Long Term Storing Live rock

[Sharebear]

I’m downsizing from 350G to 180G and will have a lot of live rocks.

Depending on the tank, it might take from 1-6 months…

Planning on storing the live rocks with newly mixed saltwater in a brute container with heater/pump and the lid on for 6 months.

Wondering if this is good enough, or … do I need to perform water changes or add some ammonia/other chemicals?

 

[dvgyfresh]

What you’re thinking is correct the only thing to add would be to put fish food / ammonia in with the rocks tk keep the bacteria alive

 

[ApoIsland]

I’m downsizing from 350G to 180G and will have a lot of live rocks.

Depending on the tank, it might take from 1-6 months…

Planning on storing the live rocks with newly mixed saltwater in a brute container with heater/pump and the lid on for 6 months.

Wondering if this is good enough, or … do I need to perform water changes or add some ammonia/other chemicals?

I was always under the impression that you would want to occasionally put some food in there to feed the beneficial bacteria.

In the last couple weeks though I saw an experiment here where it appears you may not need to do that even. The live rock they isolated had the ability to immediately process ammonia even after sitting isolated for a couple months. Maybe try searching for that thread.

I'm sure it would not hurt though if you have the time to put some food in once a week or so.

 

[Sharebear]

Ah thank you guys!

Would you happen to know if… water changes are required? Planning on just setting up my ATO with the lid closed but in case there’s still some water evaporation.

 

[ApoIsland]

I wouldn’t waste time changing water. Just top off the evap once a week.

 

[Sharebear]

Really appreciate your knowledge! Thank you

 

[Timfish]

You're likely going to have a lot of cryptic sponges on the rock. I would treat it just like any other system adding a couple damsels and hermits and sally lightfoot crabs and feed lightly and do water changes.

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Sounds like a good plan, if you are trying to retain coralline algae it will need some light to live, maybe consider leaving the lid off the container from time to time and rotating the rocks around?

 

[Sharebear]

Ah sounds like solid plans!

I’m most likely going to have a lot of hermits and snails… a store will be holding my fish until the mean time but probably not the inverts..

maybe I can… attempt to keep them alive until the new tank hahah

 

[Dbichler]

I have done this several times. No need to feed or anything just get big enough storage and drill holes in the cover for pumps/heater electrical and evap barely happens. I was away on deployment and wife only had to top it off a couple times in 9 months.

 

[ZoWhat]

I’m downsizing from 350G to 180G and will have a lot of live rocks.

Depending on the tank, it might take from 1-6 months…

Planning on storing the live rocks with newly mixed saltwater in a brute container with heater/pump and the lid on for 6 months.

Wondering if this is good enough, or … do I need to perform water changes or add some ammonia/other chemicals?

You take the waterchange water from your active DT and use that in the LR storage. When you have more active WC water use it again to replace LR storage water. Rotate it in and out.

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