How to Nuke a tank?

S

simpp88

New member
I have been battling bryopsis for some time now. I have tried everything from increasing the CUC, Using Tech M, blackout periods, mechanical removal. It may be coming back and I am planning on nuking the tank. I only have a couple of fish that can be moved to another tank.

I was considering removing inhabitants, leaving in the sand and live rock then dumping in a lot of hydrogen peroxide, at least a gallon or two (90 gallon tank) and letting it run for some time, then at some point putting in fresh SW and starting over. I could even use fresh water with hydrogen peroxide.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Concerns:

I want the treatment to be effective.
I need to be able to relatively easily reverse the process and get the tank up and running again.
 
Couldn't you just replace the rocks, or are they all fused together through coral growth?
 
Peroxide treatment for bryopsis might be an option to consider, before nuking your tank, take a look at peroxide dosing/dipping for out of control bryopsis. You wouldn't have to remove your inhabitants at all, just do some water changes while doing moderate peroxide dosing.

If you want to absolutely "nuke" your rocks and sand, you can bleach them. It'll melt any organics on the rocks. Then just rinse them well and/or soak them, and either let them dry until they don't smell like chlorine anymore, or add a dechlorinator like Seachem Prime to neutralize the chlorine/bleach.
 
Gosh, all y'all above seem to be talking about chemicals. Go the natural route first. (just replace the rocks) You obviously found them... JMO, GL.
 
I could replace the rock, but I'm concerned there may be a spores throughout the tank that would reseed the new rocks.

Any consensus on the correct dose of hydrogen peroxide and length of treatment?
 
Regular bleach into the tank for 24 hours. Sodium Thiosulfate to neutralize. Ebay is a good source and cheap. Prime will work also has same ingredients. Have done many times with no problems. Test with pool chlorine kit before adding any livestock back.
 
I beat it a while back by reducing my light schedule and feedings. Basically combined ULNS with lower lighting. Knocked it out pretty quick.

BTW a gallon of peroxide in a 90 will probably sterilize it.
 
Have you tried the peroxide dosing? that has rid me of bryopsis in the past. If you are looking to purely sanitize everything, the method ironwill gave is something I have done many times with great success. It is the "nuke" you are looking for, but it will kill everything obviously.
 
if you are really sure about nuking:

1. Drain tank
2. Put rocks in container w/ muriatic acid
3. Get new sand
4. Clean inside of tank/ pumps/ etc with vinegar or small amount of beach
5. Restart.

Added benefit of cleaning rocks and potentially removing additional organics from system.

I have tried this both ways due to aptasia. Due it right once.
 
Why not just do an extended dark out period combined with a 100% water change. You could even let the tank sit dry for a period of time to kill it off, but I think the dark out will be the most beneficial and keep non-photosynthetic critters alive.
 
I feel your pain. I am battling bryopsis and dictyota right now. I am using kent mag. and AlgaeFix concurrently. I am on my third dose, and I don't see difference yet.
 
I started dozing 30 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide in for a couple of days and then I moved up to 100 mL daily today. I'll give it a week and see what happens. I may try turning off the pumps and trying to do the 100 ml directly onto the problem areas.
 
I was having some success with dosing directed treatments of 3% H2O2 using a baster and around 200 ml total daily, but there seems to be more and more bryopsis popping up on other rocks.

So I started using 1000 ml daily starting today (90 gallon tank). Im going to keep escalating until I win the battle. It's going to be interesting to see how far I will have to take this.
 
Peroxide will definitely melt it, especially in the quantities you're using. Most full tank regimes call for 1ml 3% peroxide per 10 gallons but more can be used depending on circumstances.

This kind of dosage is new to me and it may hurt corals & some inverts like shrimp, probably crabs. Keep siphoning & exporting the sludge & detritus and ruthlessly drive the PO4 down down down and keep it there.

Make sure you don't reintroduce it somehow. Don't be surprised if these dosages create a bacterially fragile tank that is prone to ammonia build up. Good luck.
 
Just an update, using hydrogen peroxide 3% 1000 mL times one day seems to have annihilated all algae in the tank. I will continue to run the zeovit system to keep nutrient slow and replenish bacteria. We'll see if the bryopsis comes back
 
What size rank again? Was there life in the tank when you doses it? If so, what kind? Did that much peroxide hurt that life (corals, inverts, fish)?

Glad to hear the BigBadB is gone.
 
It's a 90 gallon tank. When I dosed it I had live rock and three fish, a fire fish, blue chromis and a starry blenny all of which are doing fine. Some of the small serpent stars died. I also have a few Palys in there that are doing OK. No other coral was in the tank though.
 
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