Hurricane Michael really hurt! Need advice

[Skittlz]

Okay so I don't know where to post this...
I live in Panama City (yep you see where this is going)
I had 85 gallon with 20 gal sump, and probably $3-4k in Coral and livestock
ALL GONE......
I'm active duty military and I could not go back for about 9 days, I clean out the tank and had no choice but to leave the 60-70lbs of rock in the nasty water. I still can't go back to stay...
My plan is to rebuild (insurance will not cover 😫, but the fight continues with that)
So I know I need 100% new water and sand, but if scrub the rock can i use it?
I'm talking fresh start basically, but is the rock good? I have a RODI sys and will be using red sea Coral pro salt.... Can't believe I lost everything but when the order to evac came down I already knew.
Thoughts?

[OurCoralReef]

Sorry for what you are going through

Rock is good no need to scrub
You just need to cure and cycle again

My personal opinion and how i do it is

Acid wash for a hour
Bleach for 7 days
Fresh water with prime for a day
then fully dry for 7 days

Then you are done the curing process
To cycle i used redsea kit and it really works very well im really happy with the results in mine and a friends tanks one kit is for 55gallons
https://amzn.to/2q4eEK0


Acid wash (not needed but i have seen better results with it)
10% muriatic acid to 90% tap water be careful Wear eye protection use a breathing mask and gloves its a good idea to wear a long sleeved shirt and pants as well do it outside in a well ventilated area use baking soda to neutralize the acid after about a hour
(Do some YouTube research to get a full understanding on how to do and safety first)

Bleach
10% 100%bleach non scented 90% tap water
Wear eye protection use a breathing mask and gloves its a good idea to wear a long sleeved shirt and pants as well do it outside in a well ventilated area
Let the rocks sit in it for 7 days

Prime (not necessary but i do it to remove bleach air drying technically does it but i feel this penetrates the rock better)
Use a full bottle of prime in rodi water
Let rocks sit for at least 24 hours
Rodi is not a must but is better

Dry
Dry the rocks fully for about 7 days


You are done the curing process
Note: if you cannot do the acid wash safely then don’t do it you will just start the cycle with higher nutrient levels


Cycle
Put the rocks and sand in your tank and do a full cycle before adding fish

[homer1475]

Why acid wash it? It's perfectly good rock, just a lot of die off from being stagnant.



If it were me, I would simply bleach it for a day or so, then give it a rinse in FW(RO/DI of course), and let it sit for a couple days in FW. Then let it sit out in the sun for a couple more days to make sure the bleach gasses off. Bleach is perfectly fine to use, and once it sits for a couple days will be harmless to use even if it still has a slight smell of bleach. Prime is not a bad idea either if your a little worried about the bleach, but totally not needed.



Acid washing will also kill any organics that are/were on the rock, but it also eats a layer of rock which makes the rock more brittle. This also depends on the rock used of course. I did a batch of pukani in acid and pretty much had to throw it away when I was done as it made the rock super brittle. It pretty much crumbled whenever you touched it, so I tend to stay away from the acid, and just use bleach as it's safer anyways.





I always find it funny when people tell others to wear gloves, eye protection, a smock, whatever when handling bleach. But no one wears any of that crap when dumping into our washers for our clothes. lol

[JWClark]

First question would be when do you PCS? Assume you have at least two more years on station if you are re-starting immediately.

I simply let the rock sit out in the sun. If out for a week or more this will do the bleaching for you. Then in the tank and cycle. No need for a shrimp or ammonia w/ this method as the dead organics will fuel the cycle. Run a skimmer and drain to a bucket if you can--will pull A LOT of gunk during the first week. Can even run some GFO if you want (I do).

Personally, though, if I were you and had an eventual move coming up I'd just plan for the next one at the new station and cure the rock in a tub in the mean time. Now, if you are retiring or ETSing then go for it. I had to take a 13 year break while I deployed and moved around but have been lucky enough to have homesteaded here for the last few yrs and should be able to remain until retirement.

Good luck.

