Will air drying rock kill pathogens?

[Wolf89]

I suspect my current rocks have ich. I need the rocks, but I was wondering if I just dried them out in 100 degree weather that would work instead of leaving them fallow for 3 months. Thanks

 

[LesPoissons]

Hmm- Are you saying the tank is empty of fish and you want to take the rocks out, dry the rocks then put back in the tank and put fish back in? Ich can still be in the sand, in the creases and corners of the tank, in the equipment etc. We say to leave tanks fallow for 76+ days because that typically will knock out the entire life cycle of ich (except for the rare furthest outliers- as far as we know) while continuing to run the tank. Drying the rocks wont stop ich unless you drain and dry the whole tank, all the equipment, sand (if you have it) etc, while simultaneously treating sick fish with copper in another tank.

 

[LesPoissons]

If you are just moving rocks to a new tank, then yes, drying them out completley would do it but hard to know if they are totally dry, or if you missed a little puddle inside somewhere. Id soak in bleach water, let dry as completely as possible, then rinse in rodi and decholinator a few times, and dry again, rinse again.