Bought less then perfect rock?

fisher · #1 01-12-2011, 07:27 PM

I have a question i bought some rock but it was in a tank that was less then perfect.I put all the rock in a garbage can with a powerhead and heater and put the lid on is this the way to kill of the algae and how long should i keep it in there before i put it in my main tank?

CHEERS

christyf5 · #2 01-12-2011, 08:12 PM

yup that will do it, it will take about 3-4 months though. you can speed it up some with a handful of sacrificial hermit crabs. i say sacrificial because once theyre out of food they will likely starve if you aren't paying attention and rescue them

Youngster Dan · #3 01-12-2011, 08:21 PM

+1 on the 3-4 months.

It's called "cooking" the rock, which is kind of a funny term. I did this a while back to get rid of aiptasia from rock that I bought used. Make sure to keep that lid on, as you don't want any light to reach the rock. Oh, and don't be like me, and be sure to add water to replenish what has evaporated. This process probably kills some good stuff in your rock as well, but I think it is a good way to get rid of some of the nasties.

sphelps · #4 01-12-2011, 08:27 PM

It'll be faster to use fresh water first for a week or so then saltwater. Algae could still survive in dark salt water for a few months, it could eventually show up again, best way to be sure is with fresh water treatment but this will kill everything else as well.

Bloodasp · #5 01-13-2011, 12:31 AM

Might also be good if you scrub it first before cooking it just to get some of those that are growing out.

reefwars · #6 01-13-2011, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bloodasp

Might also be good if you scrub it first before cooking it just to get some of those that are growing out.

+1 if not youll have rock with some white hairs lol will make it quicker if you scrub it every now and then as well