Tank sterilization

[InspectorGadget]

I don’t know if I posted this in the right spot but here it goes. Due to a recent epic fail, I nearly wiped out my sps corals. This just so happens to come around a time where I was about to set up a new mixed reef Nano tank. I have decided that this would be a good time to break my main tank down, move the surviving corals over to the new tank temporarily (once cycled) and rejuvenate my current setup. Since the growth of my corals have come to a hault due to the almost wipe out, I thought it would be prime time to fix some things on my main Nano aquarium that has been getting on my nerves (aquascape, wiring, equipment cleaning and lighting upgrade). So now that you know the background, here’s the question. Once everything is removed from the tank, how can I starilize everything including the aquarium? I want to kill everything and anything so that once it’s set back up, it’s a brand new tank again. My main concern is that the aquarium is cell cast acrylic. I don’t want to use anything that will weaken or damage the acrylic. Any thoughts?

 

[Sfplaya1]

Vinager bath

 

[tablesalt]

I don’t know if I posted this in the right spot but here it goes. Due to a recent epic fail, I nearly wiped out my sps corals. This just so happens to come around a time where I was about to set up a new mixed reef Nano tank. I have decided that this would be a good time to break my main tank down, move the surviving corals over to the new tank temporarily (once cycled) and rejuvenate my current setup. Since the growth of my corals have come to a hault due to the almost wipe out, I thought it would be prime time to fix some things on my main Nano aquarium that has been getting on my nerves (aquascape, wiring, equipment cleaning and lighting upgrade). So now that you know the background, here’s the question. Once everything is removed from the tank, how can I starilize everything including the aquarium? I want to kill everything and anything so that once it’s set back up, it’s a brand new tank again. My main concern is that the aquarium is cell cast acrylic. I don’t want to use anything that will weaken or damage the acrylic. Any thoughts?

I've never tried this in an aquarium but I've heard of people doing this in terrariums to kill pests without harming plants or livestock, with no lingering effects. CO2 Bath.

Since CO2 is heavier than air, and animal live cannot tolerate it, you can empty the tank of water, but dry ice in a bowl, let the tank fog up, and let whatever animals are left in there suffocate. This method is used for getting rid of harmful mites in terrarium setups with sensitive creatures (frogs) temporarily removed.

The other options you have are to simply remove everything from the tank and leave it out to dry for a while... You could combine this with the CO2 method if you wanted to, just ensure there is no air circulating in there (put seran wrap over the top).

It's that or roach bombs... roach bombs would kill the tank... permanently.

 

[don_chuwish]

Vinegar (diluted is fine) for a day or two with circulation cleans everything very well, just run all your pumps and circulation as usual. All coraline & other algae just wipes away with a soft cloth or sponge after that. Take the opportunity to disassemble pumps, powerheads, etc., for a good cleaning after the vinegar bath. Then you can do some bleaching too for extra peace of mind but it really isn't necessary.

 

[brandon429]

I recommend opposite. Skip cycle reassembly not with sterile rocks, but invader free rocks. I'm up for a challenge. Keep all your good growth, we w remove bad ones. No disease that affects sps will carry over.


Sterilizing can be had through many means, but that's like exchanging a dog cuz it misbehaved. We should use your challenge rock for our algae challenge threads anyway before you sterilize it. Also
I claim no invasion in a nano can beat our tank restore threads. We should put that to the test

If you had a documented disease that truly can vector over and it's the first we've ever seen where a simple cleaning wasn't indicated then indeed sterilize.

 

[InspectorGadget]

View attachment 636239 Thanks for the replies everyone. I don’t plan to keep the same rock mainly because I designed it wrong. I originally disgned the rock work for optimum flow (worked perfectly) but, I didn’t take in account of usable space for corals and being able to clean the tank without constantly knocking into and breaking some sps (happened a few times). There really isn’t a need for me to completely sterilize the tank considering no disease caused the partial crash. The crash was caused by a battery operated auto feeder coming off the mount after I left for work and staying in the tank for over 10 hours. My apex showed my ORP tank from 350 to 190 in an hour. No one was close to home to save it. Bleached all corals. 50% have polyps out now and showing life. Others are hard to tell just yet. I want to starilize the tank just to start clean and new when I decide to move everything back. The reason I don’t want to do the overhaul in one weekend with switching the rock out is that I work up to 80 hours a week. I would like to take my time and get everything the way I want it again if that make sense and not feel rushed.

 

[brandon429]

agreed that's a legit plan then based on factors. 80 makes wow and for some good reefing funds

 

[Stigigemla]

I would just try to heat the tank to 110 degrees.
It kills fish, corals, snails, seestars and almost everything else. It will smell afterwards and you need a good skimmer to take out all dead tissue.
It will be a heavy cycling after the heat is off so you need a good skimmer and probably some time with nopox and/or GFO.
But your reefscape will be OK.