3 Years after Harvey Hit...and...

fishhawk123 · 08/29/2020, 11:30 PM

My home in Rockport, Tx. was ground zero for hurricane Harvey. A devastating cat 4 that leveled my town. We were displaced for a year and took another 2 yrs to fully recover, but now it is time to try and rebuild my setup. Baby steps.
My Mancave was flooded by 18" of storm surge flooding and 2 inches of mud covering the floor Lost a good bit of equipment but managed to save a lot too.

I have my main display tank: 125gal. 6' long, ghost overflow (triple drain),
55gal homemade sump. various heaters, dc return pump, 20 gal. qt tank, various pumps and powerheads, unused ato system etc.

Sadly lost my 65gal dedicated refugium that was plumbed into the system. Workers hit it when rebuilding. lost my ro/di unit (lol, I refuse to trust it after that. lost all my fish and corals. Was not allowed back in the city for a week.

Anyway, I refuse to quit because I love it.
I have the sand and live rock...now all dead of course and need to re-use it.
At the time of my loss I had aptasia introduced in my tank from a guy who gave me his tonga branches and livestock.
My question is is there any chance aptasia can withstand 3 years in old live rock or aragonite sand?
So the journey begins again...

MarAquatic · 08/30/2020, 01:27 AM

No it should be good put the rocks in the sun for a few says and let it bleach out

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

fishhawk123 · 08/30/2020, 07:30 AM

I was reading that some one here had a thread where they felt the old aptasia infested live/dead rock had to be bleach soaked and then follow it up with a muratic acid dilution, followed by baking soda to neutralize the acid bath to absolutely be 100% sure. I know its sat in the dry dark confines of my dead display tank for 3 years..just wanna be sure.
Also, there is bound to be old dead organics on it, even tho my tank was fairly new... maybe 5 to 7 months running then.
Looking for more opinions or suggestions before I just lay the rock in the sun for a week to reuse. Got a feeling there must be more to it. Do I just use whatever dead organics leftover on old liverock and live sand ( now dead for 3 years.)

Vinny Kreyling · 08/30/2020, 08:35 AM

The sun will bleach the rock white then just a rinse with the hose or power washer, not too hard if you do the power washer. Good to go.

fishhawk123 · 08/30/2020, 09:07 AM

As the title says: Thanks for the speedy replies to you both.
I need desperately to rinse and flush out my display tank from all the 3 yr old salt creep,etc. Will it hurt to leave in the 3yr old dead sand in it if I use tap water? Of course I will drain it all out, but I'm sure there will be some tap water in the old live sand. Am I worrying too much?

And again thanx for y'alls guidance.

Sk8r · 08/30/2020, 09:14 AM

Best treatment for salt creep and calcium carbonate stain is white vinegar, full strength or diluted.
Aiptasia are a minimal threat: pretty easy to get rid of if your water is well-balanced and you have either some shrimp or other species that thinks it delicioius. I almost always have 1 0r 2 in my 100 gallon, never gets any worse.
Tap water is capable of carrying minerals or chemicals you don't want in your tank. I'd at very least use Prime and maybe Polyfilter to get out things best not. Rinse your sand well, and do it while it's still warm. Your garden hose, a gallon of sand at a time, will get it flushed out. Your dry once-live rock can sit in a tub of salt water with heat and circulation and putting one very small live rock in there might speed things along.

fishhawk123 · 08/30/2020, 01:38 PM

Just a thought on your post. There is like an entire film of salt creep coating the entire 6' long 125 display tank on all walls..this happened because it after drained it sat there for 3 years. I realize you said take all the sand out and rinse a gallon at a time with a garden hose, But! would it be sinful to fill the entire tank with a garden hose, stir up the sand vigorously, letting it flush out the overflow until all it flushed and into the lawn until squeaky clean, then later do the same once with pure ro/di water maybe twice, and then add my saltwater?
Or would the unwanted stuff in the tap water bind in the sand even after a couple of complete ro/di water fills, flush, and drains? I mean, the way you put it, your gonna use tap water anyway on the sand a gallon bucket at a time.
The way I would like to do it would just take a 2 buck hose barb to extend my overflow drain hose and maybe an extra 15 feet of vinyl drain hose.

oh anf funny you mentioned vinegar, I just got back from wally mart with a gallon of it for future cleaning purposes.

fishhawk123 · 08/30/2020, 01:53 PM

After 3 long years after the loss of my display tank due to hurricane, I have begun again. I was taking out the dead live rock, brushing thru the cobwebs as I started on scraping the glass walls...then I saw the crime seen! Like a cop show with a chalk outline I saw the fine, frail skeletal remains laying there in perfect array of my yellow Tang. My fave algae eater and king terror of the tank. You will not be forgotten!

Omri · 09/03/2020, 08:41 PM

Good for you - that’s some inspiring dedication

jeremy007 · 09/03/2020, 11:44 PM

Keep at it

fishhawk123 · 09/19/2020, 11:02 AM

Well, rock has been bleaching. Just installed a BRS 6 stage ro/di pro 100gpd just in time for tropical storm Beta to form in gulf. Many of the models showing it a hurricane landing right on top of us. Holding off ordering anything until we see what it does. Never had time to unbox brand new protien skimmer. Simplicity DC 240.

