so i picked up 100+lbs of live rock from someone breaking down their tank. The rock is now dry but appear to have some Zoas attached. After I establish my setup will the Zoas "wake up?" or are they just basically skeletons now?
Zoas on live rock
- Thread starter Lobot
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Unfortunately they are dead. Anything that does have a mechanism to survive desiccation (e.g. a spore) will die if left out of water long enough. You will need to cure the rock to break down the nutrients left over by the dead zoas and other organisms.
tsouth
Valuable Member
I would not keep my fingers crossed. If they make it, treat them as a nice surprise (assuming you put it back in water). On another note, because the rock was once live, and now dry - there's a significant die off of organisms. I would recommend that this rock be cleansed through proper curing methods before it is used.
You can do that, but I highly recommend against it. Curing can stink up a house- really, it's awful. Plus, it's easier to perform water changes if you're curing in a bucket. It's absolutely possible to cure in the tank, however I've found you're more likely to perform the necessary water changes to ensure adequate removal of phosphate if you do it in a bucket- it's too tempting to say "good enough" after a month or so and start your tank prematurely. Either way, best of luck!
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