Brs pukani dry rock

[All Delight]

I let it sit in a bin with a power head. Within a day you'll see the water turn yellow. Drain it and repeat the process until the water is clear. You'll get tons of die off. Then I run a rowaphos until reading is zero. This process takes close to 6 weeks for me. I did around 20lbs.

 

[Ginu]

Tank is 48*24*24 and used the entire line up for zeovit
I can fish out my dosing regime, but I'm going simple this time and going to supplement filtration with sera siporax (whenever it gets here from Austria)
I also have a office RSM S500 running on pukani since May 2015 and I cant seem to do well with sps in that tank either...

Here is my zeovit tank thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ginus-120gallon-zeoland-journey.182208/

And here is my restart tank thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/93g-fresh-start.238775/

 

[Ginu]

I let it sit in a bin with a power head. Within a day you'll see the water turn yellow. Drain it and repeat the process until the water is clear. You'll get tons of die off. Then I run a rowaphos until reading is zero. This process takes close to 6 weeks for me. I did around 20lbs.

I did exactly this for 11 months in a bin without light and a year later I still have phosphates coming out of the rock...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ginus-120gallon-zeoland-journey.182208/

 

[glb]

After reading this thread I'm not sure dry rock is worth it! I know it doesn't have pests but I don't have the space to cure that much rock for that long. I'm doing a 40g build and have some live rock in my nano I can use to seed the tank. Is all of this really necessary? It sounds like a nightmare to me.

 

[Ginu]

There are pluses and minuses. BRS pukani is dry live rock and that's why it's recommended to acid wash this rock of any possible dead critters

Of course it's not required, however it can leach for months after introduction, so just something to be aware of.

BRS dry saver rock is free of dead critters if you why to be on the safer side. Here's the BRS dry saver rock in my 93g cycling

 

[Jakepen]

I've read very mixed reviews about BRS reef saver rock

 

[Gpettit721]

My brother used reef saver in his 45 at his office and used pukani at his home aquarium other than the Rock the systems are almost identical... The tank at the office has had nothing but problems

 

[Ginu]

Well my main source of filtration is not the rock. I ordered 25l of sera seporax and 15l will be divided between the office tank, 93gallon andy 20 gallon frag tank.

GP, what kind of problems is your brother haveing with the dry saver?

 

[glb]

The dry rock that's not live sounds more manageable. What are the downsides? I know the pukani is more porous but there's no way with the space I have that I can cure rock long-term. It's for a 40g tank and I really don't want the hitchhikers. But it's always good to weigh the pros and cons.

 

[Jakepen]

The dry rock that's not live sounds more manageable. What are the downsides? I know the pukani is more porous but there's no way with the space I have that I can cure rock long-term. It's for a 40g tank and I really don't want the hitchhikers. But it's always good to weigh the pros and cons.

Seems like the best bet is to do the acid bath on the dry rock. I'll be doing the acid bath Saturday, than very low pressure power wash, air dry, than I'll let it soak in RODI for a couple of days, take it out let it dry in the sun, than will most likely let it sit another 24 hours in clean RODI. Than add it to the tank and begin cycling.

 

[Ginu]

The dry rock that's not live sounds more manageable. What are the downsides? I know the pukani is more porous but there's no way with the space I have that I can cure rock long-term. It's for a 40g tank and I really don't want the hitchhikers. But it's always good to weigh the pros and cons.

Typically it takes a long time to establish a tank with full dry rock.
Best rock in my opinion is pukani, and for the weight, you can't compare anything with pukani. Also pukani is super easy to work with in terms of sculpting and stacking.

In my new tank, I'm using BRS dry rock just for something to place frags on and look decent. I plan on using 6-8 liters of sera siporax in sump for extra filtration. This media has 30-37 times more surface area for bacteria to colonize and sustain the ammonia-nitrate-nitrite cycle.

In regards to pukani, there is nothing wrong with the rock and best out there in my tonight, just requires a little preparation prior introducing to the tank... Although and folks had good s experience with just curev and add to tank.

