Transferring to a new Biocube 32, need live rock advice for starters

[acousticangel]

History : I had a 29 gallon biocube set up in 2013 with Fiji live rock and failed attempts at corals. I upgraded with same live rock in my 75 gallon but prioritized my sick blue hippo ick problem over my corals (only had a few) and decided to stay fowlr for the time being. Medical issues in 2018 led me to moving in with mom and being bed bound for 6 months I only kept the 2 (mean) clowns from 2013, and same live rock alive till finally ready to transfer to my new home in a newly purchased biocube 32 again. I have did the mod for the media basket and the Tunze 9001.001 skimmer to fit in compartment 2, I have innovative marine reactor (desktop) on the way, back order. I’m planning on going glass bottom tank to reduce detritus build up this time. Moms tired of taking care of my clowns. I’m still undecided if I’ll do reef or not, they have bitten chunks out of my fingers and the heavy duty gloves make coral placement and handling difficult.

Current problem and question-
Due to lower maintenance while at moms in a 29 gallon tall tank with hob filter, lots of algae and detritus worms have been an issue. I know there is an infestation of worms in that rock. I want them gone or greatly reduced but not sure if I want to do the natural cure (dark bucket for months) because I have still nice coralline agar grown left on my live rock. How is the best to start the new tank with my Fiji rock saving the bacteria and coralline without worms and current detritus/algae etc.

[Sniperhank]

I would just dunk them and give them a good scrub in a bucket of old saltwater during your next water change. Siphon out as much gunk as you can. A couple powerheads will keep detrius from settling. I don't really see much wrong that can't be fixed with some elbow grease.

[acousticangel]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

I would just dunk them and give them a good scrub in a bucket of old saltwater during your next water change. Siphon out as much gunk as you can. A couple powerheads will keep detrius from settling. I don't really see much wrong that can't be fixed with some elbow grease.

Will that kill the worms tho, they’re pretty bad

[Sniperhank]

You don't want to kill off the beneficial members of your tank. They are bristle worms, and it is their job to clean up the gunk in your tank. There are lots of them and most likely also large ones because of the nutrients in the tank that are causing the issues. They aren't the problem, it is all the uneaten food and poop decomposing in the tank that is feeding the algae and the worms that is the issue.
Dunking the rocks in old tank water will pull some of them out of the rocks, but not all. As they aren't bad members of your system and simply doing their job I would highly suggest not trying to eradicate them. If it is something you are dead set on, then dunk the rocks all in fresh water instead of salt. Everything will come flooding out of the rock as they struggle to breathe and die.

[acousticangel]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

You don't want to kill off the beneficial members of your tank. They are bristle worms....

I forgot to mention what they look like, as I have not quite found an exact picture online but due to the fact they have not harmed fish I 'assumed' detritus worms. However you said Bristle worms. They are white, quite large, 2-3 inches in length and fat like an earth worm. They liked staying in the deep crushed coral in my 75. I have a glass bottom in this 'temporary' 29 gallon so they must have been some on the live rock as thats where they are now. But I will try that fresh water dunk, but I want to not harm my Coralline or Bacteria on the rock. I have put off this process a few days till i am 100% sure that I will not harm the rock. A guy at an online fish store told me to start from scratch with 'new rock' (dry, no pests) but I like my fiji rock. Call me sentimental lol

[Sniperhank]

Just dunk them in water if it is something that concerns you. It'll bring everything out of the rocks. Just get new sand for the transfer, something I recommend doing anyway.

[acousticangel]

