best filters?

do new filters need to be broken in?

do you need to condition a new filter before replacing the old one? like say let it run along with the old filter for a few weeks to get the biologicals to grow in it or can you just toss in a new filter and replace the old one immediately out of the box?

also... i put in live sand and live rock before i put in the salt(for about 12 hours)... does this mean my live rock and sand... isnt so live anymore? they were also exposed to air for about 12 hours, does this kill them?

mogurnda said:

Were they also exposed to freshwater? That would be worse than exposure to air.

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yes, initially i put them halfway in 5 gallons of salt water, then another 5 gallons. being how it is a 72 gallon tank, you can imagine how little of the rock was submerged in saltwater, maybe only 10%. the rest in air. the next day i filled the rest of the tank with freshwater, but wasnt exactly sure how much salt to put in, so i went to the LFS for a hydrometer and more salt while the 'live' rock and sand stood submerged in semi-salt water for another 8 hours.

is 8 hours in "semi-saltwater" too long? how about the 12 hours the upper half of the rock was exposed to air?

lets say i purchase more live rock and sand AFTER the tank is done cycling in a couple weeks, will the biologicals from the new batch of sand and rock migrate/mulitply over to the portions/pieces that were exposed to not-so-friendly conditions? I actually do see purple algae and some hairy type stuff growing in the lower half of the live rocks, maybe there is still hope :thud: :bowing: