tank sterilization help plz

wiggie · #1 04-28-2013, 02:07 PM

I got into the hobbie about 6 months ago and i've found the learning curve to be extremely steep

The LFS convinced me that quarantining wasn't necessary. Well they were obviously wrong and i have a ich outbreak now. I"m setting up a quarantine tank and moving all my fish over and since i have a new sump and skimmer that i haven't even had a chance to put on yet and its only a FOWLR system right now because of this i'm just going to tear down the whole system and restart with new dry live rock (and set up a aquascape i actually like) while the fish are in quarantine.

My questions are...
When i break down the system i've heard of using vinegar or bleach, how much seems to be a wide array of answers though, any past experience out there?
Do i just clean with it or could i fill the tank with tap water full and let it run like that then clean it/rinse it?

Also while im making a thread i got a cheap 30 gallon for my quarantine but it came with a tetra whisper filter 20-30gallon, is that ok or should I get something bigger. There will be 8 smallish fish in there.

Dearth · #2 04-28-2013, 02:52 PM

Why are you going to clean your tank just take your livestock out and let the tank cycle for 2 months ich requires fish to survive remove the fish and treat the tank and let it cycle dismantling it destroys the ecosystem you have established already starting from scratch again is going to take you just as about as long as cycling the tank

wiggie · #3 04-28-2013, 03:07 PM

i totally agree that it will take just as long but honestly i didn't know alot when i started and everyone knows start up costs are alot so i tried to cheap out a bit and buy live rock from someone. I ended up getting alot of small peices that look .... boring, and like a pile of rubble. I'm going to take this opportunity and create an amazing aquascape with dry live rock that i can be proud of for years to come and will be great for placing corals on later. And as an added bonus be 100% sure i'm going to eradicate the disease.

Reef Pilot · #4 04-28-2013, 03:26 PM

Going fallow for a couple months will eradicate ich, but if you have other pests like aiptasia, then restarting from scratch may be your best option. If you do use dry rock, it would still help to mix in some live rock to help colonize the bacteria.

Sorry to hear about your ich problem. Way too common a story here, that's for sure. Just curious, which LFS advised against QT in your case?

fishytime · #5 04-28-2013, 04:05 PM

if there are no problems with the LR, then "I" would just find a few larger interesting pieces of good live rock and use the smaller pieces you have to fill it in....ditching all the LR for dry rock is a problem waiting to happen....it could take months before dry rock is able to sustain a tankful of fish(even if you "seed" it with live..... there is NO substitute for good live rock IMO

wiggie · #6 04-28-2013, 04:15 PM

I see what point you guys are making but after everything I have read I am of the opinion that ich CAN be removed (it is a living parasite) and I should not have to live with it. I have made enough mistakes and i'm not going to make anymore, I want to start as fresh as possible. Some studies show that some strains of ich can live as long as 72 days or possibly longer in a fallow tank so 3 months is a rather safe (but still not 100%) method for getting rid of it. I can dry the LR i'm using now and use it later too so its not like its a total loss of money that way anyway. So if i was to do that i would do at least 3 months and I think I can have a stable tank with dry live rock and new sand in less time than that, I might as well do what is going to make me happy in the long run and sleep better at night. Isn't that why most ppl get into this hobby for the reward and happiness it gives you? Thank you for your opinions but does anyone have any help with the sterilization of the tank with bleach or vinegar? Or help for my QT build?

Reef Pilot · #7 04-28-2013, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishytime

if there are no problems with the LR, then "I" would just find a few larger interesting pieces of good live rock and use the smaller pieces you have to fill it in....ditching all the LR for dry rock is a problem waiting to happen....it could take months before dry rock is able to sustain a tankful of fish(even if you "seed" it with live..... there is NO substitute for good live rock IMO

I agree with not ditching all your live rock if it is pest free. I recently went through the mixing dry rock/live rock experience, with no problems.

I added a 2nd tank downstairs (and it was bigger than my exisitng DT) last year, so I obviously needed a lot more rock. I decided to give the marco dry rock a try. I first rinsed it as best I could, and then I filled a spare tank with it along with some live sand, and let it sit for a couple months. I then rinsed it again, and started adding it to both tanks, while moving more live rock and sand from my DT to my new downstairs tank.

I monitored all parameters very carefully, and the process took several months. In fact, with the original DT tank, both my N03 and P04 dropped during that time. I do run both bio pellets and GFO, so of course that had a lot to do with it. But today, that tank has had zero nitrates and near zero phosphates for quite some time now. And growing SPS like crazy...

Of course, using all live rock is the quickest and best, if you can afford it, and it is guaranteed to be pest free. But dry rock does work, if you do it slowly and carefully together with live rock.

Dearth · #8 04-28-2013, 04:31 PM

If your intent on tearing your tank apart a good vinegar bath and cleaning should suffice as to the QT tank I will let somebody else better suited to answer that

George · #9 04-28-2013, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiggie

I see what point you guys are making but after everything I have read I am of the opinion that ich CAN be removed (it is a living parasite) and I should not have to live with it.

I like your attitude and determination.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiggie

Thank you for your opinions but does anyone have any help with the sterilization of the tank with bleach or vinegar? Or help for my QT build?

Not sure why you insist on using bleach and vinegar. If you wanted to get rid of ich, just leave all equipment and rocks dry for sometime and that will kill those damn parasites.
As to your QT tank, the tank itself is fine. The filter may be a little weak. You might want to pick up a bigger filter. Used one is fine. Looking at your local fresh water club/web site. I regularly see those hang on back filter for sale very cheap in local fresh water community. Use just the sponge and ditch anything else for the filter. A heater and a couple PVC pipes and you are good in terms of QT tank.
8 fish (even smallish) in a 30g tank will be tough. You will get a cycle initially. Have the following on hand: seachem ammonia badge, seachem prime, and a lot of mixed salt water ready. Put the badge in your QT tank. As soon as you see hint of ammonia on the badge, first do a large water change, and then dose some prime.
Another trick I use regularly is to maintain low salinity(anywhere from 1.015-1.020) in QT tank. Lower salinity increases oxygen level and has lower PH. lower PH makes ammonia less toxic. Lower salinity also slow down the metabolism in fish and that's a good thing short term. I wouldn't recommend anyone try that but just in case you want to give it a try.

asylumdown · #10 04-28-2013, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George

Not sure why you insist on using bleach and vinegar. If you wanted to get rid of ich, just leave all equipment and rocks dry for sometime and that will kill those damn parasites.

+1 no stage of the ich parasite life cycle can survive drying for more than 24 hours. I'm not sure that vinegar has ever been tested against tomonts, so I don't even know if that would kill them. Bleach certainly would though.