Best way to keep rock stored long term?

[Trooper182]

So I have decided now is the time to break down my 75g in preparation for my cross country move this summer. I have a 125g tank I'll be setting up at my new home and decided I'm selling off all my livestock and will start fresh. I am going to keep all my live rock. My 75g has been running for about a year and half. My current plan is to sell off all the livestock and corals and store the live rock (50lbs or rock) in a brute trash can with water, circulation and heaters until I move and am ready to setup the new tank. Looking at about 8 months from now. I'm also getting 80lbs of new Marcos dry rock I am planning on cycling now so it will be ready for the new tank.

So plan is wash the new 80lbs of rock and put in trash can for a week in tap water to clean it. Drain water and fill with rodi and old tank water. At this point also add in the 50lbs of cycled rock to help cycle the new rock. Is this a good plan? Also what the best way to keep the rock live for the next 8 months? Ghost feeding daily? Pick of 75g I'm taking down and my new 125g.

 

[stinkydavis]

So I have decided now is the time to break down my 75g in preparation for my cross country move this summer. I have a 125g tank I'll be setting up at my new home and decided I'm selling off all my livestock and will start fresh. I am going to keep all my live rock. My 75g has been running for about a year and half. My current plan is to sell off all the livestock and corals and store the live rock (50lbs or rock) in a brute trash can with water, circulation and heaters until I move and am ready to setup the new tank. Looking at about 8 months from now. I'm also getting 80lbs of new Marcos dry rock I am planning on cycling now so it will be ready for the new tank.

So plan is wash the new 80lbs of rock and put in trash can for a week in tap water to clean it. Drain water and fill with rodi and old tank water. At this point also add in the 50lbs of cycled rock to help cycle the new rock. Is this a good plan? Also what the best way to keep the rock live for the next 8 months? Ghost feeding daily? Pick of 75g I'm taking down and my new 125g.

I recently moved accross country and had the live rock stored for 8+ months. I did what your plan is almost to the letter. Only difference is I used Dr.Tims aquatics ammonium chloride to keep ammonia in the can. I did a water change 100% every two months. Rock worked great when starting the new tank up.

 

[stinkydavis]

I recently moved accross country and had the live rock stored for 8+ months. I did what your plan is almost to the letter. Only difference is I used Dr.Tims aquatics ammonium chloride to keep ammonia in the can. I did a water change 100% every two months. Rock worked great when starting the new tank up.

I also added dry rock to the existing rock after i put it in a high flow can for about 3 weeks.

 

[jda]

I would use saltwater for all cleaning and storage. At least 1.021, or so. This could keep some microfauna alive.

You don't have to ghost feed the container at first. The fauna will strip the rock clean of gunk. You can swish the rock and clean out the bottom. After 3-4 months, then you might need to feed a bit.

 

[Trooper182]

I recently moved accross country and had the live rock stored for 8+ months. I did what your plan is almost to the letter. Only difference is I used Dr.Tims aquatics ammonium chloride to keep ammonia in the can. I did a water change 100% every two months. Rock worked great when starting the new tank up.

Thanks for the reply. How do you use the ammonium, never used it before? Do you add a certain amount and see if the "tank" processes it in a set amount of time, then dose that amount daily to ghost feed?

 

[stinkydavis]

I did like 20-30 drops a week. Wasn’t worried about keeping it well feed. Just enough where it would be able to handle my first five fish.

 

[jda]

You can get Janitorial Strength ammonium from ACE hardware. You can make your own of ammonium chloride. Dr. RHF has written about this in his forum. If the water has some po4 in it, then cool, but if not then you might have to add a bit of po4 too.