# Opinions Please - Reuse of LR



## paulie (Mar 25, 2013)

Hi all

Those of you who knew my old set ups would know I have gone from 12' of tanks to a smaller 4', but since my divorce 2 years ago, I haven't had a tank. I have about 150kg of live rock to choose from for my new nano reef (i live in a condo now... so not much room).

I am concerned that when i use some of my old live rock (which will need seeding) i may have some issues with algae in general as the rock was left in a tank and not looked after when i first got separated. It had a lot of hair and bubble algae when it was moved into dry storage.

The question I have, is how do i fully clear the rock for reuse? I don't have room to keep large buckets of rock soaking for weeks either, so hoping there is a quick solution.

Is there some way to ensure that there is nothing left in the rock to leach out when it is put into the nano? I will not have a great deal of water to absorb any nutrients/crap that i do not want in the water column. Obviously it will cycle for some time, but I don't want to start off badly from day one.

Your help as always, is appreciated.

Paulie


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Rock*

Hey there and it's nice to see u back into the hobby
There are ways to cook the rock if u Google the methods 
Some use muratic acid..if u have the space do u have a balcony or a space to put the nicest rocks that u would want to use in a bin or a brute container on wheels ...

Sorry just read that u have no room ....
Hmmmm


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## paulie (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks Tom. Your anemone went to a great reefer when I had to get out.

As for the balcony, I would be concerned with the bucket freezing and splitting. Might upset the guy below me if i dropped half a brute bucket full of bleach down onto his balcony lol.

It wont be that much LR and i want to drill it and epoxy it together before i put it into the tank anyway. Maybe a overnight bath in some bleach in the sink then rinse it out? Some advice online says you can bleach it then put it right into the tank, but I dont trust that too much.

Any good resources you can point me to?


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Vinegar works the same way muriatic acid does. Since vinegar is an acid as well, it will take a bit longer but it will work.

Another benefit with using vinegar is the lower freezing point, so you could put it on your balcony and not worry about buckets breaking. .

Just use a 5g bucket and do a few pieces a day for a short period of time. 

If you need any help, give me a shout. I don't mind. I can also cook the rock at my house if you really don't have the room


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Hey*

That's awesome ...if u got a brute and put circulation and a heater in there and did not fill to the top I don't see the poem....brutes are pretty thick.. 
Do u have a bath tub... I don't think u take baths ..lol
We know u shower ...lol.. like alt Said u could put some pieces in pails and cook in tub ...pain in the ass but could work.....


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

Hey Paul. Welcome back homie!


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## bbgobie (Oct 13, 2016)

Bleach won't be that useful, all your stuff is dead. You need to scrub off what you can, acid wash, scrub, you should be able to get them very clean. Never boil rock.

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## bbgobie (Oct 13, 2016)

PSA for everyone, please don't boil rocks, there are several documented serious incidents from this.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sour...N6sIDepDETsCNHhwA&sig2=amjEam0-kw4oCp1-htUOzA

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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*boil rock*

cook the rock is a term used to use chemicals to clean rock ... at least that's what I have read and see in other threads ...
cheers 
tom


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## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

so how long exactly to "cook" it in muriatic or vinegar? please and thank you 😊

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## paulie (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks for your input all.

I will probably scrub, soak, scrub, soak...As always, it is a time thing with marine stuff.

Good link on why not to "boil" the rocks. I cannot believe people actually did that. The oven thing too...some ideas should never become a reality!

Hey mmat!! How are things?


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

paulie said:


> Hey mmat!! How are things?


Good. Got a mini me now and moving to the north end in sept. Hope all is good with you. Cheers


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## sohal tang (Oct 26, 2011)

*dont know if right but here is what I did....*

I had a case of Byropsis...really upset me... I have a temper lololol
Took all my rock out...put it in big garbage container and poured a whole
jug of BLEACH in the garbage container...filled it up with water with 
a mag 9 on the bottom of the barrel for circulation... left if for two days...
rock came out WHITE as a GHOST.. Then...I gave it a vinegar bath.....
Then...let it dry right out in the sun on my deck...

Then...put it in my brand new reef about a month later.....and......
used a product from Tim's Aquatics that cycles your tank very fast ...
My rock now is looking like regular LIVE ROCK with coraline already starting
to grow on it now 4 months later as a full blown reef.... I did have a thinnnn
layer of algae regular bloom which the beautiful scarlets and snails I put in cleaned up nicely.... The product from Tim's aquatics was amaaaaazing.
It is called DR. TIM'S ONE AND ONLY (get the one for REEF!!!!)
I used it exactly as directions...YOu actually have to put fish in within 48hrs to feed the bacteria! Worked like absolute DREAM! i WOULD NOT have believed it possible. I had fish in my tank 3 days after putting the fresh saltwater in and not a single loss....amaaazzinggggg... Good way to cycle the rock in my opinion...as it WORKED....Maybe I got lucky>? Dunno....


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## twobytwo (Oct 25, 2014)

Melev had a good video just a couple months ago:


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

twobytwo said:


> Melev had a good video just a couple months ago:


Best way for sure. Only thought I have is when I cooked mine like this I used a heater. Any opinion on adding a heater to this process?


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## bbgobie (Oct 13, 2016)

Melevs video starts with literally live rock and takes a couple of months. I also think as he says you can leave it for years like that than there must be nutrients years later.

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## paulie (Mar 25, 2013)

mmatt. I believe the heat is only required if you are storing outside or in a cold area. I would think that would help the beneficial bacteria survive.

Lucky for me, after 4 days of soaking in an acidic environment, and a f load of scrubbing, the rocks have come up blistering white, and in salt water reading zero. Ill add them to the live rock that i bought that has been stewing in the tank and let the fun begin!

Congrats on the wee one!


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