Live Rock specifics

[CRASHJT]

I am setting up another tank and need some new live rock. I never had to purchase any because my current tank came with it all....My question is what do you look for in live rock, or good live rock....One of my LFS has some with what I know are NOT good anemane on it and some other places call their rock fiji rock how can you really tell? Any tips?

[fishtk75]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14434020#post14434020 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CRASHJT
I am setting up another tank and need some new live rock. I never had to purchase any because my current tank came with it all....My question is what do you look for in live rock, or good live rock....One of my LFS has some with what I know are NOT good anemane on it and some other places call their rock fiji rock how can you really tell? Any tips?

Can you get from them dead dry coral white rocks? That is what I did and save money. You have live rock in other tank and cycled water. I set up with that because you can make that rock live rock. Add a small rock and water from other tank and watch it turn to live rock it takes time to cycle.

[CRASHJT]

say I do a water change on the other tank add like 15 gallons of that water then fill the rest with new water??? that would speed up the cycle huh.....

[fishtk75]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14435522#post14435522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CRASHJT
say I do a water change on the other tank add like 15 gallons of that water then fill the rest with new water??? that would speed up the cycle huh.....

It will help speed up that the old tank has source of living nitrifying bacteria in the water. And that with a small amount of live sand from old tank to seed the new tank. You still need to wait 30 days or so and do not change any water in new tank. Then only when the tests show no ammonia and nitrite readings will drop to zero.
Lightly siphoning up any loose waste and/or nuisance type algae that may be present on the bottom of the tank when cycle is done. This does NOT mean to siphon clean the substrate and suck the bacteria that you need out.
Also you do not need the lights for this.

Then do a small 10% water change once done and the system is restarted, let the tank run for a day or two to allow it to settle out. During this run time check and make adjustments to parameters of the aquarium water that may be needed, such as the temperature and salinity.

When zero with the tests the lights can be turned on and two or three fish at a time. Add a small piece of live rock with coraline algae to seed the tank.



Now there is a second cycle the tanks go thought an algae bloom that can occur at this stage it needs to cycle too when fish are added and the tank needs to catch up to the load.