Live Rock question

[newfishhobbyist]

Hi all,

We are starting a FOWLR soon and I had a question about live rock. One of the LFS's has fiji live rock but it's all white. Will this turn purple eventually or do we need to find a LFS that has live rock with purple on it already?

Thanks!

 

[melosu58]

It will turn all different colors again once your LR has been in the tank for awhile. Provided your alk and calcium and magnesium are OK.

 

[mtlion]

I agree with melosu it will turn all kinds of colors. Mine was pretty much white on arrival but now it is looking good.

 

[newfishhobbyist]

Does the water have to have specific salinity while curing?

 

[roka64]

Within normal/stable parameters. In other words, if you don't have a drastic swing in salinity from what you want your tank to run at, you should be good. A drastic change could kill off both the bacteria and coreline.....

 

[newfishhobbyist]

BIOCUBE 29 - I have a couple of more questions. The LR we purchased was cured at the LFS. It had purple all over it and the owner claims it was cured for a year??? I'm not sure if I completely believe that. Anyhoo, my questions are:

1.) do we still need to cure it again?
2.) should we have the lights on? (we have the factory biocube 29 lights)
3.) are we supposed to feed it? (it has a baby starfish & a barnacle)

Thanks again!

 

[roka64]

Curing is only the process of the nitrogen cycle. Basically, the beneficial bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrItes to nitrAtes, and usually takes up to or a little more than 6 weeks.

1. Not if you kept it wet during transport or had a short trip back home.
2. Lights will help.
3. You can add a small pinch of food, test your water parameters. It might be a Turkey wing clam and not really a barnacle...I believe those live in cooler water, but a pic would help.

 

[newfishhobbyist]

Ok...I think we identified what we thought was a barnacle. It's a feather duster tube worm. Sorry for the amateur-ness.

 

[thincat]

One point on the different colors of coralline algae, you will only get colors that are on the LR. It might be just a tiny piece to start with. So if you want purple it has to be there or you have to bring it in. It might come in on a snail or with some coral that you purchase. If it's not there it won't grow from thin air.

 

[newfishhobbyist]

Ok...thank you. I have a few more questions.
1.) The LR seems cured...do we still add a piece of shrimp for the cycling?
2.) If not, how do we cycle the tank?
3.) calcium: 360 (we are treating it everyday to bring this up, kh: 7 Is the purple coraline on the rock bleaching slightly because of the calcium? Any other suggestions if it's not that?

 

[newfishhobbyist]

Ok...so I read again about the humane cycling process. We are going to go buy a shrimp (we have a biocube29). We have a couple of starfish, some feather duster tubeworms and a tiny shrimp. Will these die off while it's cycling? Also, will you please chime in on the purple bleaching out? Thanks again!

 

[roka64]

If you believe the tank had cycled with the LR, try a pinch of fish food and wait about 3-4 days and read for ammonia/nitrItes. If none are present you don't need the shrimp.
The bleaching may be due to the transport of the rock/newer lighting/contact with air and will grow back.

 

[thincat]

Okay, Yes the shrimp acts as your nitrogen source and will speed up your cycle. If you used all very cured LR you might only have a short cycle. If you go the cheaper route add the shrimp.
Don't add anything to your tank now. No Calcium, No Alk!!! Just cycle the tank and check your SG, Also as the cycle goes on you will need to test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and SG. Find a liquid test kit, not the strip type. API is a good starter kit.

 

[Yellow Eye Tang]

If your live rock IS indeed cured, than as long as you have enough of it for your tank then cycling will not be too difficult. Just keep checking your perameters to make sure you do do not have ammonia, nitrate or nitrite spikes. If it is not cured then it will take quite a bit of time to cycle depending on the size of the tank. Once again, check the perameters and do PWC every day or so. Once your perameters are stable your good to go. Coraline in my tank always showed up as a hardened type algae, green in color, then turned white, and eventually purple. I cant tell you why but thats how it was in my tank.

 

[newfishhobbyist]

Will the animals I have on the LR die off from the cycling with the shrimp? The ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all zero.