"Dead" Live Rock

[roscozman]

While moving our live rock to a new tank last week, I had one piece in a bucket outside. Before I knew it, my 5yr old son dumped out the saltwater and replaced it with fresh water.:at_wits_end: My wife told me it is now "Dead" rock.

Can I just place this in our tank next to other pieces to make it "live" again and is this safe for our tank?

[Rychek]

How long was it out of saltwater? If it wasn't in for very long, you might save it by putting it back in saltwater for a week or two (essentially re-curing it). If is sat in the FW for an extended period of time, you might be better off "cooking" the rock, cleaning it as best you can then placing it in the tank as a dead base rock.

[RayAllen]

How long was it out of saltwater? If it wasn't in for very long, you might save it by putting it back in saltwater for a week or two (essentially re-curing it). If is sat in the FW for an extended period of time, you might be better off "cooking" the rock, cleaning it as best you can then placing it in the tank as a dead base rock.

Ditto, depending on how long the rock was in the fresh water everything most likely died off so it would be best to "cook the rock" In the 5g bucket simply make saltwater, put in the rock with a power head to circulate the water. Leave for a couple of weeks and add it back to the tank.

[Kristy]

You guys are already going to be dealing with a slight mini-cycle of algae blooms, etc. from the tank upgrade. I would not take the chance of making it worse for yourselves by putting that rock in your tank. Re-cure it like Ray described above.

[roscozman]

The rock sat in the fresh water overnight. When we realized it was fresh water we dumped it out and let it sit in the sun for a couple of days.

Is it salvageable?

[RayAllen]

yes the rock can be used again. Just do what I described about and you will good to go.

Rock is just a rock untill you allow bacteria to colonize which makes the rock "Live rock" So in essense at the moment you just have a rock with no life.

[Kristy]

So in essense at the moment you just have a rock with no life.

Except that you have decomposing life in this case where there WAS live bacteria recently throughout the rock and now it's dead. So I'd take care to let it cycle outside your tank and cook it like described above.

[roscozman]

Do I "cook" it with a light (pc) or in total darkness?

[RayAllen]

no need for a light