Questions on setup

[nobody]

i have a couple questions on set up and hope I can get an answer quickly as I am in the process now.

1. In boiling base rock to clean and steilize it as it has been setting around for a while, how long should I boil it for?

2. Is it ok to use just a few pieces of lava rock?

3. What is the safest epoxy putty and glue for making the rock structure? I do not have a LAS.

 

[Gizmo]

1.You don't need to boil just rinse it off, unless it's a dry rock that was once live and let to dry out then sometimes you wanna cook it for a couple months to get rid of the dead matter, but isn't necessary if it's a new tank it will get the cycle going..
2. No lava rock will leach phosphates.
3. Not sure I always use stuff from the fish store, but I beleive it will say something about safe for pottable water if it's safe.

 

[nobody]

The base rock is old dried rock that was laying around outside for some time. I was told to boil or bake it just not sure for how long. I have live rock that I will be adding to the top.

 

[nobody]

In adding a few extra base rock and interesting rock features I have some petrified wood rock that has a nice look, shape and color. Would it be ok to add this if it fits in nice and is astectice and a solid base? And how about a medium size 8-10 inch or so fossle of a shell? Nice looking piece.

 

[little_fish]

If the rock is dried, everything on it is dead. No need to boil or bake it.

And you can add the petrified wood and the fossil, the are just normal rocks now.

Also you can buy Water Weld at home depot, just make sure it say safe for portable water. It much cheaper than the stuff you buy at the LFS

 

[375 gallons]

This may be a little late to post this. But I would say that it is not necessary to boil rock. The live stuff is dead and decomposed if it was sitting dry for a while.

That said, I guess by now the rock has been in your tank for 2 weeks and has stuff growing on it already!!