live rock

[tmk]

Hello,I have a 29 gallon fresh water tank full of guppies,but i'm thinking of making it into a reef tank.I have about 20 to 25 lbs of live rock ,well dead rock now,but can it be made live again after being in fresh water tank so long?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

It can be made live yes, but it is going to take a little time for it to do so.

[fins_n_fur]

How does one make "dead" rock "live" again?

[tmk]

What would be the best way to go about it?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

You would want to set up your tank with the sand substrate and then the rock, then you would need to put your pre-mixed saltwater in the tank. It would be best if you could go to your LFS and get a small amount of live rock rubble from them. That way you will get all the higher organisms on the rock. You can make it live without doing this, but all you will have is the bacteria in the rock for biofiltration. The rest of the organisms really add so much more to it as they take care of the detritus. You will need a source of ammonia though since rubble rock will not provide a lot of die-off. I'd suggest getting a raw prawn from your local grocery store seafood section and throw that in. As that breaks down it will release ammonia into the water. The other way is you could get some pure 100% household ammonia (no surfactants) and add 1 drop for every 2 gallons of water. You can do that every day or 2 and it will establish the tank as well.

[tmk]

So if i put some live sand and use my rock for base and add a little live rock on top it should work? I was worried if being in a fresh water tank so long if it would have anything harmful to a reef tank on it.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Anything that is in that rock and surviving in the FW environment will die in a marine environment, that will simply add to the ammonia for you.

[Wartorn]

So if i put some live sand and use my rock for base and add a little live rock on top it should work? I was worried if being in a fresh water tank so long if it would have anything harmful to a reef tank on it.

I know the thread is a bit old but something to consider is the rocks were in the fresh tank for a very long time... which means

The rocks have sponged up contaminants from the freshwater. You could actually leak Phosphates and such into the marine tank..and if you have treated for ICK in freshwater more than likely (copper based) meds are in the rock..

that will be the death of corals...

I would CURE the rocks before you add them. And if you have medicated the fresh tank with the rocks in it I would be most worried about copper.

Other things to consider is freshwater folks use tap water and use a Prime or Cycle and call it good.. Tap water has so many bad things for Salt so the rocks could have absorbed an ample amount of Phosphates... another headache in the making.

Read up more on water chemistry for Marine.. understand:
Nitrate Nitrite Phosphate Alk, Calc, PH (high ranges 8.3) and salinity are important to be stable... Some kept at near 0 some kept high just that would be the best foundation in learning before adventuring into the hobby.

good luck..