Reusing an old tank

[Fish Fan]

All of what I listed is not necessary but if you are starting rock over, why not a completely clean start.

^This, I agree.

But best of luck to @Dyln !

 

[Eric R.]

@Dyln too bad you don’t live closer to me, I would take your old rock, scrub it and clean it in some new saltwater, and let it cure. Then show that it works fine.

I wouldn’t worry about anaerobic bacteria. If you stir the sandbed and change the water, there won’t be any hydrogen sulfide left to worry about. Even without surface agitation, I very much doubt the water would be entirely anaerobic, anyway. Adding an air stone or wave pump would very quickly increase oxygen levels, and any anaerobic bacteria would die. You don’t need to worry about anaerobic bacteria in your rock. Bacterial coral and fish pathogens are not likely to be anaerobic.

I think a little bit of information can be worse than none, people assume they know what they are talking about. I wouldn’t bleach the rock and I wouldn’t throw it away. Clean everything thoroughly with new saltwater or RODI, sure. Then let it hangout in new saltwater with heat and water motion for a while. Throw in some established live rock to seed beneficial organisms. Keep track of nitrate and ammonia, let the tank cycle.

 

[Fish Fan]

@Dyln think a little bit of information can be worse than none, people assume they know what they are talking about. I wouldn’t bleach the rock and I wouldn’t throw it away. Clean everything thoroughly with new saltwater or RODI, sure. Then let it hangout in new saltwater with heat and water motion for a while. Throw in some established live rock to seed beneficial organisms. Keep track of nitrate and ammonia, let the tank cycle.

You're not wrong at all, but bleach curing is A LOT faster and easier than what you're describing, which is why I'd suggest the OP simply bleaches their rock to start over (or, starts over with some quality live rock).

 

[Fish Fan]

Bleach Curing Dry Rock for a Saltwater Reef Tank - BRStv Reef FAQs

There are three main methods for curing live rock for a saltwater reef tank: natural, bleach and acid. Our focus today is using bleach for curing dry rock and we answer three direct questions. 1. What is a bleach cure? 2. When is it appropriate to bleach cure rock? 3. How to do

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Dyln]

Hi @BristleWormHater @Eric R. @exnisstech @Idech @Fish Fan @reneeL @SueAubu @Cichlid Dad

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and experiences! I’ve found this really interesting.

Would you still suggest sterilising if waiting longer isn't a problem?

One thing this hobby has definitely taught me is patience, so I’m not in any rush to get this tank going. Personally, I’d rather avoid sterilising the tank if possible. Also, as long as it’s safe for me and any future tank inhabitants, I’m curious to see how the tank will respond if I clean equipment/surfaces/rocks, add fresh water, restore water circulation, and do water changes.

To be on the safe side, I’ll take water samples to my local fish store (LFS) for compare results. If things still don’t balance out, then sterilising might be the next step.

Or is it a safety risk to me or future inhabitants not to sterilise the tank?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Hi @BristleWormHater @Eric R. @exnisstech @Idech @Fish Fan @reneeL @SueAubu @Cichlid Dad

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and experiences! I’ve found this really interesting.

Would you still suggest sterilising if waiting longer isn't a problem?

One thing this hobby has definitely taught me is patience, so I’m not in any rush to get this tank going. Personally, I’d rather avoid sterilising the tank if possible. Also, as long as it’s safe for me and any future tank inhabitants, I’m curious to see how the tank will respond if I clean equipment/surfaces/rocks, add fresh water, restore water circulation, and do water changes.

To be on the safe side, I’ll take water samples to my local fish store (LFS) for compare results. If things still don’t balance out, then sterilising might be the next step.

Or is it a safety risk to me or future inhabitants not to sterilise the tank?

If you want to wait I would hit up @Eric R. And get some guidance. Sounds like he has done this before

 

[BristleWormHater]

Hi @BristleWormHater @Eric R. @exnisstech @Idech @Fish Fan @reneeL @SueAubu @Cichlid Dad

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and experiences! I’ve found this really interesting.

Would you still suggest sterilising if waiting longer isn't a problem?

One thing this hobby has definitely taught me is patience, so I’m not in any rush to get this tank going. Personally, I’d rather avoid sterilising the tank if possible. Also, as long as it’s safe for me and any future tank inhabitants, I’m curious to see how the tank will respond if I clean equipment/surfaces/rocks, add fresh water, restore water circulation, and do water changes.

To be on the safe side, I’ll take water samples to my local fish store (LFS) for compare results. If things still don’t balance out, then sterilising might be the next step.

Or is it a safety risk to me or future inhabitants not to sterilise the tank?

