Preparing "dry" Live Rock ?

[Koi Valley]

My son would like to try a Nano tank in his room.
I've got some old live rock from an individual who gave up the hobby. it's been sitting in an dry bucket for a couple of years.
just wondered what I should do with it to prepare for this new Nano project? It's pretty clean to look at and the original tank had no health issues when it was taken down.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Salty Cracker]

For one it's definitely not liverock, it's deadrock

If it was me, I'd run them in a bucket of salt water with a skimmer, heater and a gfo reactor on it. A nano tank is almost impossible to keep healthy as it is, much less saturating it with PO4 from old rock...

Run it for a week that way, then add in some sand from an active tank, or even some pre-bought live-sand or bacteria. Run that for a couple of weeks, swap out the gfo each week, and very likely you'll have fantastic liverock for the tank.

 

[Koi Valley]

Thank you Salty, that’s what I will do.
Thanks again for the help.

 

[Greezzy]

Even if it came from a clean tank the chances of it leaking bound phosphates, nitrates and even heavy metals is high. A lot of people this guy included have pulled tanks down because of used rock.

The sure fire way is muriatic acid but safer and easier is bleach to water at a 9 to 1 ratio in a bucket for a week or two. The bleach solution will weaken with time. Then add Dechlorinator/ aquarium conditioner pull rock out let it fully dry to further neutralize any potential for bleach. At that point an other quick rinse or two back in bucket with salt water, heater, pump and seed with a piece of established rock and occasional water change plus time.
Sounds extreme I know but old rock is a sure fire way of growing beautiful lush hair algae.

 

[Koi Valley]

thanks Greezzy, that sounds like good advice as well.

 

[sirhc13]

just buy some unused dry rock.....it will save you a lot of headaches!

 

[MrHermit85]

Mauriatic acid has always worked for me but it can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Saltys way is a safer bet.

 

[Canadianeh]

Since it is a nano tank, I am not sure you will save lot of $$$ by avoiding to buy new rocks. It is also much less risk, IMO.