[homer1475]

The above method will work but the only problem is smell it produces will drive you out of your house, Or have your neighbors wonder where you hid the body. lol



When I first got my shipment of pukani(we all know pukani is full of dead material), I cured it in a brute. My wife made me take it outside as the smell, even with a lid on it, was absolutely horrible.

[OurCoralReef]

Originally Posted by homer1475

Why acid wash it? It's perfectly good rock, just a lot of die off from being stagnant.



If it were me, I would simply bleach it for a day or so, then give it a rinse in FW(RO/DI of course), and let it sit for a couple days in FW. Then let it sit out in the sun for a couple more days to make sure the bleach gasses off. Bleach is perfectly fine to use, and once it sits for a couple days will be harmless to use even if it still has a slight smell of bleach. Prime is not a bad idea either if your a little worried about the bleach, but totally not needed.



Acid washing will also kill any organics that are/were on the rock, but it also eats a layer of rock which makes the rock more brittle. This also depends on the rock used of course. I did a batch of pukani in acid and pretty much had to throw it away when I was done as it made the rock super brittle. It pretty much crumbled whenever you touched it, so I tend to stay away from the acid, and just use bleach as it's safer anyways.





I always find it funny when people tell others to wear gloves, eye protection, a smock, whatever when handling bleach. But no one wears any of that crap when dumping into our washers for our clothes. lol

The die off from being stagnant and whatever other pollutants in my opinion it’s easier to start over and if you are starting over might as well start with the least organics possible then fight it down the line
10% Acid for a hour does that very well
After sitting in stagnant water there is nothing (in my opinion) good thats alive

A hour in 10% to 90% water doesn’t eat much if anything of the rock it would be as if he sanded the surface of the rock
it would not make it brittle i have used it in my latest tank and have had great results with it
i have done it multiple times before and all with good results
Im not sure what concentration and how long you used it because in my latest tank im using pukani and its not brittle at all and that’s saying allot for pukani as its a very porous rock to begin with
Acid opens up pores in the rock to give the bacteria more surface area in the rock it kills all living things in the rock and helps break down any organics that are in the rock whether its worms crabs etc that died or would definitely die in bleach and will have to deal with in the form of extra nutrients in the system

The reason is safety
I don’t mind you not agreeing with my opinion on cleaning the rock but please edit the post about the bleach so people don’t get the wrong idea and think they should not be cautious with it
it is a chemical and can be dangerous

When you are poring bleach into a washing machine its a very small amount and usually into a special compartment that doesn’t splash back
eye protection is a must
a mask is a must
Doing it in a ventilated area is a must
clothing that you don’t mind getting discolored is optional and its better to avoid getting bleach on your skin it can cause a irritation or reaction

Bleach is a harsh chemical and you should always use caution when working with it whether in a washing machine or bleaching rocks for a aquarium

[Skittlz]

Alright, well I pulled the trigger... (I prolly won't be leaving "the base of the future as I have a standing house when some have nothing)
The tank smelled like rotten eggs, there almost seemed to be a solid layer of yeast on top. The buckets bubbled like a science project... Did a nutralization, and into the bleach/fw for a couple days... All sand out and now to the tank (inside walls) how do I clean them?

[Sugar Magnolia]

If the tank is empty add a few gallons of white vinegar and water and let it sit overnight then scrape the glass.

[OurCoralReef]

Originally Posted by Skittlz

Alright, well I pulled the trigger... (I prolly won't be leaving "the base of the future as I have a standing house when some have nothing)
The tank smelled like rotten eggs, there almost seemed to be a solid layer of yeast on top. The buckets bubbled like a science project... Did a nutralization, and into the bleach/fw for a couple days... All sand out and now to the tank (inside walls) how do I clean them?

