Basically, if something says they get to 20" in the wild but only 6-8" in captivity, it means its not healthy or not doing very good and results in a shorter life span. The myth that fish only grow to the size of thier enclosure is false.
Live Rock
- Thread starter Bill1171
- Start date
Keeping mostly Freshwater Cichlids over the years I was not sure if the same was true Saltwater species. I guess I should have know better... 
Thanks Bill
Thanks Bill
Base rock will start to pick up critters and good algaes quickly. If you start a 50/50 split, I'd say within 6 months the base will have noticable growth, and within a year, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference. With less live rock intitially, or with poor quality rock, it will take longer.
Actually, freshwater fish are typically less troubled by short term conditions that stunt. There are many species that find naturally occuring conditions that stunt them--small streams, lakes and ponds that dry up, etc. Saltwater fish naturally have no exposure to this--the ocean doesn't dry up, and no part of it is smaller than the rest. FW species are often able to grow very slowly in less than ideal conditions for several years, and then grow 'normally' again as conditions improve. SW fish can not.
Actually, freshwater fish are typically less troubled by short term conditions that stunt. There are many species that find naturally occuring conditions that stunt them--small streams, lakes and ponds that dry up, etc. Saltwater fish naturally have no exposure to this--the ocean doesn't dry up, and no part of it is smaller than the rest. FW species are often able to grow very slowly in less than ideal conditions for several years, and then grow 'normally' again as conditions improve. SW fish can not.
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yah, like OG says, the quality of the rock will determine the amount of critters that come out.
The curing process could kill a lot of the critters, so if you buy "cured" rock you can expect less.
When I started my reef tank I would grab a pound of live sand from every fish store in the area (about 7 I went to) also grab a piece or two (2-5 pounds) of live rock from as many sources as possible to add diversity.
Finally, adding a bag of Garf Grunge would seem like a great way to go! although I've yet to try it, i will be doing it on my next reef!
The curing process could kill a lot of the critters, so if you buy "cured" rock you can expect less.
When I started my reef tank I would grab a pound of live sand from every fish store in the area (about 7 I went to) also grab a piece or two (2-5 pounds) of live rock from as many sources as possible to add diversity.
Finally, adding a bag of Garf Grunge would seem like a great way to go! although I've yet to try it, i will be doing it on my next reef!
Hey,
what color is garf grunge? If I added it on top of white aragonite sand, would it turn the sand brown or anything like that? does anyone have experience putting it on dead base rock to grow coralline/how long did that take?
what color is garf grunge? If I added it on top of white aragonite sand, would it turn the sand brown or anything like that? does anyone have experience putting it on dead base rock to grow coralline/how long did that take?
