What is the preferred method to wash dryed rock? Is tap water okay? Is it best to dry the sand and rocks after tap water?
This is my first totally dry start and I want to make sure I do it right...
I did not know about this method... So if i understand you cycle the tank with sand and the rock seperatly then when the rock is done spiking you add it to the tank?If it is deadrock then mauric Acid (hydrochloric acid) bath will kill off organics and clean it. If it is clean dry rock a bath in salt water and cycling can be done before placing it into the tank to keep it more or less clean while the rest of the tank cycles.
I did a an acid bath and then cycled the rock with the water and got a major dyno outbreak at school. So far month long battle [emoji22].
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Thank you for taking the time to explain... One last question, is there any benefit (besides not staring at my empty tank) to setting it up with the sand and let the tank and sand cycle, then add the cured rock?Cycle the rock in a separate container. You seed the whole rock this way and leave excess nutrients from the cycle out of your tank. This is called “curing” rock.
After curing the rock you add it to the tank with new salt water and there will be minimal cycle. Which means fewer nitrates for algae and other issues to arise from.
That is how I Should have done it at school.... but the kids wanted fish so I rushed it and algae problems galore [emoji22]
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Their is no need to "cure" or "clean" the dry Marco Rock other than give it a quick rinse to clear the dust from it. It is basically ancient coral fossil that is mined and organic/pest free. Once your tank is up and running I would just put the sand and rock right in there, and then begin the nitrogen cycle process.
This is actually what I'm currently doing for my new setup and for pretty much exact reason as yourself - start fresh without any nasty stuff. Except I used a small bag of live sand just to help kick-start the bacteria growth.