Dry rock preparation

I ordered 30# of the following dry rock from BRS:
BRS Reef Saver Dry Aquarium Live Rock - Bulk Reef Supply

Since this is "natural calcium carbonate rock mined from a land-based fossilized coral reef", do I just need to rinse it with water? Before putting it into my temporary tank to cycle? I'm doing a rebuild of my tank so the tank that I'm cycling the rock in, won't be the rocks' final resting place.

 

I would think you can just rinse and use. That's what I did with my base rock (dry) and didn't have any issues.

 

Gracias!

 

I rinsed it and now I have it in a temporary 12gal tank that I sterilized. I added RO water, salt, a (sterilized from my 29gal) hydor nano for circulation, and a media bag with a good amount of Rod's frozen food. I understand that I can cycle faster by adding live rock (established for 2.5yrs in my 29gal) to the 12gal where I'm cycling dry rock, however I don't want to infest my new dry rock (I'll be sterilizing the 29gal before placing new dry rock in it and removing old live rock). I have a majano infestation that prompted this rebuild.

Is light going to be necessary to get the cycle going? Sorry, I'm like a noob all over again.

 

Not needed, but I would use the lighting cycle. Think of the cycle as your best time to get your schedule/equipment all dialed in. If you don't use the lights and then all of a sudden start using them you could have algae issues. Better to deal with everything during the cycle. I used raw shrimp to start my cycle and it completed in 3 weeks. I still haven't added any livestock because I want to wait another week until everything is confirmed stable.

 

Glad to hear its not needed. I don't really have light available for this 12gal tank. I'm using the acrylic bowfront Eclipse System 12 tank with no lid/light. I have the lid/light downstairs but the light isn't going to do much good at like 12w or whatever it is. I'm going to be blasting 150w of metal halide on these rocks once they move into the 29gal permanent resting place.

 

I think the other said that you don't need to 'cycle' base rock.

YOur other LR will be plenty of 'seed' to get it going, without the need to cycle it.

 

I'm not letting my live rock (infested with majano) get anywhere near my new dry rock!

 

I agree, not worth the risk. You should nuke that LR and then it should be safe again.

 

Agreed. So I've had a bunch (approx 1.5sq inches) of Rod's food in a media bag for 2.5 days and its really starting to stink!!!!!!!!!! The water has also been super cloudy/nasty since yesterday, so I'm guessing that particulates of food/juice seeped through the small micron media bag and filled the tank. Think I'm safe to take the bag out and throw it away? I'm assuming that the cycle would have begun by now (and even if it didn't there is PLENTY of the following (Rod's Original Blend) floating in my water:
Shrimp, Scallop, Oyster, Clam, Squid, Octopus, Perch, Green Nori (porphyra sp), Red unroasted nori (porphyra sp) Mysis, Krill, Pacific plankton (Euphausia sp.) Brine shrimp, Frozen red cyclops, Fish eggs, Oyster eggs, Golden pearls (all sizes), Broccoli, carrot, Garlic, Selco, Astaxanthin (Haematococcus pluvialis), Beta-meal (Dunalliella Salina), Freshly harvested rotifers, freshly hatched baby brine shrimp.

I doubt it would take more than a few days for the nitrogen to begin....am I right?