Storing LR and LS

[tdkarl]

Anyone know of a way to store or keep LS and LR alive for about 2 weeks? I might be displayless for about 2 weeks during the transition and I need some way to store my LR and LS without doing any major harm or having it go bad? I am thinking of getting a new large rubber garbage can from home depot and running a skimmer on it. Also I would like to be able to store it in the garage during this time. any suggestions? What would be the requirements to keep it alive? Filtration, light, act...????
Thanks!

[Phurst]

Assuming it's not a deep sand bed, a garbage can will work fine. Flow and heat are all that's needed. You can run a skimmer too if you want. If it's a DSB, best to toss the sand and start over with fresh.

[tdkarl]

Assuming it's not a deep sand bed, a garbage can will work fine. Flow and heat are all that's needed. You can run a skimmer too if you want. If it's a DSB, best to toss the sand and start over with fresh.

Ouch, dont like the sound of that, cause mine is a DSB. I would hate to throw all that money away.:wow:

Just flow and heat? I dont have to worry about filtration during that time?

[Phurst]

The rock is the filtration.

You can reuse the sand if you need to, but you're really going to have to wash it out very, very well. You'll basically be saving the sand, but no life in it. The anaerobic bacteria in the sand will die when exposed to oxygenated water or air. You need to get all that crud out or you're going to cycle again.

[saltaddict]

Tony I have a DBS in the garage in a trash can from my 75g tear down and the only reason I have movement and a heater in it is too keep it from stinking!
I will wash it one scoop at a time to clean it before moving it to the new tank but at least I didn't have to replace it.

[Amphibious]

Tony,

Here is what I've done in the past with complete success. Do exactly what you are thinking as far as storage. With vigorous water movement and temperature control, your LR will be fine. Your LS will go through a change in that the bacteria will be disturbed, eg, Aerobic and Anaerobic will be mixed into opposing layers and there will be a die off. You might experience a spike in parameters. However, not to worry, Your LR will do the converting and any spike will be short lived and maybe not even detectable on test kits.

When you set the new system up using the existing LS and LR you may experience another spike but, it too should be short lived. Monitor with testing and proceed with caution. No need to toss the sand. A light washing with SW will remove some of the mulm but will also remove much of the bacteria and, as pointed out above, likely kill the Anaerobic bacteria. If you are not adding livestock from the earlier set up you should be fine. Test for a cycle and proceed with caution.

Dick

[tdkarl]

Thanks everyone for the input you all are the shizal! I can't imagine being in this hobby like 12 years ago when there was no internet and you were stuck reading everything in a book or getting info from your LFS. If you were lucky enough to find the answer in one of those two places. OK little confused, but how do you wash the DSB, its prob something really simple right? Is there a simple way to run SW through it?

[saltaddict]

Thanks everyone for the input you all are the shizal! I can't imagine being in this hobby like 12 years ago when there was no internet and you were stuck reading everything in a book or getting info from your LFS. If you were lucky enough to find the answer in one of those two places. OK little confused, but how do you wash the DSB, its prob something really simple right? Is there a simple way to run SW through it?

Totally agree about the internet!!
Do you want to go or clean sand or just lightly rinse off some of the "yuck"?

To go for clean sand the I take maybe a gallon at a time and put it in a bucket and use a high powered hose end and wash then pour out the nasty water - repeat until each batch is clean - TAKES FOREVER. I then pour saltwater in the bucket with all of the clean sand and I add a chlorine remover for the trace amounts of freshwater that is left in the particles.

For a saltwater bath, I would fill a tote with saltwater and pour sand in the bottom, move it around a bit then pour off the dirty water and leave a little water remaining for coverage of the sand.

[tdkarl]

Oh this is going to be a pain in the @$$, I can tell right now. lol I have a few offers on my current setup so I need to get everything moved. Ugh!

[saltaddict]

If you could get your QT running you can put your LR in it - I have all the rock from my 75g in a 30g bare bottom and it is full of pods!!

[PhotoJohn]

I saved the sand from my DSB when I moved tanks. I purchased new sand from dick for the display and washed all my old sand with tap water via a hose till the water ran clear. I washed the sand in 5g buckets. As far as I can tell I had no adverse effects and it has been 5 ish months