Moving and need info

TORMENTOR · Aug 21, 2009

I am being transferred to Kentucky in the next few weeks and need to take my 75 gallon tank down, my fish have been sold and now I need to know the best way to store my live rock.
I wont be able to set the tank up right away so I will have die off and I expect that, so no big deal, My question is, what is the best way to store it for a few months? I have about 120lbs of live rock. I have a 30 gallon tub in m garage that I was thinking of just putting it in until I can set it up again.
What's your take on this? Also will it begin to smell rancid after a while?

Thanks

dbarker · Aug 21, 2009

Well, this may not be the correct thing to do but.....I have kept live rock living and growing with just an atinic one bulb 10 gallon acquarium light (the kind from Wal-Mart) placed across a plastic 30 gallon rectangular storage container with one powerhead for over a year! Coraline algae grew, some sponges, green leafy stuff and some red grape algae all grew. The container sat on the fireplace hearth and I only added tap water. After about 6 months I realized I had two sea urchins and a mantis shrimp! Never did anything else, no water changes no additives of any kind. I just kept the powerhead running and added tap water. Good luck....see I told you it might not be the correct thing but it worked for me.

I have just inherited about 120 lbs of rock from a friend and guess where it is!!!!
Debbie

Yellowtang · Aug 21, 2009

Go ahead and keep it in the tote it'll work fine. If you can keep a light on it so be it, if not it'll be just like cooking the live rock to get rid of algae. You'll have clean nitrate free and algae free live rock to start over at your new place. Which ever way it might stink a little but I wouldn't worry about that. When I have done it Deb's way or the cooking way the smell goes away after a short period. I don't think Deb's way is wrong at all, its sounds good to me.. Good luck at the new place..

JR,

oceanparadise1 · Aug 21, 2009

I would add a power head and do water changes ever so often and keep a light on it.

roshi719 · Aug 21, 2009

Just as long as there is a powerhead and it stays submerged it will be fine, Rich. If you an put a small light on there you will keep some of your coraline, but if not it will not hurt the rock. Sorry you had to break it down and move, but maybe you will be able to set it up with a remote sump in your new place and do away with a lot of the noise that bothered you before.

gilmour01 · Aug 21, 2009

oceanparadise1 said:
I would add a power head and do water changes ever so often and keep a light on it.

+ 1 on the advice. if you have an extra protein skimmer you could use on the thing...that would help cut down on the smell as well.

dbarker · Aug 21, 2009

Hey thanks JR! I have never noticed any bad smell while the rock was in the container. I would get a little noise from the powerhead, that was my signal that I needed to add water! To tell the truth, I was amazed the matis shrimp lived, like I said, I never put any kind of food in the container. Debbie