Temp range for curing LR?

[Original Fin]

I'm picking up a large amount of dry live rock at a good price, and I  want to cure it in my spare 120 tank.  Problem is, that tank is in my non climate controlled garage.  Will I be able to cure it under those conditions?  Temp probably fluctuates between 70-90 in there thru the summer.I know keeping fish in those conditions is impossible without a chiller, but that's just not in the cards.   If this was wet rock, I think the answer would be no, because of all the micro life inside, but this rock is dry, so the only life to be concerned about is bacterial.  So the question is, can beneficial bacteria take root and thrive under these conditions?Thanks in advance,Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

An additional question, just out of curiosity ...Are all bacteria strains created equal? I mean, is the nitrifying bacteria the same in different ocean temperature zones (sunlight, sunlit, and twilight ) and different geographical locations (equator, north pole, south pole)? Fin. This is just my guess ( and I'm sure ill be corrected if wrong) but I think it would be fine for temp swings in that range. Especially since you're only after bacteria populations.

[Original Fin]

I expect there are plenty of strains of beneficial bacteria will be able to flourish in said conditions... what I'm not clear on is what will happen when I remove them from that warmer, more variable environment to a typical 77-79 degree home reef aquarium.The rest of the house has central air, and we keep it at 77, for our own comfort, as well as for that of our 2 month old and 55 gallon reef tank. There's no place to put the 120 in the house, unless I was to take the place of the 55. Eventually, that's the plan, but for now I just want to use it to cycle rock.

[leebca]

"Dry live rock" is an oxymoron. If it bone dry, it isn't live by any standard. It is base rock which will eventually only hold bacteria. You've read the sticky oon What is Live Rock?

Bacteria are not terribly sensitive to temperature changes within the numbers you've posted. They may take a day to a week to adjust, but will be just fine.

Best to cure the rock at 80F to get things to break down and decay. But any temperature will do in the 'tropical' range.

[Original Fin]

"Dry live rock" is an oxymoron. If it bone dry, it isn't live by any standard. It is base rock which will eventually only hold bacteria. You've read the sticky oon What is Live Rock?

Well, I'm still fairly new at this, but not that new. Let's just blame semantics.
When I say dry live rock, all I mean is that it's formerly live calcified reef rock. Sometimes when people say they intend to use dry rock, it's a little vague and seems like they might be talking about using common river rock, or volcanic rock, or something else you might use in a FW aquarium that would be unsuitable for use in SW for a plethora of reasons.
It's prefferable to me that it be "formerly" live. I can breathe new bacterial life into it, and that's all I want. On my next build, I don't want to take any chances with unwanted hitchikers or trapped decomposing matter that will cause nutrient issues.


I'm on the fence about whether or not some extra curing steps are a good idea, or more trouble than they're worth. What do you think?
First off, should there be any concern about these dry rocks being potential time release nutrient sponges that will "feed" the tank in a way that I don't really want once introduced? A couple senior members in my local reef club have been sharing some "rock cooking" methods that are designed to mitigate this potential. Basically, it's a weak muriatic acid bath, and a good scrubbing/rinsing prior to curing. Besides the obvious risk of physical harm if mishandled, Is there any value or harm to this in your experience?
One last question. If dry rocks do have a potential to release appreciable levels of phosphates once cured, would it make sense to run a GFO reactor on the curing vesel?

Thanks for the guidance on acceptable bacterial temperature ranges.

[leebca]

If the rock had life on it and you think it has organics still attached to the rock or in the nooks and crannies, then curing is your best way forward. Soaking it in tap water for a few days will definitely tell you if it needs curing.

To do the above, put some (or all) rocks in a tub with water. Drop in an aerator stone and let it bubble medium-slow. If foam and 'stuff' show up and/or it begins to smell, then you'll need to do the curing.

Then, if you do need curing, you'll have choices -- the cooking process is one; the soaking process for many weeks is another.

My advice would be to test the rock as noted above, if by looking at it, it isn't coated with organics.