Still seems a little iffy to me, I really wouldn't want anything to be sticking around. I could see it going both ways though.
Like @Cichlid Dad was saying, @Eric R. is probably your guy if you don't want to go with the scorched earth approach.
If you do decide to sterilize I would probably add some ocean rubble rock to give you a good biodiversity boost. There are a lot of guides for bleach curing, @Fish Fan linked one earlier.
I'd also like to apologize for not fact checking myself before I posted last night, stupid mistake.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Either way make sure you clean out all the equipment really well. Could be a good opportunity to replace some old stuff too.

 

[Fish Fan]

I'd also like to apologize for not fact checking myself before I posted last night, stupid mistake.

Friend, you're all good here! It was an amoeba, and I, for one, fully thought your overall point was quite valid. Stop beating yourself up! no worries!

I'm still on the side of bleaching this rock and starting over - and again - I NEVER say that.

You can cycle out this tank as normal, I don't think there's really any great mystery to this methodology, but, in my very non-expert (but reasonably experienced) opinion, this is going to take on the order of weeks, and quite possibly months to complete, and it could - quite literally - stink up the OP's home.

Bleach curing the rock will chemically oxidize off all the organics, and does so quickly, and stink-free. I've bleached cured rock before myself, and I sanitize my modest swimming pool with bleach every summer, it's the same idea.

And pro tip: If you decide to bleach cure rock, and can find it this time of year, look for liquid chlorine for swimming pools. It's exactly the same stuff, but the swimming pool chlorine is more concentrated, and in the end will be less expensive. Just make sure it's straight swimming pool liquid chlorine, and not anything with algaecides or anything else. Straight sodium hypochlorite is what you want.

But again, what I personally would recommend is that, I would break down the tank and clean all the equipment. Then, I'd take the old rock and sand and make a nice rock garden in my backyard. I'd then get some quality live rock and sand from my local LFS or even better still from the good ladies at Tampa Bay Saltwater. Problem solved lol!

I do agree, I've enjoyed this conversation and the different opinions presented here. Thanks guys!

 

[Dyln]

Still seems a little iffy to me, I really wouldn't want anything to be sticking around. I could see it going both ways though.
Like @Cichlid Dad was saying, @Eric R. is probably your guy if you don't want to go with the scorched earth approach.
If you do decide to sterilize I would probably add some ocean rubble rock to give you a good biodiversity boost. There are a lot of guides for bleach curing, @Fish Fan linked one earlier.
I'd also like to apologize for not fact checking myself before I posted last night, stupid mistake.

Thanks to what you shared, I learned something new and relevant, and I believe others did too. It’s wonderful that we’re all here to support and learn from one another!

 

[Dyln]

Again, thank you all for your contributions.

Quick update: I turned on the lights and found the tank was surprisingly cleaner than expected. I added fresh RODI water in stages, cleaned the glass, brushed down surfaces, and ran the filter, which has left the water clearish. The sand bed looks ok. No bad odors detected, though I didn’t notice the usual saltwater tank smell either!

Next up, I’ll do another cleaning session with a water change, followed by water testing to check parameters.

@Eric R. Please share if you have any more tips :)

 

[rpkneumann]

I would take the approach of radically cleaning it and start from scratch like a new tank.
To many dangers lurking in old water.
The tank is relatively new. Should not worry about silicon.
Empty tank, clean with citric acid solution. Powder is cheap on Amazon by the pound. Mixes real easy.
Soak equipment over night in a tub with citric acid water. Clean thoroughly.
Rocks. I soaked them high concentrated pure Clorox solution for a week.
Sand. Either bite the bullet and buy new sand or also treat it like the rocks.
Give both a good rinse and air dry. Chlorine evaporates easy and there is no residue left.
Yes, all does material then but you could easily add bacteria to get started faster.

 

[Dyln]

I would take the approach of radically cleaning it and start from scratch like a new tank.
To many dangers lurking in old water.
The tank is relatively new. Should not worry about silicon.
Empty tank, clean with citric acid solution. Powder is cheap on Amazon by the pound. Mixes real easy.
Soak equipment over night in a tub with citric acid water. Clean thoroughly.
Rocks. I soaked them high concentrated pure Clorox solution for a week.
Sand. Either bite the bullet and buy new sand or also treat it like the rocks.
Give both a good rinse and air dry. Chlorine evaporates easy and there is no residue left.
Yes, all does material then but you could easily add bacteria to get started faster.

Thank you. Can you elaborate on the potential dangers? Are these risks specific to future inhabitants, humans in general, or both?

 

[rpkneumann]

That question is better answered by a biologist.
All I know is that there are bacteria and other low live forms you not want you fish or even yourself exposed to.