Old System live rock to New System?

[anzaw00001]

For the past two years I have been working on a 30 gallon reef tank with a 15 gallon sump. I am moving in May and decided to buy a bigger tank(150g + 50 g sump). My question regards how much from my old system should I take to my new system. I have appox 55-65 lbs of live rock and 40 lbs of live sand. Over the past two years I have fought and lost a slow battle to aiptasia. My tank is not completely overrun, but there is a significant amount in my tank which I periodically fight with joe's juice. IN addition ever since I experienced power outages for three days with Katrina, and being out of town for a month, and a temporary loss of sump I have had a green hair algae problem. I have been making slow headway with more frequent cleanings and water changes, but there is a significant amount in my tank. Question is should I consider my old live rock overrun and a loss...or should I take it into the new system with additional newly bought live rock? I have heard rumors of boiling live rock to rid it of aiptasial; is this a way to "disinfect" my live rock. I understand that I would lose coraline algae in addition and have to cure the rock again. Is boiling a good possible option? Should I quarantine the rock and continue to fight with Joe's Juice? Does bringing rock from a system bothered by hair algae and aiptasia destine the new system for problems with aiptasia and hair algae? In addition since I have had troubles with filtration based solely on live rock and a protein skimmer, I was trying to think ahead about filtration for m new tank. I was thinking refugium + protein skimmer +/- UV filter +/- canister filter.

 

[Blown 346]

I would use as much water and and as you can if your current tank has occupants. Otherwise I would duitch the water and sand.

I would keep all the rock, it can still be used and is still good. I would get all your rock and scrub it down and rinse it in the old tank water. Then I would cook the rock in a trash can with fresh made up salt water a heater and a power head or two. Leave the rock in there for 5 to 6 weeks in the dark. During this time do some water changes on it. The Algae wont be able to survive in the dark plus most of it would have beed scrubbed off and then rinsed off. You will be the one winning this battle this time.
After the cooking stages the even though the rock was infested with algae and aipstasia doesnt mean you are destined for it again.
That will only happen if your nutrient/organic levels are high. So you will have to keep an eye on how much and often you feed the tank. Mke sure you have a skimmer rated for about double of your tanks size so it can efficiently skim. Do normal routine water changes.
Boiling the rock will totally kill everything and I would think that it might make the more porous rock crumble from the heat.
By cooking he rock you can still have some type of life left on the rock, as if you boil it you have nothing but base rock and will need to buy cured rock to seed the base stuff.

A fuge, a good protein skimmer, and a UV will help out greatly and you will have a different outlook on algae problems if all is kept up.
Let us know how it goes.

 

[bertoni]

The "rock cooking" doesn't involve any heating of the rock. It might help. Heating live rock is a bad idea, IMO.

I'm not convinced that "cooking" is going to do much for you that you can't do with a more simple approach. Aiptasia is difficult to eradicate, but I don't think 6 weeks will starve them all. I would just move the rock to the new tank and start working on getting the tank parameters in good shape and working on nutrient export.