I am upgrading from a 24 gal to 55 gal salt water tank. I have the living rock but want to expand the base with "dead rock" I pulled out several months ago. I am getting all sorts of mixed information about using it. Here are the most common

1) Put it in you vegetable garden

2) Boil it real well, then cure it in a separate tank

3) If you boil it then you can use it

4) No matter what you do to it, if you put in your tank then you are going to have green hair algae issues.

I have done nothing yet. I am cycling the tank and doing my "homework". Any input would be greatly appreciated.


Tom

I would just rinse it off real good and put it your tank while you are cycling the tank. I had a tank setup many years ago and when I took it down we used the rock in the flower beds and then when I set back up I just grabbed all the rock and rinsed it off good and put it in my tank when it was cycling and everything was fine.

i have done the same, washed it off and stuck it in the tank.

Yes rinse it off well and put it back in the tank and there shouldnt be much of an issue one way or the other. I have done this many times and have yet to have a problem. I dont see why you should either.

HA can always be a bit of a problem in a new set, especially when dry base rock is added to the tank. A new tank usually seems to have a good supply of nutrients available to feed it and you generally use some pretty intense lighting on SW tanks as well. Good "reef keeping" routines and a few extra clean up critters should keep things in check.

I have had 300pounds of rock out side for about a year. Then about 4 months ago I needed 100 pounds. Pick it out of the 300p put in a 75 gallon tank put a asm g2 right in the tank with live sand and half gallon of p-up and duel 250 watt M/H for 3 months and now its in my buddy's tank doing just fine... Now only if I can get the other 200 pounds out of my yard that would be nice LOL ........

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what ever works for you is the way to go!!!!!!!!!

for starters put i blue legged hermit crad per gallon in there and 1 turbo snail per gallon in ther.a peppermint shrip.these are your clean up crew and it will help cycle your tank faster.you can aso add a brittle star and 2 tiger-tail cucumbers.your rock will be fine just make shure you rinse it out really good.don't boil it.coraline algae will take to it in no time.if ur anxious use purple up from caribsea