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Post by jasonandsarah on May 30, 2014 7:40:35 GMT -5
Idk how many people remember this but probably 6 months ago(maybe longer) I posted a structure I had built out of Pukani dry rock. I placed it in a 46 bow front under my kitchen table and is been there ever since. Well 2 1/2-3 weeks ago I shoved it into a Rubbermaid container and haven't touched it till last night. Tested it and got 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and around 90 nitrates! Holy moly!!  did a 100% water change last night(most yellowish water I've ever seen) woke up this mourning to still crystal clear water and rock smelling good! Think it's finally time to put it in the tank! Hopefully I can make it look good in the tank and prevent dead spots! Wish me luck! If you have some free time today you could stop over and help! Jk lol;D  |
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Post by speedyron on May 30, 2014 8:59:30 GMT -5
why did u bother if it was dry rock
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Post by jasonandsarah on May 30, 2014 9:09:35 GMT -5
Dry rock still has tons of dead life/matter inside of it witch went through a cycle in the Rubbermaid container. The nitrates were at almost 90 witch would have been lower in my tank because there's a larger water volume but I don't want that in my tank at all. 2 weeks of curing/cycling the rock is well worth it to me.
If I was going to just throw it in the tank it would have been in there long ago:)
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Post by jasonandsarah on May 30, 2014 9:12:52 GMT -5
I was literally pulling out huge chucks of dead sponges and rinsed out a ton of gunk before I started curing it. Sometimes dry rock is cleaned before you buy it but not always the case and brs pukani isn't cleaned or cured.
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Post by gotareef on May 30, 2014 9:39:44 GMT -5
there is a difference from dry live rock and quarried dry rock.
with the quarried kind it is filled with sand and needs to be soaked and rinsed well to get the silt out of it
with dry live rock it needs to be fully cured, it takes months sometimes....
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Post by jasonandsarah on Jun 2, 2014 9:02:05 GMT -5
So here's a couple pics of the new rock work! I hate it! I spent a couple hours trying to get it right Saturday night and just couldn't. For one all the holes in the rock as it is now have all my frags sideways kinda and the biggest rock (center right) isn't exactly secure. So I'm probably gone tear it apart I'm a little bit and try something different anyone out there want to offer and suggestions? Obviously all the new rock is the white stuff haha any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.   |
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Jun 2, 2014 9:48:21 GMT -5
There's so much going on in your tank, my advice would be to remove as many corals as you can, put them in a bucket of tank water with a heater and work your rocks without all the clutter. Once you have your rocks arranged how you like them, then step back and start imagining where you want to see your corals grow. It's always hard to aquascape a full tank.
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Post by jasonandsarah on Jun 2, 2014 10:04:07 GMT -5
That's what I did when I had it taken apart Saturday. I have this one humongous rock that I just can't seem to find a good place for! I've contemplated cutting it in half because if I stand it up the thing almost sticks out of the water. This rock...  |
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Post by jasonandsarah on Jun 2, 2014 10:07:30 GMT -5
And probably 90% of the reason I'm adding additional live rock is to have more space to put frags and spread things out. Before I had a home made frag rack I just wasn't happy with and didn't like.
Most of the lower rock is fine and I like it it's just this one big rock. I like the cave it has and the over hang it makes because it allows me to place some Lps a little higher then normal.
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Jun 2, 2014 10:28:48 GMT -5
One thing to consider with the pukani rock like what you have is it's basically dead corals. They grow a certain way and look most natural when you place then in a natural way. Something to consider when you aquascape with them. It's worth trying at least. Welcome to the fine art of Aquascaping. Even I'm not 100% happy with my rocks.
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Post by jasonandsarah on Jun 2, 2014 11:41:31 GMT -5
That's what I mean though that's what I tried to do. Natural would be small end downwards growing up and getting larger correct? When I tried that the rock was just to tall, I liked it but wouldn't be able to utilize the top face of the rock like a shelf like I wanted to.
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Jun 2, 2014 12:12:12 GMT -5
I could stop over sometime and help out if you'd be interested in seeing what someone else can come up with?
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Post by jasonandsarah on Jun 2, 2014 12:19:51 GMT -5
I'm always open to help and suggestions! I'm in the middle of tearing it apart to see what I can come up with right now so if it doesn't work out I'll definitely take you up on that offer.
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Post by scoobnoob on Jun 2, 2014 22:02:59 GMT -5
Even I'm not 100% happy with my rocks. I don't think anyone ever is. |
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Post by jasonandsarah on Jun 3, 2014 13:33:28 GMT -5
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did a 100% water change last night(most yellowish water I've ever seen) woke up this mourning to still crystal clear water and rock smelling good! Think it's finally time to put it in the tank! 
