New Tank Setup: Live Rocks

**zorro18** · 1st Apr 2004, 16:40

Need help....silly question.
About to start cycling tonite and bought live rocks.
Do i need to rinse the LR in tap water prior to putting into the tank OR just dump the LR straight away.....???

**BFG** · 2nd Apr 2004, 10:51

Get a pail of water and mixed it with salt until the specific gravity of that water reach 1.030. Dump 1 live rock at a time and pick off any living critter such as worms or crab or any other nsaty creature you found.

**kelstorm** · 5th Apr 2004, 13:34

[quote:b3dc6a8b01="BFG"]Get a pail of water and mixed it with salt until the specific gravity of that water reach 1.030. [/quote:b3dc6a8b01]

That is very high

most fishes will probably

SG at 1.020 to 1.023 will suffice

**kelstorm** · 5th Apr 2004, 13:37

[quote:7f29c8f336="zorro18"]Need help....silly question.
About to start cycling tonite and bought live rocks.
Do i need to rinse the LR in tap water prior to putting into the tank OR just dump the LR straight away.....???[/quote:7f29c8f336]
using LR to cycle? personally, i would prefer to use a sotong or prawn to cycle the tank first before introducing LR.. coz if the ammonia spike, your rocks might just start dying off.... and they dun come cheap...

**BFG** · 6th Apr 2004, 00:25

er, the mixture is for the live rock. As I've learned, this level of specific gravity is to irritate whatever nasty creature living in the live rock to come out of their 'home' in the live rock. Unless Zorro18 bought cured live rock. The mixture is not for the main tank. Live rock needs to be cleared of any nasty critter that might harm the live stock before being added into the main tank.

**kelstorm** · 6th Apr 2004, 11:24

actually, if u are worried by bristleworms, leaving the LR out of the water for 30 mins, they will come out. soaking LR in FW helps too.. However, unless u are planning to keep clams, bristleworms are fine as they help to loosen the DSB to prevent it from becoming too compact.

**zorro18** · 6th Apr 2004, 18:29

I have put the uncured LR since Apr 1 and last nite, I saw some freebies 'growing' on the rocks.....little mushrooms, 3 x featherdusters and brown algae on 2-3 of the rocks.
Ph is a little high at 8.5 so hv to stop adding Ph buffer for a while.
Have not measured SG since Apr 1.

planning to go to PR to buy more LR so my cycling will have to be extended. My plan is to introduce 1 fish in 2 mths and thereafter every 2 weeks. Max is 5 fishes, 2-3 shrimps and some corals.

have yet to add skimmer (via aqua multi PS)...only after tank is established. is this correct OR activate PS 5-days AFTER adding 2nd batch of LR?

Am taking it slowwwwwly.
Ammonia alert is bet Alert & Safe mode. Waiting for ammonia to spike or maybe missed it.
I see lots of tiny, fine-strand, dead white worms on the rocks....what type of worms are they? Is this ok??

**kelstorm** · 7th Apr 2004, 09:29

I have put the uncured LR since Apr 1 and last nite, I saw some freebies 'growing' on the rocks.....little mushrooms, 3 x featherdusters and brown algae on 2-3 of the rocks.

U should not have introduced any livestock including corals during the cycling period. The brown algae is the first sign that u will see when u doing cycling. Using LR to cycle is a expensive way.

planning to go to PR to buy more LR so my cycling will have to be extended.
let your tank cycle all at one time, if not, if u keep introducing LS all the time, the bio-load will increase and the tank will not be stable. Do a proper cycling. My suggestion is that u let your tank stablise for the next 2 weeks and then u increase the live rocks and wait for another 2 more weeks before adding fishes.

have yet to add skimmer (via aqua multi PS)...only after tank is established. is this correct OR activate PS 5-days AFTER adding 2nd batch of LR?
add the skimmer after the tank is mature and ready to add live stock

I see lots of tiny, fine-strand, dead white worms on the rocks....what type of worms are they? Is this ok??they are fine[/b]

**zorro18** · 7th Apr 2004, 11:04

thanks, kelstorm. you hv been a great help esp in replying to my queries.
unlike the 'other' popular forum where they dun bother to even process my application even after 3 weeks!
Mayb they are trying to restrict newbies like me from formally joining their forums.

