Total newbie with my first question of many!

[Ocicat]

I'm brand new to this forum and to saltwater aquariums in general. I don't even have a tank yet, in fact. I spent years with a freshwater aquarium, and I learned the hard way how fragile that was; my impression has always been that a SW tank is even more of a balancing act, so I'm researching it before diving in head first.

During a recent visit to a local saltwater fish store, I received some advice that sounded good and sincere, although now I'm questioning it, not only because I've seen many disparaging remarks here about the advice from fish stores, but also because the guy gave me the impression that it isn't really all that complicated to run a SW aquarium... An idea that I suspected was wrong, and which has quickly been totally negated when I started reading all this talk of phosphates and nitrates and cycling and special (distilled?) water and special lighting and on and on... Anyhow, he told me about live rock and said that I would need it to start the aquarium.

In discussions on live rock here, I have seen mention of the creatures that come along with the live rock. Some of the questions have centered around whether certain creatures are desirable for whatever you intend for your particular tank. So my question (finally) is: What do you do if your live rock brings in an animal that won't work with the intended tank? Is there a kinder option than killing it? What if my live rock brings in little starfish that won't work with coral, and I have my heart set on coral?

I don't even kill bugs. (Ok, except for roaches and centipedes... But everyone else just gets gently relocated outdoors. ; ) )

Thanks for any advice... I imagine I will have countless questions for you all as I get started.

 

[gsxrguru2]

Welcome to the forum!!!! My experience with what I've read on the site is that if you have an animal that is undesirable you use traps (coke bottle method for example) and either take them to the LFS or possibly put it in your fuge, and thats assuming it's something you want to keep but is at risk in the large tank. I am sure there are many other options and others will be sure to chime in.

 

[talloulou]

The store I bought my live rock from assured me they could take any "undesirable" creatures back since their reef tank is so full creatures it's almost impossible for them to know what they are selling you with each hunk of rock. On my rock I got a starfish, a clam, and a shrimp. I was also told to view my tank in the evening and early morning as their may be critters that I will never see during the day residing in my tank 8O

 

[StrongBad]

I agree, with gsxguru2. Many fishstores will be happy to take your little critters off your hand and even give you in store credit. I just took an emerald crab back that got too big for my tiny tank and got a bunch of snails and dwarf hermits in exchange.

 

[Ocicat]

Thanks for the welcome and the info!

I'm relieved to hear that the stores will take them — I was afraid that they might be so common and/or undesirable that the stores wouldn't want them.

gsxrguru2, what is a "fuge"?

 

[20 20]

Hope you don't mind me throwing in a newbie live rock question here! How long before you start seeing the 'critters'? I've had live rock in my tank for 5 days now, and has started seeing a few 'pods' (I believe), but that's it. What's normal for seeing the critters? Right away? If so, then I don't have any. A week? Two weeks? I'm just getting a bit concerned because I'm not seeing much yet, but maybe I'm just too impatient!

 

[austinsdad]

gsxrguru2, what is a "fuge"?

Refugium.

I'd also like to welcome you to AA. Get Robert Fenner's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" for a good read before you target or buy anything. Very helpful beginner's book - all except the cycling with fish part. The book is a little older than that newer cycling process with grocery store shrimp.

Good luck to you.

 

[greenmaji]

the "special" water is RO or RO/DI water..

 

[gsxrguru2]

Ocicat, like austinsdad said the book conscientous marine aquarist is an invaluable investment for obtaining info on this hobby. I got my copy on half.com or ebay for about 17.00 after shipping.
The refugium is a small habitat that is basically established in your sump that houses all sorts of plants and algae that have a very positive overall effect on the tank as far as helping to keep the water clean or at least that is my overall take on them. HTH and good luck!!!

 

[pelochas]

i got that book also from ebay but for $15.49 after shipping.

 

[gsxrguru2]

I thought i was getting a good deal on it at the time because all the other auctions for it were going for about 5 dollars more, but because it was shipped from Canada it took almost 5 weeks to arrive. I was told that USPS from Canada is extremely slow- I'll never buy from that seller again...

 

[talloulou]

Hope you don't mind me throwing in a newbie live rock question here! How long before you start seeing the 'critters'? I've had live rock in my tank for 5 days now, and has started seeing a few 'pods' (I believe), but that's it. What's normal for seeing the critters? Right away? If so, then I don't have any. A week? Two weeks? I'm just getting a bit concerned because I'm not seeing much yet, but maybe I'm just too impatient!

I think it depends on where you buy the rock. I've been to many different stores and some have live rock tanks where the rock doesn't look too alive at all, in my opinion. Then others have huge reef tanks and the rocks look very alive with purple and other colors.

 

[mykpoz]

In discussions on live rock here, I have seen mention of the creatures that come along with the live rock. Some of the questions have centered around whether certain creatures are desirable for whatever you intend for your particular tank. So my question (finally) is: What do you do if your live rock brings in an animal that won't work with the intended tank? Is there a kinder option than killing it? What if my live rock brings in little starfish that won't work with coral, and I have my heart set on coral?

I am sure more people then just myself can let you know that the hitchhikers and the types depend on where you get your liverock.

An example.... I got all my liverock from www.liverocks.com, as many people here have done. They are freshly aquacultured and stored in a wonderful facility. They are handled and packed with great care, so that they arrive to your door as almost as alive as they got them from the water. Some liverocks will require you to cure them to remove die off, but almost all people who buy from liverocks.com have been successful just putting it in to the tank without seeing any adverse effects.

This being said, there are two major hitch hikers you can/will get on your rock... one is a mantis shrimp and the other is the aiptasia.

The mantis shrimp that comes from the Keys/carb. area, is not the harpooning beasts, nor are they the 7+ inch monsters that you hear about from the other side of the globe, from what I can tell and LR.com can explain they are a much smaller and much more docile species.

Now the aiptasia that can come on their rock, is also supposed to be a different species, from the rapid reproducing species from the indian ocean area, where here, they are also mentioned as rock anemones, I have had one in my tank for 2 months, and it has neither grown very much, nor have I had an outbreak, and Mike down at LR.com has had the solitary '1' in his tank for over a year without any issues.

I will stress this though:

LR is one the most important forms of filtration that you can have in your tank, so please stock to 1-2lbs per gallon in your tank. You can get LR and seed that into baserock from places like www.hirocks.com but that is your choice, as in time the base rock will be thriving with life as well.

I will also comment that LR.com has the best rock have seen anywhere, and the amount of life that you get from their rock is unbelievable, and is worth the extra few dollars even IF you find someone cheaper.

HTH and WELCOME TO AA

 

[Ocicat]

Regarding the book — I'm all over it. It looks like what Half.com carries was printed in 1997, and what Borders has was reprinted in 2001. I wonder if the reprint contains any updates, like with regard to the issue of cycling that austinsdad mentioned.

I've noticed all the rave reviews of liverock.com, and I will definitely order mine from them!

 

[Hulrick]

been a proud owner of that book and many others for amost 10 years.ill be checking that LR.com site in a few to get myself ready for what to buy when my system is a few weeks olds to make sure everything is nice and ready myself