help with some "not so live rock"

So i found a listing on CL and someone was offering up some not so live rock for free....I'd say about 40-50 lbs or so, I'll find out when i pick it up today....

It is listed as not so live rock because it was once live in a system that crashed and has since been sitting in saltwater with no circulation so it is most definitely dead, I have 2 running systems currently which I will be combining into a bigger system once i finish the build on my upgrade so I could use the rock

What is the best way to go about introducing this rock back into a running system, should i rub as much as I can off of the rock and add a piece or two a week to the tanks until its all added in, should i recure it? If its possible i'd rather not set up a seperate bin to cure rock since i am limited on space

any advice would be appreciated

 

I think you're going to want to re-cure to get rid of all the dead stuff. Also, whatever caused the system crash in the current rock owners tank may be still lurking in the rocks.

If it were me, I'd take it out and let it dry and then re-cure but I don't have the space limitation you mention.

I'd be scared to put it in as is...

 

The reason for the crash was a failed air conditioning unit while on vacation

 

i did something like that wile back and crashed my tank . i would let the rock sit out and dry and then cure them all over again not worth taking the chance.

 

alright seems like the only option

 

ok this may sound crazy but........it is amazing what circumstance can teach us.
my 150 crashed right before a we moved into our house from our trailer so it just got totally ignored...unplugged and left. we still owned the trailer and just left the tank sitting there rock water and all, along with other stored items. then we got a great deal on a 75 gallon which was more suitable for the new house, so the 150 sat longer, over a year all totaled
we decided to think about resetting up the 150 and was sure the rock was done for.
we bought a 160 gallon pond and started to put my waste water from water changes in the pond and brought over a bunch of rock fron the 150 and just putting it in the 160 pond just to get it ready to start to clean and prepare to use. well the pond was in our sun room and life got busy.......i didn't even look at the rock for at least 2 weeks .

be darned if i didn't go in the room to see coraline alge popping out everywhere so i just put a line on a circulation pump and blew out the rock and set up a 55 gallon tank and used some of the rock expecting the tank to have to cycle as usual on a new set up. to my amazement it was more like a tank move than a start up couple days everything was ready to go. added a little purple up and you'd never know that rock sat in green yuck water for over a year. oh and when i moved rock from the 150 to the pond i found bristleworms alive so if they can live in that condition i'm sure bacteria doesn't care if it has circulation
and just a question ....wouldn't you quarintine rock going into your tank anyway??? rock can look very innocent and carry a world of woes, we quarantine fish and we can see whats on them, rock we can only see what's on the outside

 

after i wrote this post i went surfing the net and ran into this ....just thought it was something that sort of demonstrates the resilience of bacteria
Extreme Life on Earth: 8 Bizarre Creatures | Yellowstone Microbes, Hydrothermal Vents | Radiation-Proof Microbes Could Survive on Mars | LiveScience

 

If you use the rock without proper cleanning you are running the chance that organic material in the rock porus will create a problem with algae in your new setup.

I think that the best way to deal with the rock is to dip it in water with bleach (10-1) for two or three days to remove the organics and if possible a 10 minute dip in water and muriatic acid (20-1) to remove phosphates from the rock surface. Let the rock for two or three days in water with a pump and dechlorinator and thre days drying in the sun. After that put them in salt water and create a cycle for a month.

Poor acid in water not the other way. Use gloves and be careful with the fumes!

 

This is not about the resilience of bacteria, but preventing the pollution of one's tank with rocks full of dead organic matter.

Agree with all the others- you need to clean and recure them properly and completely before using. Otherwise you risk crashing your tank with a serious ammonia spike.

 

I agree with bleaching the rock. Any other way would be at least a little bit of a risk, so I think a clean sweep would be best. Be sure to use declorinator and let the rock dry fully afterward.