08/29/2020, 11:30 PM	#1
fishhawk123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 59	3 Years after Harvey Hit...and... My home in Rockport, Tx. was ground zero for hurricane Harvey. A devastating cat 4 that leveled my town. We were displaced for a year and took another 2 yrs to fully recover, but now it is time to try and rebuild my setup. Baby steps. My Mancave was flooded by 18" of storm surge flooding and 2 inches of mud covering the floor Lost a good bit of equipment but managed to save a lot too. I have my main display tank: 125gal. 6' long, ghost overflow (triple drain), 55gal homemade sump. various heaters, dc return pump, 20 gal. qt tank, various pumps and powerheads, unused ato system etc. Sadly lost my 65gal dedicated refugium that was plumbed into the system. Workers hit it when rebuilding. lost my ro/di unit (lol, I refuse to trust it after that. lost all my fish and corals. Was not allowed back in the city for a week. Anyway, I refuse to quit because I love it. I have the sand and live rock...now all dead of course and need to re-use it. At the time of my loss I had aptasia introduced in my tank from a guy who gave me his tonga branches and livestock. My question is is there any chance aptasia can withstand 3 years in old live rock or aragonite sand? So the journey begins again...

08/30/2020, 07:30 AM	#3
fishhawk123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 59	Just sun bleach? Can aptasia survive in old liverock after 3 yrs? I was reading that some one here had a thread where they felt the old aptasia infested live/dead rock had to be bleach soaked and then follow it up with a muratic acid dilution, followed by baking soda to neutralize the acid bath to absolutely be 100% sure. I know its sat in the dry dark confines of my dead display tank for 3 years..just wanna be sure. Also, there is bound to be old dead organics on it, even tho my tank was fairly new... maybe 5 to 7 months running then. Looking for more opinions or suggestions before I just lay the rock in the sun for a week to reuse. Got a feeling there must be more to it. Do I just use whatever dead organics leftover on old liverock and live sand ( now dead for 3 years.)

08/30/2020, 08:35 AM	#4
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	The sun will bleach the rock white then just a rinse with the hose or power washer, not too hard if you do the power washer. Good to go. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

08/30/2020, 09:07 AM	#5
fishhawk123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 59	Thanks You As the title says: Thanks for the speedy replies to you both. I need desperately to rinse and flush out my display tank from all the 3 yr old salt creep,etc. Will it hurt to leave in the 3yr old dead sand in it if I use tap water? Of course I will drain it all out, but I'm sure there will be some tap water in the old live sand. Am I worrying too much? And again thanx for y'alls guidance.

08/30/2020, 09:14 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Best treatment for salt creep and calcium carbonate stain is white vinegar, full strength or diluted. Aiptasia are a minimal threat: pretty easy to get rid of if your water is well-balanced and you have either some shrimp or other species that thinks it delicioius. I almost always have 1 0r 2 in my 100 gallon, never gets any worse. Tap water is capable of carrying minerals or chemicals you don't want in your tank. I'd at very least use Prime and maybe Polyfilter to get out things best not. Rinse your sand well, and do it while it's still warm. Your garden hose, a gallon of sand at a time, will get it flushed out. Your dry once-live rock can sit in a tub of salt water with heat and circulation and putting one very small live rock in there might speed things along. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/30/2020, 01:27 AM	#2
MarAquatic Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 689	No it should be good put the rocks in the sun for a few says and let it bleach out Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

08/30/2020, 01:38 PM	#7
fishhawk123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 59	Rinsing sand with garden hose. Just a thought on your post. There is like an entire film of salt creep coating the entire 6' long 125 display tank on all walls..this happened because it after drained it sat there for 3 years. I realize you said take all the sand out and rinse a gallon at a time with a garden hose, But! would it be sinful to fill the entire tank with a garden hose, stir up the sand vigorously, letting it flush out the overflow until all it flushed and into the lawn until squeaky clean, then later do the same once with pure ro/di water maybe twice, and then add my saltwater? Or would the unwanted stuff in the tap water bind in the sand even after a couple of complete ro/di water fills, flush, and drains? I mean, the way you put it, your gonna use tap water anyway on the sand a gallon bucket at a time. The way I would like to do it would just take a 2 buck hose barb to extend my overflow drain hose and maybe an extra 15 feet of vinyl drain hose. oh anf funny you mentioned vinegar, I just got back from wally mart with a gallon of it for future cleaning purposes.

08/30/2020, 01:53 PM	#8
fishhawk123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 59	Sad Yellow Tang After 3 long years after the loss of my display tank due to hurricane, I have begun again. I was taking out the dead live rock, brushing thru the cobwebs as I started on scraping the glass walls...then I saw the crime seen! Like a cop show with a chalk outline I saw the fine, frail skeletal remains laying there in perfect array of my yellow Tang. My fave algae eater and king terror of the tank. You will not be forgotten!

09/03/2020, 08:41 PM	#9
Omri Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Englewood NJ Posts: 28	Good for you - that’s some inspiring dedication

09/03/2020, 11:44 PM	#10
jeremy007 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Williamsburg VA Posts: 50	Keep at it

09/19/2020, 11:02 AM	#11
fishhawk123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 59	Well, rock has been bleaching. Just installed a BRS 6 stage ro/di pro 100gpd just in time for tropical storm Beta to form in gulf. Many of the models showing it a hurricane landing right on top of us. Holding off ordering anything until we see what it does. Never had time to unbox brand new protien skimmer. Simplicity DC 240.