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View Full Version : Removing corals from live rock?


loveless
01-24-2010, 09:00 PM
Advice is needed please.

At the moment I have just purchased some live rock from a freind. Problem is that it has some GSP, mushrooms and tree corals on it that I dont want in my tank at all.

Question.

How do I safely remove this stuff (problematic corals) from the rock?


Can it be done without wrecking the bacteria on the rock, so as not to have to cycle the tank later????

Thanks
Cam

Flash
01-24-2010, 09:12 PM
I`ll take your mushroom!! lol

whatcaneyedo
01-24-2010, 09:17 PM
leave them in a dark sump and the mushrooms and tree coral will disappear after a few months. However I've had GSP live for many months in the dark seemingly un-phased. For those I recommend smothering with epoxy or a butane torch or A LOT of vigorous scrubbing.

loveless
01-24-2010, 09:23 PM
So basically the quick way out is to leave the rock in my -10 deg C garage for a day or two and start over.

As for giving you the mushrooms bean I have been pulling some off and they arent really liking it too much, aka ded.

I do have some goniopora frags if you want one tho. Just have to come get it. They are about an inch across maybe smaller.

Chase31
01-24-2010, 10:32 PM
if you put it in your garage it will kill the bacteria in the rock before it will kill your coral and then you'll have to re cycle the tank again

Eyford01
01-24-2010, 11:54 PM
if you put it in your garage it will kill the bacteria in the rock before it will kill your coral and then you'll have to re cycle the tank again

yes, reseeding the rock would be necessary but that could still likely take less time than the monthes in the dark to be sure all the corals have died, basicaly this would turn it into base rock


perhaps try a chisel to get under the corals and maybe take a little rock with them, if the GSP is too large to chisel off the torch would be my suggestion, yes you would kill off lots of other stuff as well but dead parts might be better than a whole dead rock, depends on how wide spread it is

loveless
01-25-2010, 12:35 AM
yes, reseeding the rock would be necessary but that could still likely take less time than the monthes in the dark to be sure all the corals have died, basicaly this would turn it into base rock


perhaps try a chisel to get under the corals and maybe take a little rock with them, if the GSP is too large to chisel off the torch would be my suggestion, yes you would kill off lots of other stuff as well but dead parts might be better than a whole dead rock, depends on how wide spread it is

Ya I think im just gonna kill the whole batch and start over. I would do the manual removal thing but I am uncertain about the absolute effectiveness of it and am sure something will make it through.

Chase31
01-25-2010, 01:43 AM
put hot water in a syringe and spray the base to kill the softies