Pests on Live Rock

[Charlie]

I just ordered 45lbs of Fiji pre-cured live rock from liveaquaria.com. They recommend that the rock be re-cured. I have no livestock in my new FOWLR tank which is just starting to cycle.

I will cure the rock in my tank, as recommended. They also recommend submerging the LR into a bucket filled with SW with a SG of 1.035-1.040, for 1 minute to discharge pests, ie: mantis shrimp,bristle worms and crabs. Supposedly the pests will drop off the rock and into the bucket. You can then choose those inverts that you want to put into the tank and those that you want kept out of the tank.

QUESTION: Which "invertebrate pests" should I put into the tank.????????

Rock should be here in 1 day so I appreciate your responses soon.

Thanks - Charlie

 

[Hara]

sometimes liverock will contain seastars, crabs, snails etc in the crevices. Those would be the good ones to watch for.

 

[Devilishturtles]

IMO, you want everything except for mantis shrimp and fireworms, and some species of crabs (the predatory ones). I love my reef tank most because of the multitude of diverse life in it, even the little worms.

 

[Charlie]

Is there a web page that would show what the tiny inverts look like so I could tell one from another? I assume that the ones that come out of the LR crevises are VERY small.

I've had tropical tanks and cichlid tanks for many years but this SW venture is a WHOLE different ball game.

Reading - Learning - Reading -Learning - Reading - Learning ====== I'll get there yet!

By the way++ You guys here on AA are the BEST. Thanks for all of your advice.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Check out this link:

http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/

It is probably THE best hitchhiker ID pages.

 

[roka64]

I would think, you could add the LR to help the cycle, that way you can do it all at once, feel free to correct me if I am wrong....

 

[Devilishturtles]

I would think, you could add the LR to help the cycle, that way you can do it all at once, feel free to correct me if I am wrong....

You could. That's the way I did it, but either way would work. I guess this way you don't have to worry about trying to get an unwanted hitchhiker out. The hyposalinity method is a little more work.

 

[roka64]

I guess this way you don't have to worry about trying to get an unwanted hitchhiker out. The hyposalinity method is a little more work.

I agree.