 

[Gpettit721]

He has bad algae problems.... But here's the weird thing... I had the same rock from the same boxes (we ordered and divided it up) in my 120 (tank only had the rock in it for about 16 months until we moved and I went to pukani cause I like the look better)at the time and had zero algae. His water test out fine as well.... My theory is that his tank gets a ton of natural light and that fueling the growth.

 

[NanaReefer]

After reading this thread I'm not sure dry rock is worth it! I know it doesn't have pests but I don't have the space to cure that much rock for that long. I'm doing a 40g build and have some live rock in my nano I can use to seed the tank. Is all of this really necessary? It sounds like a nightmare to me.

I also run a 40B. I've been using this rock for 7yrs.
All this talk about acid washing, bleaching is totally unnecessary.
I put my rock in a Rubbermaid tub of saltwater, added a power head and a bag of carbon to absorb the odor. Let cure for two weeks, doing one water change during this time.
Added rock to my tank. Dosed SeaChem Stability bacteria inna bottle. Dr. Tim's works great too.
One week later my tank was cycled and ready for livestock.

 

[Jakepen]

I also run a 40B. I've been using this rock for 7yrs.
All this talk about acid washing, bleaching is totally unnecessary.
I put my rock in a Rubbermaid tub of saltwater, added a power head and a bag of carbon to absorb the odor. Let cure for two weeks, doing one water change during this time.
Added rock to my tank. Dosed SeaChem Stability bacteria inna bottle. Dr. Tim's works great too.
One week later my tank was cycled and ready for livestock.

You have been using this rock for the last seven years? No real issues leading back to the rock?

 

[Jakepen]

Also why did you cure it in saltwater?

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Has anyone tried Lace rock as a base and add live rock to kick start the biological process? I have used small amounts of Lace with live rock before and seems to work fine.

 

[glb]

I also run a 40B. I've been using this rock for 7yrs.
All this talk about acid washing, bleaching is totally unnecessary.
I put my rock in a Rubbermaid tub of saltwater, added a power head and a bag of carbon to absorb the odor. Let cure for two weeks, doing one water change during this time.
Added rock to my tank. Dosed SeaChem Stability bacteria inna bottle. Dr. Tim's works great too.
One week later my tank was cycled and ready for livestock.

Can the rock cure outside in a covered container? I don't have a garage and can't stink up the house. When I set up my nano I could afford to buy fully cured live rock because I needed so little. Plus, it's very hot outside. Is this plan doable in south Florida?

 

[Ginu]

I also run a 40B. I've been using this rock for 7yrs.
All this talk about acid washing, bleaching is totally unnecessary.
I put my rock in a Rubbermaid tub of saltwater, added a power head and a bag of carbon to absorb the odor. Let cure for two weeks, doing one water change during this time.
Added rock to my tank. Dosed SeaChem Stability bacteria inna bottle. Dr. Tim's works great too.
One week later my tank was cycled and ready for livestock.

As I mentioned a few posts above, there is nothing wrong with this rock and can be used right after curing, however the chances of po4 leaching out for months are really high due to the porosity of this rock; also its very hollow meaning the chance of having dead stuff on the inside of the rock is really high (also see my pic where i pulled out a dead 12" eel from within the rock when I was making a cave though one of the pieces).
Curing gets the rock ready for livestock and it will be fine for most part, however there could be algae outbreaks and difficulty running more sensitive corals for a number of months depending on what comes off the rock.

Bleach is not necessary (just an extra step) but in my opinion spending a couple of hours acid dipping and making sure everything which was once alive is off that rock will go a long way; also spending quite some time picking slimy and smelly crap off the rock with tweezers, pliers and chisel is not very pleasant.

Obviously there will still be algae due to new tank syndrome even if the rock is dipped in acid/bleach, but will be much easier to deal with than pieces of rock leaching po4 for months to come

Can the rock cure outside in a covered container? I don't have a garage and can't stink up the house. When I set up my nano I could afford to buy fully cured live rock because I needed so little. Plus, it's very hot outside. Is this plan doable in south Florida?

It is doable and probably even easier as having warm water over cold(don't need heaters) is a plus and drying the rock in the sun would be a breeze... I live in Vancouver (Canada) and i cant do this very easy over most months due to humidity/rain/cold which sadly is like 9 months out of the year.

