Killing LR

[jezzeaepi]

I have about 60 pounds of LR that I need to kill everything on. What is the best method to ensure that aboslutely everything is killed and the rocks will be reusable in a week or two? There has to be 0% chance of survival of all micro organisms and eggs.... I am taking ne chances with these isopods.

I am thinking of using hot water? It has to be done outside though. My roomates would never forgive me for wreaking up the place with boiling LR's lol.

 

[Scooterman]

My LFS uses bleach in a tub for a day or two, the rocks turn super white, then he goes through thorough rinsing then Plops them back into the tank, been doing it for years with no issues!

 

[Reeferdude]

I would boil it.

 

[Scooterman]

Yea boiling LR isn't safe indoors at all but not necessary, a good soak & you will get LR that will promote life very nicely, just be sure to rinse many times & even soak.

 

[returnofsid]

Unless you're able to get every bit of dead material off of the live rock, there's no way it'll be re-usable in an established tank within 2 weeks. All that die off will require a complete cycle.

 

[jezzeaepi]

The rocks have been cycling without light for the past 4 months in my attmept to starve out the isopods so there should be minimal die off.

 

[Scooterman]

That won't kill off everything & Sid is right about the cycling, to get bare rock reestablished your looking at months. It will brown up within a few weeks but it still will need to populate & cycle. I've done it but also had enough good LR in the tank so It never skipped a beat.

 

[NC2WA]

when i moved from NC to WA Sept 2006, I placed all of my LR in storage. It killed everything and was basically base rock (was completely white). My 375 gallon tank will be up for 1yr in May 2008; it has taken all this time for the LR to get "all nice and happy"

I don't see a way for you to get your LR up and running in 2wks after you kill it, but if you find a way, I would suggest to write a book. You could make a killin

 

[Vicki]

The rocks have been cycling without light for the past 4 months in my attmept to starve out the isopods so there should be minimal die off.

As you may remember, I've been fighting with isopods as well in one of my tanks. In early January I removed about 95 percent of the rock from my tank; everything I could remove that didn't have a coral attached. About 500 pounds of rock! I dried the rock out thoroughly in containers all over my living room for over three weeks hoping to kill all the isopods. In my *tests* of how to kill them, drying them out seemed to work best.

During the time the rocks were out of my tank I didn't see a single isopod. Within one week of putting the rock back in, I had as many as ever in the tank again! I was about to give up on that tank.

Then one day, Paul (Fragman on ReefFrontiers) suggested I try a Lunare Wrasse as they're known to eat isopods. It took me about two weeks to find one I liked, but within days I wasn't seeing any more isopods. This fish is just incredible, though not reef safe with invertebrate. I'm really hoping he proves to be my solution to the isopods.

I sure wish you luck in getting rid of yours, but you might toss in a Lunare Wrasse where you're currently keeping the rock before killing it entirely and see if he can't help you out.

Vicki

 

[Jan]

how does a person know if they have isopods, anyway (something new to be paranoid about!)

 

[NC2WA]

not that I'm paranoid like Jan D), but what is the significance of having isopods and moreover, why are you trying to rid them out of your tank???

Jan, hope you do know that I was kidding here.

 

[krisfal]

not that I'm paranoid like Jan D), but what is the significance of having isopods and moreover, why are you trying to rid them out of your tank???

Jan, hope you do know that I was kidding here.

I second that question. I always thought pods were good, so what are these isopods and what is the problem with having them?

 

[jezzeaepi]

I only know that my rocks had cirolanid isopods because I found them in a trap that I was using to try to catch a mantis shrimp. They are small, quick, and resilaint as hell. In a accidental experiment, I took one and left it in a shot glass for later so I could take pics of it. Well the temp of this water probably fluctuated between 60-70 degrees, and a THIRD of it evaporeated... and this little bastard was still alive in it. In 60 degree water with rediculously high salinity he survived for days.... I flushed him because I got sick of looking at it.

 

[jezzeaepi]

Vicki how was the smell?!!? I was thinking of maybe putting them outside on my porch for a week. Any downside to drying them outside vs in?

 

[jezzeaepi]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

Theres a good read for you with pics so you dont freak out that you might ahve them =P

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Not all isopods are the bad evil bloodsucking parasites the pictures we've all seen make them out to be. I wouldn't say I had a plague of them one time, but I had more than I wanted. Probably 50-100 in a 46 gallon. They never caused an issue with my fish, but I really didn't want them in my tank either. I didn't want to find out if they were "good" isopods or "bad" isopods.

Manual removal is pretty easy. When I'd see one, I'd just sneak up behind it with my 12" long tweezers and crush the little sucker. When I did water changes, I sucked up as many as I could find with the siphon. They're pretty tough little buggers, but pretty dumb too. After a couple months, I didn't see anymore and haven't seen any since. If you see them free swimming, you could always net them with a fine net too.

I'd sure give manual removal a try before killing off all your rock.

I second that question. I always thought pods were good, so what are these isopods and what is the problem with having them?

Copepods and amphipods are good. Isopods can be good unless they're the type that want to attach themselves to your fish and suck the life out of them. Most folks are probably like me and don't want to find out the difference!

 

[Vicki]

Vicki how was the smell?!!? I was thinking of maybe putting them outside on my porch for a week. Any downside to drying them outside vs in?

The smell was hardly noticeable.
BUT, it apparently didn't work!
It was a lot of work for no benefit; other than the bristle worms did die!

If you do it outside, you're likely to get a lot of insects breeding in it too.

Vicki

 

[Scooterman]

Like I said, a few cups of bleach in a tub of lr & ro water & your problems will be solved.

 

[Vicki]

how does a person know if they have isopods, anyway (something new to be paranoid about!)

not that I'm paranoid like Jan D), but what is the significance of having isopods and moreover, why are you trying to rid them out of your tank???

Jan, hope you do know that I was kidding here.

I second that question. I always thought pods were good, so what are these isopods and what is the problem with having them?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

Theres a good read for you with pics so you dont freak out that you might ahve them =P

As Kurt mentions, there are lots of different kinds of isopods. Most are okay and some are really bad.

The link posted by Jezzeaepi is probably my favorite link on the Isopods.

The kind that I had were identified by two people that I feel knew what they were talking about; both with lots of experience in this field. Both said that mine weren't the BAD kind. I did an experiment with mine to see what their preference in food was using Nori and Shrimp. The Nori was their choice.

My problem with them....I'd occasionally see them attached to my fish! I didn't like that at all and neither did my fish! Mine never did any damage to the fish though, but still, why were they on my fish? I'd usually just see them when the lights first would come on. Once the lights were on, they'd leave the fish and head back into the rocks.

This Lunare Wrasse has taken care of the problem here as the Isopods don't stand a chance with him. :lol:

Bleaching would most likely work as well, but then you'll have white rocks.

Vicki

 

[jezzeaepi]

Scoot, how do you make sure all the bleach is gone from the rocks?