**kelstorm** · 7th Apr 2004, 12:08

no worries.. i'm glad to be of help... just dun want newbies to go thru the heartache of seeing their livestock dying and doing it wrongly... i just want to share my experiences... and i always believe in saving money whatever i can...

**Jeffrey** · 11th Apr 2004, 10:47

Sorry to intercept, but where is PR? Wanted to look for LR for my coming tank setup.

**zorro18** · 11th Apr 2004, 18:13

[quote:1c29ba7f

="Jeffrey"]Sorry to intercept, but where is PR? Wanted to look for LR for my coming tank setup.[/quote:1c29ba7f

]

PR=Pasir Ris. Iwarna sells LR at S$6/kg the cheapest I can find.
Used to be $5/kg but they raised their prices this week.

Aquarium Iwarna
Address : Plot 133 Pasir Ris Dr 12 Singapore 510000
Telephone : 6583 3536

Not too sure if addr (fr yellow pages) is correct but it's near the Pasir ris Camp.

**Jeffrey** · 12th Apr 2004, 00:55

zorro18,

thank you very much for the address. hope i still can find LR there. LR hard to come by nowadays.

**kelstorm** · 13th Apr 2004, 09:49

i tot PR is paradize Reef??? i might be mistaken... the jargons and short forms are confusing...

**zorro18** · 13th Apr 2004, 10:22

Progress Update since Apr 1:
==================
so far so good; salinity levels @ 1.026 (may want to lower to 1.023)
PH is bet 8.0-8.1 (add PH buffer daily to maintain at 8.3)
some growth on LR:- Macroalgae; brown algae; a few featherdusters; 10 small mushrooms on 1 rock. 1 featherduster seemed bigger....

Added another 5kg uncured LR (total 12kg) on Apr 11 and last nite found couple of small, tiny coco-worms on some LRs.

Lightings: Was using 2x15W Acardia Marine Blue but found lighting too purplish. Swop 1 marine blue light with 1x15 super-white FL but still some purplish tinge. Added another lighting set 1x55w white/white PL light on Apr 12.
My lighting setup now has 2x15w FL Marine Blue & 1x55w PL white/white light.
Is this overkill? Lighting is on for abt 4-5 hrs daily. Total 85w !!

Plan to add the PS either tonight or tomorrow.......

Any tips/comments/advice/suggestions?

**kelstorm** · 13th Apr 2004, 14:31

add the skimmer just before u add your LS... leave the cycling process alone..

the lightings are fine.. but why are u switching on the lights during cycling period?

**zorro18** · 13th Apr 2004, 16:09

actually i hv the lights on 4 hrs daily during the cycling

**kelstorm** · 13th Apr 2004, 16:15

[quote:c0deaa7763="zorro18"]actually i hv the lights on 4 hrs daily during the cycling[/quote:c0deaa7763]
there is actually no need to do so...

**zorro18** · 29th Apr 2004, 14:19

just a quick update:

1. added my 1st baby fake percula clown ($2) & 1 shrimp on Apr 28 togther with 1 mushroom and 1 button. was admiring them the whole night till 0100 am this morning.

2. This afternoon, bought another fire-shrimp, 1xsnail, 1x mandarin, 1xfiregoby, 1xyellow wrasse & 1x shrimpgoby.

Oh, yes. tried to feed nemo last nite with mysis shrimp but only took a bite. Guess I hv to wait another day for it to get accustom to the new environment.
The shrimp was shy hiding bet the rocks the whole nite but this morning, was wandering everywhere!

Feeling excited & sad cos that's my quota for my 2' tank. No more buying fish liao

unless got casualty...touchwood!