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Adding base rocks to an established system.


jjohnson3

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I just bought some dried base rock from ebay to go in my reef tank. My tank currently has 3 fish. 2 false percs and a firefish. There is some live rock but I bought some base rock also. It will be here Wednesday. Can I just put the rock in my tank and let it go or any reccomendations on how I can accomplish this. Do I have to clean it or cycle it? No corals currently.

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HecticDialectics

I'd let it soak in some ro/di in a bucket for a few days... swish it around and try to get as much crap off it as you can...

 

I'd do that at the least. Best case scenario would be to let it soak in a bucket of saltwater with a powerhead for water movement for a few weeks-month with some live sand or a lil piece of liverock from your tank. A heater too if the temps in your house/apt arent very stable.

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I would put in in circulating salt water a day then add it. It probably doesnt have anything on it that would contribute to harming your water quality but better safe than sorry.

 

If you wanted to be really anal you could leave it in there for a week and test for ammonia and nitrites at the end. That would almost certainly be unecessary though.

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I just bought some dried base rock from ebay to go in my reef tank. My tank currently has 3 fish. 2 false percs and a firefish. There is some live rock but I bought some base rock also. It will be here Wednesday. Can I just put the rock in my tank and let it go or any reccomendations on how I can accomplish this. Do I have to clean it or cycle it? No corals currently.

 

Saltwater is quite corrosive so soaking for a day will help clean it if you are unsure.

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HecticDialectics

most all dry base rock is rock that was once live rock... now its just dry, which means its covered in dead crap, even if it looks nice and white

 

definitely clean it and give it a few days and swish it around in water and stuff...

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most all dry base rock is rock that was once live rock... now its just dry, which means its covered in dead crap, even if it looks nice and white

 

definitely clean it and give it a few days and swish it around in water and stuff...

 

Sounds like a job for a power/pressure washer. ;):P

 

 

I've wondered the same though as I'm contemplating using some myself, dryrock that is.

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Saltwater is quite corrosive so soaking for a day will help clean it if you are unsure.

 

It depends on the type of base rock. Saltwater is basic, so it won't harm things which are made of calcium carbonate.

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Yes, actual rock from reefs (live or dead) are likely to be made of coral skeletons, which are calcium carbonate.

So I should place the rock in saltwater for a day or two and then put it in my tank?

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HecticDialectics
bump?

 

Yes...

 

And before you stick it in the tank, don't just put it in saltwater then tank it out and stick it in the tank. Blow it with a powerhead, swish it around in the water real hard, etc.

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Yes...

 

And before you stick it in the tank, don't just put it in saltwater then tank it out and stick it in the tank. Blow it with a powerhead, swish it around in the water real hard, etc.

Alright. Sounds easy enough. Will this rock eventually become covered in coralline? I think ive read that somewhere.

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I added the same rock to my tank. Just didnt get it from ebay. I boiled the crap out of it all in a pot several times and then let it soak in salt water for a few days. Rinsed it with fresh RODI water then into the tank it went. Has been there for over a year now and is fine. I prefer the rocks I got from Marco more just because this Caribsea rock is very dense.

 

Just my opinion as we all do have our own.

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I added the same rock to my tank. Just didnt get it from ebay. I boiled the crap out of it all in a pot several times and then let it soak in salt water for a few days. Rinsed it with fresh RODI water then into the tank it went. Has been there for over a year now and is fine. I prefer the rocks I got from Marco more just because this Caribsea rock is very dense.

 

Just my opinion as we all do have our own.

Did you get a 50lb box as well? How many peices were in the box?

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Is rock that's been sitting OUTSIDE on a balcony safe to add to a tank? Of course after all the above boiling or rinsing, sitting in S/W for a few days and rinsing again...

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  • 2 weeks later...

to be completly safe I would throw them in a bucket with a powerhead and some live rock for a couple days(to try to remove/dissolve as much dieoff as possible), then put everything in a new bucket of saltwater for a couple days, then test ammonia levels, I wouldnt add them untill ammonia has fallen to, or, is close to zero. an ammonia spike can crash your tank so you should be cautious, base rock is covered in dead things, even if you cant see them on the surface, their interior is filled with dead bacteria.

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