Question on LR

[clown-lover]

I have about 50 lbs of LR that has been in my empty tank for about 5 months or so. So i guess i should call it 'dead' rock instead of live rock! Now, it is out of my tank, which i am selling. It is in a rubbermaid tub with no water or anything else. My question is, can i still use this rock for my future aquariums? If so, what would i have to do to ensure that it will be safe? Should i rinse it off really well to get off any old debris? Should i leave it in water to sit for a while? How should i go about making it 'live' rock again?
thanks for any and all responses. :happyfish

 

[nereef]

you can use the rock in futre aquariums, but it is now what they call dead rock.
to make it liverock- add it to a tank with live rock in it and let it sit for a few months.

 

[bang guy]

If it were me I wouldn't use it. All of the worms, pods, & micro-critters that made the rock "live" when you were using it have died inside the rock. The nutrients left behind will leech from this rock for months if not years and will probably cause an algae problem.

 

[clown-lover]

so, even if it is rinsed off and left in a tub with saltwater and a few powerheads, there will still be nutrients inside?
some of this rock is very smooth with very few holes. and the holes that it does have, you can see right through it. but then again, some of them have many holes and are like a maze. i would figure that those would be the ones to have most of the dead organisims in it.