Storing Live Rock
 

Hi, I'm planning on shutting down my tank. Is there a proper way to store my live rock? I plan on starting it up later in the future (maybe few years). Should i clean the rock or just throw them in a bucket?
Thanks

Unless these are pieces you really like, I'd consider selling it and buying new stuff in a few years. Unless you've got lots of storage space. I would guess you'd really have to cycle/cook it to re-use it again at that time though

I let mine dry out and stored it in a rubbermaid in the attic. When I recently restarted my tank it was nice to have dry rock to aquascape with, pest free. Had to wait a bit longer to cycle, but bonus I didnt have a big algae outbreak for starting out. If your storing it for a long period of time it might be worth doing.

I would sell it and buy again later. If you dry it out you're not any further ahead as the rock isn't live anymore. It takes a long time to leech all the dead stuff out of the rocks when you get them wet again, and takes even longer to re-establish the anaerobic bacteria needed for denitrification (different than the aerobic bacteria needed for nitrification that colonize quickly). Besides, the rock is worth something while it is still live...probably $4/lb. Once you dry it out its value is only about $1.50/lb which is easily replaceable, so I say sell it while it still has some value.

Thanks for the replies.

Myka: What kind of time frame are we looking at when you say "long time"?

For leeching? Probably 8-12 weeks.

I think it might depend on your rock when you dry it. Mine didnt seem to leach anything. I through my "dead rock" in the tank, Put a few pieces of liverock from my other tank into my sump, It wasnt much just a couple pounds and waited it out a few weeks. I liked that after the expences of getting a new tank set up It was a bonus not having to part with a big chunk of money in rock also. If your tank is clean right now I wouldnt worry about your rock leaching. But like previously said, you can totaly get $4 a pound live, Dead to someone else its not worth much. For personal use, I prefer it dead. It seems like everytime I buy rock off someone it comes with some hidden pest.

If you're looking at years before restarting, I would also recommend selling off your live rock and buying again when you restart. Otherwise you waste so much electricity keeping a pump and heater on for all those years without knowing if you'll actually use them again. Lots of cured LR for sale usually on canreef from others shutting down so you can restock from other reefers' tanks later.

if you like the rock.. cleen it dry it and save it. if you don't like it sell it and buy what you want.

I will not start up a tank with all live rock again. it is my way of making sure I won't get any undesriable hitch hikers and helps to recycle rock instead of destroying another reef for it.

what I will do is build my reef from dead rock and then put in one carefully chosin sead rock. lots of coraline but nothing else.

for me waiting for the rock to cycle befor I put fish in is not a big deal.

Steve

Excellent points. Thanks for all the replies. I do have a few pieces that I really like. So I might just hang on to those pieces.

Speaking of hitchhikers, I remember my rocks came with a few crabs. Tiny like 1/2 inch. They weren't hairy. But yesterday as I was pulling rock out I found one of them and it grew to at least 2". Too bad it was dead. But I haven't seen them grow that big before.