Dry Rock

Pipes

Active Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Location
Ingersoll
Hey everyone. What would a fair price be for dry/dead rock? I'm thinking of picking some up and putting it into storage for my build. Different prices for different types? Or is it pretty much $x per pound?

Tell me what you think....

Is there anyone in or about Oxford County that has some extra to get rid of?
James
 

reef keeper

Super Active Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Location
Hamilton, Ontario
I'm going to have a couple hundred pounds of pukani and Fiji. Will be freshly treated with muriatic, so no pests, and no phosphate problem.

$1 - 1.50 is really way too cheap.

If the rock is full of pests and phosphate then I could see it. Treated rock is worth more than that. The cost of treating with muriatic alone would be almost $80 bucks.

Treated rock is $3.00 plus.

You get what you pay for I guess lol
 

zoomster

Active Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Location
Port Rowan, Ontario
I'm going to have a couple hundred pounds of pukani and Fiji. Will be freshly treated with muriatic, so no pests, and no phosphate problem.

$1 - 1.50 is really way too cheap.

If the rock is full of pests and phosphate then I could see it. Treated rock is worth more than that. The cost of treating with muriatic alone would be almost $80 bucks.

Treated rock is $3.00 plus.

You get what you pay for I guess lol

I sorta of think both of you are right.
If someone just takes it out of their tank and into a bucket and up for sale,- then $1-$2 pp.- Tops.
But if someone goes through the effort of the double treatment, ( bleach, rinse muratic, rinse which is how I was taught and how I do it ) than $3 may actually be on the low side. And of course, "unique" pieces like plateau, shelf, branch rock ect.
Sets it's own value.
IMHO.
 

Pipes

Active Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Location
Ingersoll
Okay. That makes it a bit more difficult for a newbie to judge what's being offered. I hate getting ripped off, but I also don't want to insult anyone selling good stuff. I guess rock in itself is another art form. Buyer beware...
 

Pipes

Active Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Location
Ingersoll
seems to me that average on kijiji and in store is $3-$5 per lb. when i see rock for less than $3 i think either A) it had pests or B) algae issues before drying.
Is it better to treat it after you bring it home? I know of stores that are a little on the shady side, but then so could some reefers. I like to think of everyone as honest.
 

scubasteve

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Location
Cambridge, Ontario
really there is no guarenteed way of knowing unless youve seen the boxes being shipped in. this is why i vat everyrock i buy for months at home before use. it may take a while but eliminates any risk of previouse pests or algae issues. i never use muratic acid ever for more reasons then i care to list lmao.
 

davesolo29

Super Active Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
If you are getting it for future use, buy it cheap and clean it yourself. Bleach and an acid dip are the only way you will actually know for sure.


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reef keeper

Super Active Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Location
Hamilton, Ontario
I think he burned himself. Breathed it in. Poured in neutralized acid on his nice new driveway.

Proudly, I haven't done that yet. Hehe.

Muriatic - I used to talk against it. Now, I love it. Especially to murder all that gelidium. DIEDIEDIE

Rock is definitely something that you get what you pay for. If it's a buck a pound - it's brutal. Trust me. I bought some of that and spent 3 months during it and $100 in lanthanum.

There's nothing too cheap to believe.
 

Pipes

Active Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Location
Ingersoll
If you are getting it for future use, buy it cheap and clean it yourself. Bleach and an acid dip are the only way you will actually know for sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well I wright off chlorine and muriatic acid for business purposes, so, How long a dip is good enough? 1/3 of my water bill is also a wright off so no issues on rinsing either.
 

reef keeper

Super Active Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Location
Hamilton, Ontario
The trick to muriatic is to not destroy the rocks. Hehehe.

I've ready it a few different ways.

1. Leave it in till it stops bubbling
2. Leave it for 20-30 minutes and add baking soda to neutralize. Basically 1 box per gallon of muriatic you used.

Power wash all the dead crap off.

Cure
 

zoomster

Active Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Location
Port Rowan, Ontario
The trick to muriatic is to not destroy the rocks. Hehehe.

I've ready it a few different ways.

1. Leave it in till it stops bubbling
2. Leave it for 20-30 minutes and add baking soda to neutralize. Basically 1 box per gallon of muriatic you used.

Power wash all the dead crap off.

Cure
I go with the "stopped bubbling + 5 mins" method
And while I agree normally with "getting what you pay for" that is not always the case.
Outside of retail stores, I have seen reef rock from $1 - $5 per and sometimes the dollar stuff has been much cleaner than some of the 5 buck stuff.
And if the private seller has not gone through the cleaning process ( hence what should mean much cheaper prices ), do we not normally recommend the Purchaser do it for his/her own piece of mind?
Even if it just the bleach and rinse part?
Just my 0.02$
 

Pipes

Active Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Location
Ingersoll
Is there a guaranteed solution other than M acid?

How about Phosphate reduction. Any ideas there? Or is vodka still the answer. 1, 2, 3, 4, shots. At what point does she look better.... I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ROCK. Get your mind on topic...LOL...
 

zoomster

Active Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Location
Port Rowan, Ontario
You can cook it. Which will knock out the phosphates after a couple months. Google it. It's easy, but takes ages. It works though.
Cooking the rocks would probably work well for Pipes as I believe that it will be a few months before he is ready to start up anyway.
Unlike most of us who just gotta have that rock in the tank right away! ;)
 
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