Can nuisance algae hitchhike on live rock?

[yanni]

Hey all!

after rip cleaning my tank, and restarting with new live rock (although it was Barrel baked, not truly “live”), to avoid lobophora again, it’s somehow back?

Im in a unique position to get some West Aussie maricultured live rock, since I live in West aus it’s super cheap and easily available, around the same price as dry rock HAHA, for the Americans $6/lb, I attached some photos they have on the site. I’d be sterilising my tank with muriatic acid, then setting it back up

my worry is bringing across pest algae such as lobophora again (makes me shudder) or even simple stuff like GHA which is overrunning my current tank despite every effort. is this a worry with live rock over dry rock, e.g, live rock introductory pest algae, whereas even tho dry rock is sterile, it’s easier for pest algae to take hold?

 

[Spare time]

That is one downside of liverock. You can get a lot of things you love and a lot of things you hate (hence why I don't use live rock anymore).

 

[yanni]

Unless I know @brandon429 has any ideas on a rip clean, I know we spoke in the past abt lobophora, and peroxide didn’t help. Only other thought is keep the current scape, manually remove as much GHA as I can, replace sandbed (also has GHA), and then once rock is almost as clean manually as possible, dose flux to kill any new growth and hopefully eliminate all algae at once

manual removal being my surgery, and flux being my medicine administered after to prevent infection (GHA). While rocks are out of tank, run tank filled with muriatic acid and water to remove any remaining algae spores from the tank, back wall, AIO sump, media basket etc

 

[yanni]

That is one downside of liverock. You can get a lot of things you love and a lot of things you hate (hence why I don't use live rock anymore).

My worries exactly. It seems so good, but I am worried abt algae issues again that may be created by the rock. I know some people avoid it with live rock, but my luck has been awful

 

[Spare time]

My worries exactly. It seems so good, but I am worried abt algae issues again that may be created by the rock. I know some people avoid it with live rock, but my luck has been awful

You can QT the rock and see what pops up. Maybe try bommie reef rock if you want live rock but without the risk of those algaes. They don't have a huge presence but look promising.

 

[yanni]

You can QT the rock and see what pops up. Maybe try bommie reef rock if you want live rock but without the risk of those algaes. They don't have a huge presence but look promising.

I’m in Australia so can’t buy from em. Also don’t really have the room for QT, I only really have my bedroom, and maybe enough room for a big tub in my small bathroom

 

[yanni]

I’ve decided to flux my current rock, see how that goes, then go dry again in a softie only ric dominated tank