Well, The Tank Is Finally Coming Down Today.

[64Ivy]

Yep, after some 22 years of continuous operation, today's the day one of my LFS is coming by to help begin the task of moving livestock, draining, and teardown of my 500g. The livestock shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's only a handful of fish since a copper infusion awhile ago nuked all of my SPS. Then my beloved Mulleri Copperband died, resulting in a huge, uncontrollable Aiptasia outbreak. So, naturally, I'll be tossing out all my LR. All in all, it doesn't appear that I'll be keeping much. Everything is pretty antiquated; the closest thing I've got to a controller is a SpectaPure lll on my autofill system. But as I'm turning the corner to the future, I'm looking forward to having more of a dialog with you all concerning my next (and most certainly my last) build. But that's another thread. Just wanted to let you all know what's happening. No questions this time.

See ya.

 

[AZMSGT]

Got a picture?

 

[WVNed]

If you have old live rock it probably cant be replaced. Look into rehabilitating it.

 

[fishface NJ]

Never used copper. Can you nuke the rocks to remove the copper? I know the bleach will kill aiptasia. Good luck with the break down.

 

[64Ivy]

Got a picture?

Now or in its heyday?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Bro honestly drop all the rock in a big container and add some aiptasia eating nudis! They will strip them clean no matter how bad the outbreak!

 

[64Ivy]

Never used copper. Can you nuke the rocks to remove the copper? I know the bleach will kill aiptasia. Good luck with the break down.

The copper poisoning was not as a result of any treatment in the display. I believe it came from the chiller and I've always been told that a long term infusion basically would render any LR unusable as it would be totally saturated.

 

[WVNed]

CupriSorb™ is a powerful adsorbent of copper and heavy metals. CupriSorb™ will remove copper more rapidly and efficiently than carbon and is thus ideal for emergency copper removal. It extracts all types of copper, including chelated copper, and remains effective until it turns a deep blue-black color. It may be regenerated repeatedly. If placed in continuous use, it will gradually extract even precipitated copper from the gravel/substrate bed as well. CupriSorb™ will allow maintenance of invertebrates in copper-treated tanks by removing copper leaching from substrates.

I have never used it but I would try. Maybe invest in a large stock tank, pump and reactor. Aiptasia is not hard to kill if you dont have anything else to keep alive in with it.

 

[jda]

Put all of that rock in a huge tub with some saltwater and pumps. Cover it and keep it dark. The aiptasia will die. Later on down the road, get a bottle of Lanthaum Chloride and put a protein skimmer on there and that rock will be good as new. The stuff is very hard to get anymore and you will likely not be able to replace it for less than $10 a pound. Use it in the new build on down the road and you will be a year or two ahead of where you will be with dry rock.

If you do not want it, at least offer it locally to somebody who will do this.

 

[User1]

Bro honestly drop all the rock in a big container and add some aiptasia eating nudis! They will strip them clean no matter how bad the outbreak!

I agree. I am not a fan of those things but hear they work and would be worth it. I'd also consider matted filefish, battery of peppermints, and even a copperband. Probably plenty of life on there to feed the copperband even if it isn't eating prepared food. 50 - 100 gallon rubbermade stock tank and Bob's your Uncle.

Dry rock takes a couple years to mature and you already have it. And aged too just like a fine Cab...

 

[snowhite]

Cuprisorb, Polyfilter, waterchanges and time. The copper will come out in a shorter time than you'd expect.
May be 4-6 months before you're comfortable trying something like SPS, but if a snail can stay alive other corals will stay alive. Been through it with a tank that my wife introduced Velvet to... twice...

Been 5-6 months and that tank currently has Chalice's, Goniopora's, Snails, Hermits, Monti's, and some high dollar Indo Gold Torches in it. Growing and all's fine.

 

[Devaji]

I gotta laugh all us reefers freaking out about the tossing to his LR.

but I 100% agree IMHO good quality LR is harder and harder to come by.
I would try the copper remover and nudis let the rock sit for a few months while to enhoy the summer come back in the late fall when you have more time by then the copper will be out and the Aiptasia hopefully should be gone.
I think you will be glad you did this or tried worst case is you bleach and LC the rock and start over for the new tank.

