established FO tank, want LR

[werallanimals1]

i have a 10 gal tank with an ocellaris clown and a yellow-tail damsel. i want LR though and i dont know how to go about doing it. how many pounds should i get? what type? how do i go about putting it in my tank? i have only had the tank for about 2 months, but it is cycled. this is my first SW tank and i just want to get it right. also, i was wondering what types of inverts i could possibly get for it. i seem to be having a problem with green algae as well.

any advice would be greatly appreciated and if i could ask that you be as descriptive as possible. thanks everyone!

[jojo22]

Get yourself another 10 gal or a rubbermaid tub, place the rock (the type is whatever you think looks good) in the tub with a heater and a powerhead, watch the tank/rubbermade rock water like you would for a cycle, once the levels are good take the rock and put it in your tank.

As for inverts acouple of snails (I like turbos), a few micro hermets and a serpent star (I like them but others may disagree).

[khuongtran69]

The living rock is normally the more the better. Make sure you place the side with the most living organisms facing up. This is because they need the light in order to survive. Before you put them in the tank, make sure you remove any dead orgnisms otherwise they will pollute the tank. When you put in the living rock, your green algae should reduce as they have to compete with the LR for the nitrate. But it probablly wont go away altogether as they are extremely hardy. Aslo, putting in a protein skimmer will also reduce the nitrates, thus the algae.

[jojo22]

I'm sorry but that advise is flat out wrong, Live rock does not need light to be live, nor do the organisims on it, which is why most of them come out at night, granted a little macro algae may die but that is like spitting in the sea and thinking it changed the salinity level it makes no real difference. Also if s/he follows the advise I gave above there will be no die off as the rock will be completly cured.

[werallanimals1]

thanks jojo, that advice seems pretty good. i still just have a few questions..

what type of rock is best, as in cured or uncured? to be honest, i dont really understand the difference. how many lbs. should i get for it?

i think my lfs has blue-legged crabs, will those work? im not sure if they have snails. i will have to check it out.

[jojo22]

Ok in your case it would be better to get cured, this will make it's stay in the curing tub shorter, still cure it for at least a week to make sure it is FULLY cured. I have about 30 LBS in my 10 gal but that is excessive, depending on how light the rock is (compared to size, a 2 pound rock can be many different sizes depending on how dense it is) anywhere from 10 Lbs up, I like to fill at least 1/3 of my water volume in the display with LR.

Blue legs will be fine, and I am sure if your LFS has a salt section they either have or can get you some snails.

[Germanman]

i would agree with jojo here and say that curred rock is best as well. also i agree that light isnt needed until the first corals or animals are added.

[jojo22]

But if the tank is to remain FOWLR there would be no need for better lighting. Only if they wanted to keep corals or macros.

[werallanimals1]

well, im not ready for corals just yet.. i wanted to start off slow so i dont have a failure. i want to be an aquarist when i get out of college but i dont know much about saltwater tanks yet.

one thing that i do not understand is how to distinguish what types of hitchhikers are good and which are bad, and what are the best ways to get rid of the bad ones if they dont come out until later.

i have a friend who is an aquarist and he recommended a sea star, but i dont think a sea star would be comfortable in a little ten gal tank. anyone know?

[Reefscape]

NO, you would not put a seastar in there am afraid mate...

On the hitchhikers part, there is a thread in the marine section that has thumb nail pictures of hitchhikers people have post, and whether they are good or bad...all tanks are different and its best to take a pic of them as you see them and well will all do our best to ID them and tell you if you should remove them....

Niko

[werallanimals1]

ok thanks, i will try that. i think i will go with 3-4 blue leg hermits, 2 snails, and some live rock added... i think ill just get 5 lbs to start and then add a little at a time. how big (approximately) is a 5 lb. piece of pacific live rock? (fiji, thats the kind we have at my LFS)

[SHK_ATK]

Fiji is what I have in my tank. its hard to say since all rock pieces are diffrent I would get either two or three BIG pieces maybe 15-25lbs total and cycle them as jojo said. if its cured it can take about a week or two. Other than that your stock looks good.

JoJo what if everyone in the world spit at the exact same time do you think THEN it would change the salinity???:dance2: :huh: :dance2:

[jojo22]

JoJo what if everyone in the world spit at the exact same time do you think THEN it would change the salinity???:dance2: :huh: :dance2:

MOOT POINT!!! There is not enough shoreline for EVERYONE in the world to be close enough, but my guess is that it would go down .001 if it happened.:eek: