Advice on Storing Rock for next time

[dragnflyjunk]

Getting out of the hobby for a few months.

Need to break down tank ... new tank won't be up for a few months.
Already started selling what I can sell...
But my fundamental question is about my rock.

I have 4 large pieces of purple rock that is just gorgeous. I wouldn't want to sell it knowing that I'm going to get back into the hobby, albeit a few months down the line.

Can I store it? If so, what do I do? I'm assuming if I just chuck it into plastic bins, it will smell and rot after some time.
Do I need to keep it in saltwater?
Will the coraline algae die off and therefore it's useless for me to store it?

Thanks

 

[rygh]

To save the Coraline, I think you would need to keep it in salt water, with some lighting, and some filtration.
Not that hard. Get a kiddy pool set up temporarily, using equipment from old tank.

 

[aqua-nut]

Other than keeping it alive in water you will loose all the coraline. It will come back, so it's not a total loss if you love the rock shapes.

To store it dry, I'd do at least a bleach treatment and perhaps a muriatic acid bath. This will take the rock back to a totally dead rock and remove organics. If you don't do this it will STINK big time.

How big are the rocks? Perhaps someone in BAR can babysit it for you?

 

[gaberosenfield]

If they aren't too big and your tank had no aiptasia, majanos, flatworms, nudibranchs, or red bugs, I could toss them in my tank. I've been looking for more rock anyway and if they're covered in coralline, some of it will probably grow onto my rocks as well you could get it back from me whenever you want it.