A rock question or two.....

[Stanley]

I managed to get a really good deal on Live Rock at two different LFS's yesterday (Local being about an hours drive from here). I got just under 20 lbs from each store and put it all in the tank. The rock at both places had been in their tanks for a while. I also put in a 20 lb. bag of commercially available Live Sand.

A couple of hours later a snail and an urchin poked out of the rock and started crawling around. The urchin is about the size of a silver dollar and how he didn't get squished (or me skewered) during the handling of the rock at the LFS is beyond me. On closer inspection one of the larger rocks appears hollow and I think they were both in there.

As far as cycling goes, should I throw a shrimp in there? I'm a little concerned about the guests health during the process but I've got no where else to put them.

As far as feeding goes, should I put anything in the tank for the critters? I assume the snail will continue eating stuff off the rock but I don't know about the urchin.

Stanley

 

[mojoreef]

Stanley if its a brand new tank that has not gone through a cycle yet, yes you should throw a shrimp in to get the process started. If you can find someone to handle the critters for you while you go through the event that would be best.


Mike

 

[Stanley]

No luck on finding anybody around here to house my little stow-aways.

I just went out and bought a cheap-o 10 gallon "aquarium kit" and got them in there. I was going to buy one anyway for a quarantine tank in the future. The future ended up being today. I plopped a big shrimp in there just a couple of hours ago. They guy behind the counter at the grocery store looked at me real strange when I asked for one shrimp and then wrapped one up at no charge.

I'm still trying to figure out what to feed these guys because there isn't anything in the way of algae in the tank that, according to what I have been able to find out, they normally feed on.

 

[steve-s]

I'm still trying to figure out what to feed these guys because there isn't anything in the way of algae in the tank that, according to what I have been able to find out, they normally feed on.

Just wrap a piece of untoasted Nori around a small rubble rock. Once or twice a week should be good. Just keep tabs on possible ammonia. A detoxifier and/or a water change or two will probably be required until the new ttank is ready.

Cheers
Steve