OMG I just found out the hard way, they sting! No I didn’t wear gloves. It’s just live rock right? The local aquarium sold me Prazipro, soaked them in that with the old tank water as I bushed the surface lightly with a scrubbing brush for light debris removal. On one finger I found to was stinging after. Thought hmmm, Sharp rock? Salt water? Just like a paper cut. Then later as mom said I have high ammonia readings in my fish tank, I decided to just go ahead and place the rock in the tank out of the Prazipro bucket, and tomorrow go rescue my 2 clowns from the debris heavy poison tank. (Everyone saying bristle worms are beneficial after all for detritus buildups) When I lifted up the most porous rock on the bottom, I found most had went there, I picked off what I could and placed it in there on top of my new sand I also bought today. Immediately I notice the paper cut feeling on the fingers of that hand now. Still not knowing what. Now I just woke in the middle of the night and it’s quite painful red and swollen. I randomly ask google “do bristle worms sting?” Now the stingers are embedded, and don’t have white vinegar here (yet, it’s the middle of the night) so I hope when I get up tomorrow and get some it will still work. I’m so embarrassed as my mother was helping. She’s going to be even more repulsed. She handled the filter media that had some in it too. I hope she’s ok. There are hundreds in that tank. I don’t think the Prazipro worked at all. Now what? Perhaps a bristle worm trap daily seeing that there’s no food yet in the new tank, it should be a viable option?

Updated... I found some apple cigar vinegar, trying that.

[acousticangel]

Oh and the reason I choose Prazipro is the fresh water kills beneficial bacteria I hear. Trying to keep that so the tank won’t cycle.

[Sniperhank]

Well, with high ammonia readings that is all coming from all the food and gunk decomposing that got stirred up when you removed the rock that went into the water column.
A bristle worm trap might help. But why aren't we doing a dunk before transfer the rock into the new tank? Putting it back into the other tank will just re-infest. We already went over not bringing over the sand, that will keep the excess nutrients and the worms, at least a majority. So a dunk and transfer.
As for the bristle worms 'sting', that is the bristles. They are lined with them. A mild irritant for us. I've never used vinegar to fix the bristles being stuck in me, I just scrub them out. Just like a bee sting, remove the 'stinger'. They are white and hard to see so tweezers would be much more difficult.

[Sniperhank]

I had to come back, as it's too early in the morning for me to function I guess. I'm pretty certain that Prazipro won't kill bristle worms as they aren't the same type of worms that you would be using Prazipro to treat the fish. Just do a freshwater dip for the rock. A bucket of old water from a water change or something and literally dunk them in there. Scrub em off and transfer.

[acousticangel]

By the time I read that I already had them in the new tank. Using a trap now. Have not brought the clowns over yet due to the problems I’m having with my hands. I didn’t know they are dangerous. Found out the hard way. The doctors are stumped for now. I’m catching them tho.

[Sniperhank]

The sting of a bristle worm can have an allergic reaction like a bee sting. It's why some people wear gloves when working in their tank. I'd suggest it in your future.

[acousticangel]

Well yeah I certainly figured this out the night I first noticed the swelling. I gather they seem to think I picked up a secondary infection from the bacteria on the live rock being an opportunistic secondary infection. They extended my antibiotics 5 more days. This interrupted my covid shot too. Not to mention I’m a professional guitarist and god knows when I will be able to play again or if painless ever.

[acousticangel]

Look carefully: https://gyazo.com/cac408c41f897854a6c043c5cc8e9197
Not for the squeamish at heart

[acousticangel]

Update:
Finger- Well... the pain is finally down from my surgery, only splint at night, still keep it bandages, still a bad wound and stitches and still can’t play guitar or apply pressure.

Tank: My 2 Clowns are FINALLY home as of a few days ago. I’m so happy about that!!! I have a bad algae bloom tho running GFO. ordered a phosphate test kit. Need help dropping phosphate leaves fast!

Worms- gonna try making the large bristle worm trap from YouTube. There’s still a lot in there. I’d say over 100. So what was one more rock gonna hurt? So when I brought my clowns over I brought the last live rock piece I left with them. I soaked it in fresh water this time! While I was at it “WITH GLOVES TO MY ARMPITS!” I finally got to aquascape the tank, and found 2 of the about 7 rocks had a high concentration of worms so I just soaked and dunked them in fresh water too. About 20-30 worms were dead in the bucket and I’m sure as many were dead in the rock. Diatom bloom in the tank is starting I think. I’m going to put the trap I make this week in as that little glass one was too small. The bigger worms would still be outside just munching away on the food with the top 2 inches of its body then just back out. I hope I make the trap correctly. I am using aquarium air hose tubing is that gonna be too wide?