[Daddyoh1]

Hey Folks, just purchased some Marshall Island rock. The rock looks real good great shapes and pourous and lots of purple. The question, Bought it from someone breaking down his tank which was not in the best of shape, fish looked healthy but tank has been neglected, I'm told that he had a Tang which of course gets ich, should I be concerned about the rock pours I am Qting it, cleaned it, and hypo. Should I be ok ? is this overkill ? please give me your thoughts. PS I'm putting it in a new tank which has not even started to cycle.

[Ganrin]

The life cycle of ich requires the presence of fish. If you are concerned about the possibility of ich spores on the rock keep it in a tank with out fish for 8 weeks and you will have broken the life cycle. It would be the same as letting a display tank "go fallow" for 8 weeks to eradicate ich from it.

[pogodzib]

I definitely would not clean it or do hypo on it. If you feel it is full of gunk from not being kept up, you may want to consider "cooking" it (no, not in the oven). Otherwise, if you leave it in a tank that is fishless for 6-8 weeks, all ich parasites will die off. You can even light the rock with actinic lighting to help it maintain or grow more coraline on it.