[edacsac]

I have about 40 lbs of live rock in my tank, plus another 40lbs or so that I'm keeping circulated and semi heated in tubs. My tank has been pretty much dark for almost 2 years while dealing with sick family members and such, and now I just want to take everything down for awhile.

Is it stupid to dry out the rock for storage? It would be heart breaking since I've been spending watts on it to keep some of it simply heated and circulated for a long time, but I need the space back and I'm not into it right now. Unless someone wants it all, I really don't have the time to sell bits and pieces. Although, I do have a tek light to get rid of. If I get back into it, I'm going to do something different with lighting.

Just trying to figure out how to shut down. When I started, I bought rock from a couple of folks and I'm aware it's a piece by piece thing, so unless I can send it all away, I may have to dry it out.

 

[scadsobees]

If there isn't much coral on it, I don't see why not dry it out.

Sure, it will need to cycle later and you lose some coraline algae, pods, sponges, and other wildlife, there are plenty of people who do this without problems and those can all be re-introduced.

But if you've had it dark that long, you probably don't have any coraline anyway. And unless you've been "feeding" the rocks in the tubs, they may have less diversity than you think.

If it has coral on it, then it would probably be worth more selling it. And if you need the room, dry rock still takes up room so you may want to sell it anyway.

 

[edacsac]

the pieces in my tank still have some coraline and lot's of tube worms, but ya, the rock in the tubs probably hasn't fared all that well.

I suppose I should try to sell it; maybe I will get someone that wants it all.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[Decalf]

So your saying that you have had rock in a tank for two years and have never placed any type of food source in the tank during that time frame.

I would say it isn't even live rock anymore if thats the case its just wet rock. You had to give it a ammonia source or all the life would slowly die.

Everything living has to eat

 

[edacsac]

I drop a little bit of food in for the tube worms, but it is very little and infrequent.