Autoclaving my LR

[Fishfood]

So you are probably going to think I'm crazy but I've had the worst bubble algae problem for a while now. Just a month ago I took out 2 rocks that were mostly covered with the stuff and took it all off. It came back worse in just a month. I took out 3 of my rocks this past week and took off all the coral I had on them. They are sitting outside to let as much die off as possible. My wife is going to take them to work and put them in the autoclave. I'm going to put them in a tub with some live sand and a little bit of rubble rock and reseed them. When/if I get a new tank they will go in first and the other 2 rocks I have will go through the same process. It sucks because these rocks are completely purple with coraline but I think in the long run it will be perfect. I did use a emerald crab in the tank at one point but he didn't just eat the bubble algae, he went after different polyps/acans. I'll let everyone know how this turns out.

[Amphiprion]

Keep us posted. I'm just concerned about the tradeoffs--i.e. forgoing diversity for less algae. I know many folks don't seem to have problems with more sterile systems, but they always seem to be more delicate ones, at least to me. That's the only thing I would worry about, in that if something were to happen, how well would the system be able to cope with such an event with the lowered diversity. I've never been good at maintaining more sterile systems. They've always had problems, but again, that's for me.

[Fishfood]

Well my goal isn't a more sterile system, just to eliminate that bubble algae. Sure everything else is removed with this process but hopefully I can re-introduce enough other stuff and not get the bubble algae back. The problem is how do i remove it from the entire system if I only do one half of the rock at a time. It isn't growing anywhere but on the rock and tunze at this point and really hasn't grown anywhere else. This has to beat taking my rock out every few months and plucking the stuff off. I did that recently and had the entire surfice that was exposed to the light covered again. And I am going to re-cure the stuff for a few weeks in a rubbermaid tub.

[Amphiprion]

You wont' be able to completely remove it in halves. You'd have to do it in one go and let the tank stay dark in the meantime. Even that won't guarantee it, as spores can be resilient. You may end up autoclaving for nothing if you don't do it all at once and let the tank sit in the dark in the meantime.

[Fishfood]

Well one thing I noticed is the areas where I plucked off the bubble algea(outside of the tank) filled in first and fastest when it grew back. I'm assuming that however it attaches to rock also leaves behind something that it regrows from quickly. As it looks now I'll be moving the rock to a bigger tank, hopefully so that might be a plus. Rocks that my current corals are on might allow transfer from one tank to the other, but I don't think my tank will be in great shape when its first set up. My understanding is this stuff loves very clean water. We will see.

[Scott]

You might as well nuke it in the microwave. Autoclaving might not be that much different and the outcome will probably be the same.

[Fishfood]

The autoclave is at my wifes work and if that stinks... I don't care. If I used the microwave here at the house and things stink we have a problem. Might as well use the Chem Lab I have available to me.

[Scott]

True. Didn't you "cook" your live rock back when that was popular? I still have mine in a tub in my garage. It's white but still alive, well at least it smell like it. That is how I know when the water level is getting low.

[Fishfood]

Cooking it is still the way to go I believe. I didn't have time for it and didn't mind wiping out the rock. This rock was actually cooked probably 4 yrs ago. I'm going to have to cure it fairly well I assume after baking it.

[Neuticle]

You might as well nuke it in the microwave. Autoclaving might not be that much different and the outcome will probably be the same.

Hmmm....

Microwaves + aragonite may be an interesting combination, let me know how that works. lol

[Fishfood]

Well its done. She said it smelled bad but the autoclave she used was their old one they used for waste. At 144 Celcius and who knows what pressure everything should be good. I found a few small clams that came out of one of the rocks. I hate to lose that diversity but killing the bubble algae is what I wanted. Time to set up a rubbermaid tub and get some ls and rock rubble that has life and let these things come back to life. I may take the other 2 rocks out and do the same without putting any of the other rock back in. I only have 3 small gobies so I don't think their biological load on the tank is huge and the skimmer and sand should be able to take care of the stuff.