo 8, which I assume is about 2-4 pounds total. The rest I made into an aquascape for my Green Spotted Puffer's tank since I'm currently slowly acclimating him to saltwater with every water change. I've been doing research on curing the dry rock and from what I've read, most people do acid baths, cure it with the Seaklear method, or just rinse it off and put it in the tank. The problem with just rinsing it off and putting it in the tank is that it contains a lot of dead matter. I'm not looking to cure the rock, but clean it as well as I can before adding it to an established system (GSP tank). For the IM Nuvo, it doesn't matter since it's not even set up yet. I've had it soaking in a tub with SW, a heater, and a powerhead for about two days. Prior to that I rinsed it very well. My question is, could I just simply soak the rock in a vinegar solution to remove all the dead material then rinse the rock off really well before putting it in the aquarium?

[modulok]

I soaked my shelf and pukani rock for 2 months in saltwater from my tank with a heater at 85 degrees. My tubs of rock actually cycled by themselves. I changed it every time I had enough used water. Still, I had phosphates and algae when I changed tanks. Hard to tell if it was the new rock, or new tank.

Be safe and soak it and test for phosphates/nitrates.

[Tjr1992]

Like I said, I'm not looking to cycle them, just remove all the dead matter to prevent a cycle.

[reefer gladness]

You're looking to cure the rock, some people may use the word cycle as being interchangeable. Either way it's the same process we all go through with LR to remove as much of the dead stuff from the rock as possible before adding it to your tank.

Quoting BRS - "This rock does come out of the ocean and may have some dead material on it such as sponges or other critters. We strongly suggest soaking or curing the rock before use in an active aquarium. "

No need to use an acidic solution like vinegar when doing this. Live Rock and Live Sand Acclimation and Curing Guide

[Tjr1992]

My point is, if I can get all of the dead nasties off of the rock, then I could add it in the tank without it causing a cycle in an established tank. Then it would be able to cure in said established tank without causing any spikes.

[jerry26]

blast it with a pressure washer. i had a real nasty hair algae outbreak and said screw it and blasted all my rock with 1600 psi of water then threw them back in and didnt have any problems. in hindsight i should have thrown them in a tub to make sure nothing spiked. and no it did not kill the coralline.

actually now that i think abut it i used a low pressure nozzle with just enough to rip the hga off. othen than something like that idk how you would clean the nasties off. setup a vat of saltwater and use a return pump with a hose and put your thumb over it to blast it like a garden hose.... idk.

[modulok]

I don't know what your rock looks like, but I know a pressure washer wouldn't worked with mine. There are too many holes that probably have a ton of old sea life.

Keep it in a tub until you can't read any bad readings.

[jerry26]

I assumed it had no life since he said it was dry rock. hes just looking for some way to remove decaying matter on the surface of the rock. i suggested a pressure washer because he said it didnt matter because the tank isnt setup. an any case pressurizing saltwater like i suggested should do the trick i would imagine. even if a pressure washer was used they can be rinsed in RO to remove majority of pollutants. just a suggestion.

[ddelozier]

I bought a bunch of Utah Lace rock. It was all covered in lichens and stuff from being exposed. I took it down to the car wash and for 2 bucks i removed all the lichen/dirt without having to spend hours going at it with a toothbrush or wire brush. Shouldnt hurt the rock at all, but will blast off all the nasties. My tank barely showed nitrates/phosphates at all, with nothing but rock and SW in it for 2 weeks. I added a deli shrimp to star the cycle. Works wonders.

[jerry26]

Probably a good idea to take something to set the rock on. wouldnt want to accidentally set it on some oil or somethin. I own a pressure washer but if i didnt ddelozier is the way id have done it.

Can someone shoot me a pm telling me how you edit yoir signature(the area where all you tank info shows up on every post)? I cant find it for some reason. Thanks.

[reefer gladness]

Probably a good idea to take something to set the rock on. wouldnt want to accidentally set it on some oil or somethin. I own a pressure washer but if i didnt ddelozier is the way id have done it
Can someone shoot me a pm telling me how you edit yoir signature(the area where all you tank info shows up on every post)? I cant find it for some reason. Thanks.

UserCP at the top of the page and then edit signature on the left side of the page

[jerry26]

ahhhh thanks i was looking in the profile.