I have been through similar circumstances so i know its a pain but hopefully the rebuild will turn out nicer

I agree with “sugar magnolia” vinegar is your best bet

I would try a 40-60 vinegar & water solution in a spray bottle
i personally don’t like to let vinegar sit on rubber like the bulkhead gaskets etc

i would spray the entire tank with the solution let it sit for 10 minutes then spray again and start scrubbing
The bottom and silicon with a tooth brush the front and sides idd wipe down with paper towels or a washable soft rag as not to scratch the glass then respray and go in with a razor-blade careful around the silicone rinse the tank with fresh water

make sure no sand is in the tank on the rags or brushes otherwise you risk scratching the tank

A wet-dry vac works very well to clean out a tank i use a bucket-head to clean out my sump and it gets everything

If you want to go the easy way do it like “sugar magnolia “ said fill the tank with tap water pour in 10-15% vinegar let it sit for 6-12 hours and start scrubbing careful not to scratch the tank and personally i would not the the bulkheads sit in the solution as sitting vinegar (for a couple of hours) can weaken the rubber gaskets
I would also avoid letting the vinegar sit in the tank more than 24hours

[homer1475]

Originally Posted by OurCoralReef

The reason is safety
I don’t mind you not agreeing with my opinion on cleaning the rock but please edit the post about the bleach so people don’t get the wrong idea and think they should not be cautious with it
it is a chemical and can be dangerous

When you are poring bleach into a washing machine its a very small amount and usually into a special compartment that doesn’t splash back
eye protection is a must
a mask is a must
Doing it in a ventilated area is a must
clothing that you don’t mind getting discolored is optional and its better to avoid getting bleach on your skin it can cause a irritation or reaction

Bleach is a harsh chemical and you should always use caution when working with it whether in a washing machine or bleaching rocks for a aquarium

No I won't edit my post(cant now anyways). Seriously though, it's bleach. If your that uncautious with it that you get it in your eyes(really the only place your going to get it that it will do some harm to you), then your a idiot and probably shouldn't be handling anything that goes in a reef tank to begin with.



It's people like you that there is a warning on everything nowadays. Use common sense, even though we all know that common sense died along time ago and everyone needs warning on everything so people don't get sued over doing stupid things.

[OurCoralReef]

Originally Posted by homer1475

No I won't edit my post(cant now anyways). Seriously though, it's bleach. If your that uncautious with it that you get it in your eyes(really the only place your going to get it that it will do some harm to you), then your a idiot and probably shouldn't be handling anything that goes in a reef tank to begin with.



It's people like you that there is a warning on everything nowadays. Use common sense, even though we all know that common sense died along time ago and everyone needs warning on everything so people don't get sued over doing stupid things.

Your telling me that you never got a little reef tank water in your mouth
We all do mistakes better be safe than sorry

Besides best to leave disclaimers so you don’t get sued (protect your own butt if you are not going to care about others)
if someone followed your instructions on a “reef forum” poured the bleach and some splashed out (and it will because they poured Bottles of bleach into a container with 90% water) or they left it without guarding the container from kids, drowning in it, ingesting it or inhaling the fumes on a hot day


Another note there are kids on this forum this hobby has people of all ages

[Skittlz]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

If the tank is empty add a few gallons of white vinegar and water and let it sit overnight then scrape the glass.

Awesome thanks I will do that when I go back again

[sde1500]

Man I don't even wear goggles or anything really adding liquid chlorine to my pool lol.

That really sucks though, everyone's worst fear I think is the tank crash. Definitely have good advice here, though some obviously contested. IDK if I'd even take that much precaution with the rock. A quick rinse and restart with new water and sand would suffice for me. A 7 day bleach or acid wash seems way overkill. Idk, maybe I'm not cautious enough, as noted above I guess, but its just some dead matter that will kick your cycle into gear.

[hkgar]

In 2004 I decided to move back from Florida to Michigan. Went up and bought a house, returned to FL and 1 week later Hurricane Charlie hit us. Wiped out tank. Packed up all the rock and moved it to Michigan. Set up tank, put in rock and new sand, added water and tank cycled the rock and brought it back to life.

[JoeTSI]

Originally Posted by homer1475

No I won't edit my post(cant now anyways). Seriously though, it's bleach. If your that uncautious with it that you get it in your eyes(really the only place your going to get it that it will do some harm to you), then your a idiot and probably shouldn't be handling anything that goes in a reef tank to begin with.



It's people like you that there is a warning on everything nowadays. Use common sense, even though we all know that common sense died along time ago and everyone needs warning on everything so people don't get sued over doing stupid things.

"You're". So much irony.