how to cure a dead rock ?

[zlin0524]

i had this rock sitting outside of my house for a month cuz it had so much crazy mushroom on it, so i took it out , and let it dried . now how can i cure it ? i was thinking to rinse with RODI water , then i put in my sump/ next to my return pump . any suggestions .

 

[KathyC]

As I believe your tank is fairly new, it is best to cure it before you add it to the tank so you do not get an ammonia spike from the die-off on/in the rock.

You can cure it in the bucket, first rinse well with rodi water, then fill bucket with new SW add a powerhead and a heater and let it sit there until it doesn't smell bad anymore, it might take a few weeks.

If your tank is not new...and you have a large, more established (over 1 year) tank, you might be able to cure it directly in the sump if you scrub it clean, but you would still need to watch for an ammonia spike.

 

[masterswimmer]

As I believe your tank is fairly new, it is best to cure it before you add it to the tank so you do not get an ammonia spike from the die-off on/in the rock.

You can cure it in the bucket, first rinse well with rodi water, then fill bucket with new SW add a powerhead and a heater and let it sit there until it doesn't smell bad anymore, it might take a few weeks.

If your tank is not new...and you have a large, more established (over 1 year) tank, you might be able to cure it directly in the sump if you scrub it clean, but you would still need to watch for an ammonia spike.

+1

Only amendment I'd offer to the above explanation, instead of 'testing' the rock with your sense of smell, just use your ammonia, nitrite & nitrate test kits. The curing of the rock is no different than the cycle in your tank. Once ammonia spikes and falls to zero, then your nitrites spike and return to zero, you're all set to add the rock to your tank.

HTH
Russ