Transferring Live Rock Questions

[drew2005]

I will be transferring my live rock from my current tank into my new one. Is there anything i need to do before putting it in the new tank? I have had some algae issues that i believe ive gotten under control. Tank parameters are all good. Should i maybe give it a quick dip in some fresh saltwater? I want to avoid bringing over anything from my current tank that i may have.

 

[btldreef]

You could scrub them gently in some fresh saltwater to get off any unwanted algae.
If you think you have unwanted hitchhikers, you can do a dip in HYPER salinity (1.030 or higher).

 

[drew2005]

I think ill maybe do both. Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks BTLD

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by drew2005 http:///t/391002/transferring-live-rock-questions#post_3465497
I think ill maybe do both. Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks BTLD
Anytime
The big thing with hypersalinity is that it will also draw out wanted hitchhikers (pods, brittle stars), it doesn't discriminate.
When I do hyper on my rocks, here's my method:
Fill rubbermaid container with fresh highly salted water(1.033 is usually my number to go with).
Put Eggcrate about an inch or two off the bottom of the container to hold the rocks off the bottom. You might have to build a little egg crate stand, it takes about 10 mins, really easy.
Put some fish food UNDER the egg crate
Toss in the rocks
After a few minutes, peek at what's coming out of the rocks. If it's something you want to keep, get it out of the bucket, if it's something bad, let it burn (LOL)
The idea behind hyper salinity is that the higher salt content is undesirable to the inverts and they'll come in seeking refuge in a lower salinity water. The food is just an added way to entice them to come out. You'd be amazed at what I've seen come out of rocks that I had in my tanks!

 

[acrylic51]

What would hypo do for algae issues.......

 

[btldreef]

Hypo will kill your rocks.
Hyper won't do anything for algae, which is my I also suggested scrubbing them in my first post.

 

[geoj]

A classic newbie mistake
Treating without knowing what is wrong....
Normally ends badly

 

[geoj]

Ok, I sound like a jerk, but that is normal
What do you not want to transfer over from the old tank?

 

[acrylic51]

I was more curious......Depending on the algae and how severe scrubbing "could" have little to no real affect on the algae issue....

 

[btldreef]

I hyper'd my rocks from the 155 before putting them in my 180 just to get out the larger bristle worms I had, I tossed the smaller ones back in. I also had bad asterina stars that were eating my zoanthids that I knew the hyper salinity would help cut down. I didn't want to boil my rocks and loose everything. It's just another option.

 

[drew2005]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/391002/transferring-live-rock-questions#post_3465581
A classic newbie mistake
Treating without knowing what is wrong....
Normally ends badly
Not really treating. I have had some algae issues that ive gotten under control due to my lack of time to properly maintain. Im back on track with maintenance now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/391002/transferring-live-rock-questions#post_3465582
Ok, I sound like a jerk, but that is normal
What do you not want to transfer over from the old tank?
I dont think i have many bad hitchhikers but then again you never know. Just wanna do the right thing this time around. So far im doing very well with my new setup. I would really hate to introduce something into the new display that i never knew i had in the old one.

 

[geoj]

I think my point is you would be wasting your time implementing a treatment to remove a pest if you don't know if it will be effective. Now if you are doing it as a method to see what will pop out, that would be different and I agree with that type of thing. So I can see why you would want to do something, but without knowing what you are looking for you can't know what you do has any effect on it.
The most common thing go wrong with a new reefers tank is, they kill the tank trying to fix it.

 

[drew2005]

^^So if you were me would you just transfer the rock right over without doing anything?

 

[btldreef]

My thought is this:
You're upgrading, not pulling rock out, treating and returning it to the same tank. You've also admitted poor maintenance, so my thought is that you might have some huge bristle worms, which you may or may not want. You might also have nothing bad. But again, you're starting a new tank, so why not hyper the rocks just to be safe? It's not going to kill beneficial bacteria and deem the rock dead. I hyper salinity treat all live rock before it goes in my tank.
Again, there's more than one way to do things in this hobby, this is just the way I handle rock.
I'd give the rocks a little scrub, even to just get some detritus build up off them which might be from lack of maintenance. I also scrub any rocks with a large build up of coralline algae, because a thick layer can actually impede the filtration of the rock. And then I'd hyper them.

 

[geoj]

^^So if you were me would you just transfer the rock right over without doing anything?
You can do as BTLDreef recommends and you may find something bad and be glad you did as recommended. You may find nothing and two days after find something bad in you tank. So it is up to you, for me, being lazy, I would just clean it and move it over then deal with any thing bad as I find it.

 

[geoj]

My thought is this:
You're upgrading, not pulling rock out, treating and returning it to the same tank. You've also admitted poor maintenance, so my thought is that you might have some huge bristle worms, which you may or may not want. You might also have nothing bad. But again, you're starting a new tank, so why not hyper the rocks just to be safe? It's not going to kill beneficial bacteria and deem the rock dead. I hyper salinity treat all live rock before it goes in my tank.
Again, there's more than one way to do things in this hobby, this is just the way I handle rock.
I'd give the rocks a little scrub, even to just get some detritus build up off them which might be from lack of maintenance. I also scrub any rocks with a large build up of coralline algae, because a thick layer can actually impede the filtration of the rock. And then I'd hyper them.:t^: This sounds good to me knowing what it is you are doing and what it will accomplish.
:ideclare: I was not trying to frustrate you BTLDreef

 

[reefkprz]

since your moving to a bigger tank, just a thought here, I wouldn't dispose of any of the bristle worms since your going to need a larger cleaner crew for the bigger tank. removing any beneficial detritivores is a step in the wrong direction IMHO.

 

[btldreef]

:t^: This sounds good to me knowing what it is you are doing and what it will accomplish.
:ideclare: I was not trying to frustrate you BTLDreef
Lol
You didn't. I was more frustrated with myself because I felt like I couldn't fully explain myself and where I was coming from with my train of thought.

 

[btldreef]

since your moving to a bigger tank, just a thought here, I wouldn't dispose of any of the bristle worms since your going to need a larger cleaner crew for the bigger tank. removing any beneficial detritivores is a step in the wrong direction IMHO.


Good point! I removed the large ones because I seem to be the only one in the world who gets stun by these darn things all the time, even through gloves.

 

[drew2005]

Good info and suggestions. Thanks! I think i will just do a quick, light scrub and dip(not hyper) in some fresh saltwater and put them right in the new tank. If problems arise i can deal with it then. I will need a larger CUC anyway so id rather not get rid of anything beneficial doing a hypersalinity dip.