Opinions wanted!

[7faces]

I'm taking down a 55 gallon tank, in preperation of setting up a 90 gallon RR.
I have some nice LR that is plagued with Algae, Aptasia, and who knows what else.

It will be some time before everything is ready to set up again, and I would like to know how best to deal with the rock in the meantime.

Ive read about "cooking" the rock, letting the bacteria clean out the pores, but dont want to have any remaining nusiances left in the rock.

Is it best to just let it dry out, then cycle it in a rubbermaid(or add bacteria), then do the "cooking" thing before use?

or should I store it in SW to keep the "life" on it, then "cook" it before use?

Or should I store it in FW to make sure nothing in it survives... then "cook" it?

Will "cooking" the rock kill all the bad, without harming the worms and tiny feather dusters?

Is there a way i can do the same with the sand?... its expensive stuff to just throw out.

I dont want to start this tank out with existing problems the way I did mine, using someone elses problem ridden rock.

 

[MONGER]

if you "cook" the rock it will kill everything- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

[capncapo]

I doubt that cooking will kill the aiptasia.

They can supposedly live for years with no light and can also probably get by on the nutrients released by the rock. They reportedly just get small and turn white but survive quite well.

 

[7faces]

good to know..thanks!, So you recomend I just let it all dry out, or FW dip it?

Then put it all in a tub of SW and add eaither a bacteria, or a raw shrimp to start the bacteria, then just follow the cooking procedure to clean it of organics?

Will that be my "cycle"?
What about the sand?

 

[tall_jason79]

might be best to let it dry out. power wash in the summer and reseed it with some of your rock in the sump ?

 

[tall_jason79]

I would give the sand a really good bath and let it dry out. Then rise again before used the next time.

 

[scbadiver]

In the past I have just let it dry out and then, right before I use it again either rinse it or soak it with vinegar. Anything that looks good I rinse with it, if it looks a little nasty a let it soak. When you use it again just seed it with some new live rock or rock rubble right in the display. It will re-colonize.

When it is drying, it *might* have a foul odor too.

 

[twiggyb]

I had a problem with a 10g I tore down and put the rock that had aiptasia all over it in a 5g bucket full of ro/di fw and changed it everyday as it fouls pretty quickly. Then I decided I would use some vinegar as well so I put 3g vinegar and 2g fw. I changed it out after a couple of days and this past week I've been lazy so it's just sitting there Snelling pretty bad. I'm actually afraid to touch it and dump it out because of the smell.

 

[Dert42]

i say dry it out, rinse and restart it.

 

[7faces]

Thanks for the help guys ... I will dry it all out, then look into "cooking" it to clean out any remaining gunk ....
this tank has always suffered high nitrates, even with only 2 yellow tail damsels and about 50 lbs of rock