Important live rock question.

[beamer256]

I just set up my 28 gallon nano and while I was waiting for my salt to mix,(not knowing how important the salinity level was for the live rock) I put the live rock into a bucket with a mixture salt water that was never tested with a hydrometer. the rocks were only in the bucket for about 20 minutes. So I'm asking if I have killed my new live rock? and how can I tell if it is dead?

[ChicagoReef]

It should be ok. Some of the bacteria and organisms may have died but from what I know most of it is pretty resiliant and what you have should proliferate throughout the tank. When establishing a new aquarium with new live rock you can expect a die off anyways. This is what will spike your amonia and start the cycling process. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in.

Good luck and enjoy your new setup.

[Deathsmile]

Youre rock should be fine as long as you have it in better water now that has some type of flow or powerhead in it to keep the water moving. Get a hydrometer from petsmart or something so you can test it.

[Parrothead]

Please tell me you had at least a hydrometer to check the salinity level before adding you rock and sand to the water

[Ninong]

Hi beamer256,

I put the live rock into a bucket with a mixture salt water that was never tested with a hydrometer. the rocks were only in the bucket for about 20 minutes. So I'm asking if I have killed my new live rock? and how can I tell if it is dead?

In other words, this is saltwater that you made up based on using a measuring cup to measure the salt per gallon, right? And you just hadn't checked it out with your hydrometer. Is that what you're saying?

You really didn't do much harm even if the salinity was way off. I wouldn't be concerned about it. The bacteria survived. You can count on that. Whether you caused any harm to any invertebrates (polychaetes, etc.) that hitchhiked in on the live rock would depend on how extreme the difference was, if any, between the salinity of the water in the bucket with the live rock and the salinity of the tankwater.

I have a hunch you didn't hurt anything.

Good luck!

[beamer256]

Thanks for the help. I had a hydrometer in the tank and the water it is in now is at 1.022

[Ninong]

Thanks for the help. I had a hydrometer in the tank and the water it is in now is at 1.022

That's on the low side for a reef aquarium. I would raise it to at least 1.025 SG. Natural oceanic salinity in the area of tropical reefs is 35 ppt (1.0264 SG).