I cured 50 lb of pukani in rubbermaid trashcan for two months in the office with very little air movement and nobody complained, just make sure it has a lid, do water changes regularly and run carbon to absorb nuisance smells

 

[Ginu]

Also why did you cure it in saltwater?

Curing is always done in saltwater as it brings the rock to the stage of being added to an already existing system.
Below is the curing process from Live Aquaria:

"
Curing Live Rock

Important: Do not place uncured live rock directly into an aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals.

Note: Be sure to use gloves when handling live rock to prevent accidental cuts and potential infection.

There are many different ways to cure live rock, however, at Drs. Foster & Smith we have found the following methods to be the most effective:



Method A: Curing process of live rock for the established display aquarium that already contains fish, corals, or any other marine animals.

1. Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can. Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
2. Completely cover the rock with freshly mixed saltwater, with a specific gravity of 1.021 - 1.025.
3. Use a heater and keep the water temperature near 80 degrees to speed die off.
4. Provide constant water movement with a power head or airstone.
5. Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
6. Perform 100% water changes twice weekly.
7. Gently scrub the rock with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush between water changes to remove any white film or dead material.
8. When the water conditions stabilize and ammonia and nitrite tests are zero, the rock is ready to be placed into the display aquarium.

Most live rock will be fully cured in 1-3 weeks, at which time it is safe to add to the display aquarium.



Method B: Curing process of live rock for the new aquarium that DOES NOT contain fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Live rock may be used to cycle a new marine aquarium. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the installation of all filtration devices and accessories. Fill aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025. Activate all filtration equipment, check for leaks, and set heater and/or chiller to the desired temperature of 72-78°F.
Note: Mechanical filtration will need frequent cleaning during this cycling process.

1. Rinse each piece of live rock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose organic matter, debris, or sand.
2. Place live rock into the aquarium to create a stable foundation for corals or decorations.
3. Keep the lighting system off during the cycling period in order to reduce the likelihood of undesirable algae growth.
4. Gently scrub the rocks periodically with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush to remove loose white film or dead material.
5. Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
6. Measure and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
7. When both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
8. After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.

Most aquariums will cycle within 2-4 weeks using this technique, depending on the equipment that is installed.

Helpful Tips for Controlling Unwanted Pests:
Submerse the new rock into a bucket filled with saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.035 to 1.040 for one minute. Any invertebrates including mantis shrimp, bristle worms, and crabs will quickly evacuate from the rock and into the bucket of water.

Remove the live rock from the bucket and sort through the invertebrates in the bucket. Determine those you want to add to your system and discard unwanted pests. Bristle worms still attached to the rock can be removed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. This technique can be used to remove unwanted pests before or after curing your newly arrived live rock."

 

[Ginu]

He has bad algae problems.... But here's the weird thing... I had the same rock from the same boxes (we ordered and divided it up) in my 120 (tank only had the rock in it for about 16 months until we moved and I went to pukani cause I like the look better)at the time and had zero algae. His water test out fine as well.... My theory is that his tank gets a ton of natural light and that fueling the growth.

Well... algae is a fairly broad term, what kind of algae? hair algae, bubble algae, wafer algae, byropsis or is it a bacterial bloom like diatoms, cyano etc? Depending on the type of algae we might be able to pinpoint the cause. What livestock is in this tank and ho big is the tank? Also due to the weight of BRS saver rock, I suspect the tank probably does not have enough rock for the amount of feedings/livestock. Also is there a RO/DI unit at the office? whats the TDS at?

One thing I've noticed with the office tank is the photoperiod which tends to be a little more than normal as some folks came in at 5am and some came in at 9am. Ive toned down the lights and run a blue led strip for sunrise/sunset and the two bulbs on the RSM S500 for most of the day with the peak of 10 bulbs in the middle somewhere. Also who feeds the office tank? does it have the appropriate filtration/cleanup crew?
I found my boss feed the fish 4-8 times a day (no wonder the hippo tang is fat as hell and grew from 2" to 5.5" in 6 months) so that causes the algae I'm dealing with at the office; for this reason I'm going to add sera siporax in the sump as the tank is too nutrient rich causing algae. I tried explaining the feeding routine to the boss, but everyone who comes in the office wants to see the fish eat...