Hello all!
Was a bit disappointed in the LR I ordered online from oceanproaquatics.com. There weren't really any LIVE hitchhickers at all on the rock. The only thing in the past couple weeks that has grown out of the rocks is brown algae. It's slowly been picking up, with some hints of coralline algae, and something else that I'm not sure what it is but will get a photo of and post.
But, for long story short, picked up a few pieces of LR from the LFS today to supplement my existing rock. Hoping that since there's way more existing rock than new, and it's stabilized to 0ppm as far as ammonia/nitrites go, the new stuff won't spike it much. Did a 25% water change after introducing everything anyway, just to be safe. They'd been curing the rock in the store for a week, and I transported it in a bucket of good SW from store to my tank.
Before placing the new rock into the tank, did a *little* rearranging of the existing rock, since I found out it isn't good to have it placed up against the back. Luckily not much had been touching the back. Oops.
So, onto the questions:
1. On the new rock, there's a few cool hitch-hikers. A red mushroom, which has already opened up to three times the size it was in the store; more little featherdusters than I've ever seen in a tank before; and some good looking pink/purple coralline algae. I places the rock with the mushroom under a big flat rock, as I was under the impression they didn't need much light. It doesn't get any direct light under there, but lots of current. Then I read they need light? Doh. Well, the rock's not moving, because I don't want to rearrange the tank again. Will this be a problem, or will the mushroom still spread/move like I've also read?
2. Small feather dusters: Recommendations on foods/brands to use, general care, etc. I like the look of the little fellows, but there are an awfully lot of them (they COVER one of the rocks I bought), and I'd like them to live.
3. Will turbos or hermits mess with the new hitch-hikers, in anyone's experience?
Thanks, and sorry it's lengthy.
Was a bit disappointed in the LR I ordered online from oceanproaquatics.com. There weren't really any LIVE hitchhickers at all on the rock. The only thing in the past couple weeks that has grown out of the rocks is brown algae. It's slowly been picking up, with some hints of coralline algae, and something else that I'm not sure what it is but will get a photo of and post.
But, for long story short, picked up a few pieces of LR from the LFS today to supplement my existing rock. Hoping that since there's way more existing rock than new, and it's stabilized to 0ppm as far as ammonia/nitrites go, the new stuff won't spike it much. Did a 25% water change after introducing everything anyway, just to be safe. They'd been curing the rock in the store for a week, and I transported it in a bucket of good SW from store to my tank.
Before placing the new rock into the tank, did a *little* rearranging of the existing rock, since I found out it isn't good to have it placed up against the back. Luckily not much had been touching the back. Oops.
So, onto the questions:
1. On the new rock, there's a few cool hitch-hikers. A red mushroom, which has already opened up to three times the size it was in the store; more little featherdusters than I've ever seen in a tank before; and some good looking pink/purple coralline algae. I places the rock with the mushroom under a big flat rock, as I was under the impression they didn't need much light. It doesn't get any direct light under there, but lots of current. Then I read they need light? Doh. Well, the rock's not moving, because I don't want to rearrange the tank again. Will this be a problem, or will the mushroom still spread/move like I've also read?
2. Small feather dusters: Recommendations on foods/brands to use, general care, etc. I like the look of the little fellows, but there are an awfully lot of them (they COVER one of the rocks I bought), and I'd like them to live.
3. Will turbos or hermits mess with the new hitch-hikers, in anyone's experience?
Thanks, and sorry it's lengthy.
