Lights for live rock

[SanDiegoreefer]

Starting my first aquarium. Just bought about 46 lbs of live rock and stuck it in the tank (46 gal).

Do I need to run my lights? If so, how important is the amount of time I let them run? When is the best time to run them?

Also, how critical is the salinity for the rock? My meter's reading between 1.017 and 1.018.

[Bcollins111900]

You can get by with PC's on the rock, just depends on what corals you want to keep down the road. Halides for SPS and Clams, PC's for LPS and Softies. The light plays a big parts as it is LIVE rock. Some corals come in on live rock and you want to keep them healthy. I would raise the salinity up a little bit as well. To low or to high of salinity can be a bad thing. I would run the lights for 6-8 hours a day.

[meco65]

The lights dose not need to be ran for the LR, but if there is coralline algae, it will need the light. Eight hours a day should be ok to start. The salinity will not hurt the LR but might hurt the critters that live inside the rock, worms, pods and such.

[SanDiegoreefer]

So what's the best way to get the salinity up? I'm guessing change out some water with some that's a little on the salty side? What's the highest salinity water I can put in without doing any harm?

[SanDiegoreefer]

Also, do you mean by PC's, SPS, and LPS?

[jimbo045]

I would run around 1.025-26. Just get a bag of Marine salt and sprinkle it in abit and check. JD