 

[Devaji]

Now or in its heyday?

both? we all like to see reefs

 

[64Ivy]

both? we all like to see reefs

Heyday. Circa 1996.

Today. 2020

As you can see, my 'Live' Rock is now just a mass of trash mushrooms, cyano, and Aiptasia that could probably survive a soaking in battery acid. Between today and the next build could take a few years as we havent even found a house to move into yet, let alone potential tank dimension space. That's why it has to go.

 

[User1]

Heyday. Circa 1996.

Today. 2020

As you can see, my 'Live' Rock is now just a mass of trash mushrooms, cyano, and Aiptasia that could probably survive a soaking in battery acid. Between today and the next build could take a few years as we havent even found a house to move into yet, let alone potential tank dimension space. That's why it has to go.

Having just hit a tick over 2 year mark on my 210 upgrade and using dry rock I would honestly ask you to reconsider ditching the rock. Several reasons:

1. Rock isn't cheap. It will take a good portion of your tank budget. If you go live rock it is expensive but the best. You want to save money you will go dry.
2. Time. I'm not going to lie here. Dry rock takes years to mature regardless of what everyone says. Again, coming from using 150 lbs of dry Pukani I can lift a piece of rock today that is covered with life on the front, turn it 180 degrees, and it is clear and white on the surface as if I just put it in. This isn't about phosphates it is about mother nature taking time to build her ecosystem on new rocks and you already have it.
3. Inconvenience. Yes, your rocks have pests or possible unwanted corals. Move it to a 50 or 100 gallon rubbermaid stock tank, toss in a few cheap power heads, heater, and let the biological filter continue to live. Add in some snails, hermit crabs, other crabs, peppermint shrimp, and let it clear up. You could also add in a matted filefish and a few misc damsels and you would be fine before you know it.

This gives you time in parallel while you focus on the higher priorities like finding the home, new tank, or whatever is on the list. If all that fails offer to sell it. If it seems like I'm focusing on the rock I am. I will never, ever, recommend dry rock to anyone upgrading or merging a tank. Even starting scratch I'd recommend cycling and maturing it in parallel. Or just eat the budget and go with TBS.

 

[AZMSGT]

Heyday. Circa 1996.

Today. 2020

As you can see, my 'Live' Rock is now just a mass of trash mushrooms, cyano, and Aiptasia that could probably survive a soaking in battery acid. Between today and the next build could take a few years as we havent even found a house to move into yet, let alone potential tank dimension space. That's why it has to go.

Oh man, it was a sweet system.

 

[64Ivy]

And how do we feel about a combo of dry and liv

I gotta laugh all us reefers freaking out about the tossing to his LR.

but I 100% agree IMHO good quality LR is harder and harder to come by.
I would try the copper remover and nudis let the rock sit for a few months while to enhoy the summer come back in the late fall when you have more time by then the copper will be out and the Aiptasia hopefully should be gone.
I think you will be glad you did this or tried worst case is you bleach and LC the rock and start over for the new tank.

And how do feel about a combo of dry and live (say, TBS)?

 

[oldpaddy]

Yep, after some 22 years of continuous operation, today's the day one of my LFS is coming by to help begin the task of moving livestock, draining, and teardown of my 500g. The livestock shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's only a handful of fish since a copper infusion awhile ago nuked all of my SPS. Then my beloved Mulleri Copperband died, resulting in a huge, uncontrollable Aiptasia outbreak. So, naturally, I'll be tossing out all my LR. All in all, it doesn't appear that I'll be keeping much. Everything is pretty antiquated; the closest thing I've got to a controller is a SpectaPure lll on my autofill system. But as I'm turning the corner to the future, I'm looking forward to having more of a dialog with you all concerning my next (and most certainly my last) build. But that's another thread. Just wanted to let you all know what's happening. No questions this time.

See ya.

I know it's an old thread, but I was curious to see how everything turned out. Did he leave the hobby? Did he build a new system?

 

[fishface NJ]

Hopefully he posts again. July 2021 was the last time he logged in and 2020 was the last time he did a post. I would have loved to had seen his 500g 22 year old system

 

[oldpaddy]

Hopefully he posts again. July 2021 was the last time he logged in and 2020 was the last time he did a post. I would have loved to had seen his 500g 22 year old system

Wasn't his tank showcased on a TV show?