How long until bacteria on rock starts dying out of water to need to re-cycle?

[sfsuphysics]

Just curious, as I've had some rock sitting in a tub with a pump for all of about 3 months now (eventually I'll get around to using it), but I realized that I'll be wanting to build structures using Emarco type of products which means out of the water to slab on the stuff, then out of the water to cure since it all can't fit back into the same holding bin, and I'm wondering if it's just silly to continue to do this? Or will rock be "wet enough" such that I don't go through a cycle when I put it into a tank eventually, someday, etc.?

[Tripod1404]

For most pathogens to die completely (such as ich), it needs to be dry for at least 48 hours. But I guess there are organisms that are less and more resistant to being out of water. As long as it is not bone dry, not many bacteria will die, but if it dries completely there will be die-off even in an hour. How log does it take for it to cure? You can periodically pour saltwater on the rock to keep it wet, or you can cover it with wet towels.

[mcgyvr]

I would just plan on having a quick/small cycle and adjust accordingly..

[ericarenee]

Just do small water changes in the bucket and ghost feed the rock every so once in a while. when you change the water in your tank do the same in the bucket of rock change maybe 10 percent using 5 percent from your display.

I have cycled newly purchased live rock like this for months then just added it to display when i was ready.. but as said above. you can have a mini cycle or ammonia spike keep amquel around ... or prime if you like spending more money for the same stuff.


The bacteria in live rock self regulates depending on available energy source food...

[bertoni]

That's hard to judge. I agree that keeping the rock in saltwater with a pump should be fine, as long as you replace all evaporation. I also agree that a bit of ghost feeding is all that's needed to keep some of the bacteria going. Water changes are a good idea if the phosphate level is high, and probably will help on average, although 3 months without changes probably is fine for live rock.

As far as how long it takes for bacteria to die out, that's hard to guess, but if the rock is in a house, it probably gets fed with enough dust to keep some bacteria going indefinitely.

[Bananafish]

Originally Posted by bertoni

That's hard to judge. I agree that keeping the rock in saltwater with a pump should be fine, as long as you replace all evaporation. I also agree that a bit of ghost feeding is all that's needed to keep some of the bacteria going. Water changes are a good idea if the phosphate level is high, and probably will help on average, although 3 months without changes probably is fine for live rock.

As far as how long it takes for bacteria to die out, that's hard to guess, but if the rock is in a house, it probably gets fed with enough dust to keep some bacteria going indefinitely.

Nothing wrong with doing this. I kept a tub going for four years with heat and a powerhead. All I did was top off and feed it some flakes every month or two. When I used the rock to set up my tank again, I had a 2 week cycle.

[scooters reef]

I think he was asking if it's worth his effort if the time out of water to do the aquascaping would kill all the bacteria anyway.

The emarco stuff cures fast though, and can finish curing underwater as long as it's set enough to move it. You'll even get a better bond with the rock wet anyway. I think you're good for the time you'll take and then maybe an extra 20-30 minutes cure time if it goes back into water at that point.

[Bananafish]

Originally Posted by scooters reef

I think he was asking if it's worth his effort if the time out of water to do the aquascaping would kill all the bacteria anyway.

The emarco stuff cures fast though, and can finish curing underwater as long as it's set enough to move it. You'll even get a better bond with the rock wet anyway. I think you're good for the time you'll take and then maybe an extra 20-30 minutes cure time if it goes back into water at that point.

Hadn't seen it that way, but your interpretation makes a lot of sense. I agree - it takes a very long time for the rock to dry out to the point where the bacteria are endangered, and that's much more time than it would take for the bond to set.

[WLachnit]

What I have done in the past is use a spray bottle and just spray the rocks with SW to keep them wet while i am doing rock work out of the water. This seems to work fine for me.