Need some critter advise!!!

[Bgywrinkle]

Just got my first 20#s of live rock from Exotic Marine Fish Wholesalers in Everett MA--(wife didn't want to drive all over H--- to buy and we are in this together). Ended up with Fiji and Carribean Rock -- LOTS of life and that is what concerns me.

There seem to be 4-5 attached clams and 2-3 small Brain?? corals. This is a completely steril tank prior to adding this rock.

Should I be feeding these clams etc. to prevent their loss??

This puts things a little ahead of where I'd thought I be just adding "live" rock. I guess that's why it's called "live".

Any help will be greatly appreciated as I hate to see anything unnessarily die.

TIA,
Don



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May you be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

[jmick01]

Well if you want to preserve any life that is on the rock frequent h2o changes to help keep the ammonia low. Also a common practice is to scrub the rock real good to rid any unwanted algae and freshwater dip to rid it of possible mean critters.

JMM

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Remember Fish are alive when we get them, lets keep it that way!!!

[This message has been edited by jmick01 (edited 02-25-2001).]

[hcp28]

I'll have to disagree JMM I'd say not to scrub anything off because you want to keep as much of the algae and things on there. I mean it is uncured LR right? that's the reason you bought it for it's life. As for the FW dip I'd say sure, but that's good for parasites and things that can affect your fish, I'd say do a high saline dip to drive out and inverts that may be hiding in your rock. give it a minute to a minute and a half and you should see some life crawling out of your rock. This way you can keep those pesky mantis shrimps and fire worms out. HTH JMO

Henry

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Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall down an open manhole and die.
-Mel Brooks

[jmick01]

well uncured lr does not have all benificial algae, such as hair algae. I have seen many pieces of lr in lfs w/ this problem. And of course you wouldnt scrub off coraline. Maybe I was to vague. I did not know about the difference between the dips. Thanks hcp28 . Allways learning something

JMM

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Remember Fish are alive when we get them, lets keep it that way!!!

[Bgywrinkle]

Just a little clarification, The live rock has load of coraline on it amoung all the other life -- this is supposedly cured rock and has been in tanks for 30 - 60 days
no smell what so ever. It was sealed up after removal form the holding tanks and placed in my tank less than an hour after that.

If what I am looking at is brain coral and some small molusks inbeded in the rock should I be feeding them anything??

Thanks for the responces, I didn't know about the high saline solution -- I'll use this with the next batch.

Look forward to hearing more from all.

Regards,
Don

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May you be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

[hcp28]

The dip is a 1.030 - 1.031 solution since I forgot to mention it. As for feeding the brains. If you have your lights up and everything and your sand bed in. I'd say go ahead and feed small amounts. You don't want to overload your bacterial bed and get another spike. Start adding inverts and detrivores once you are sure there is no cycle. Even during the short transportation there could have been some die off so do some tests to be certain. I think lighting is more important than feeding.
What kind of substrate and filtration are you planning on using? Do you have that refugium set up yet? I don't know how much lighting brain corals need your going to have to post again or maybe someone will chirp in. HTH

Henry

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Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall down an open manhole and die.
-Mel Brooks

[jmick01]

hcp28
Thanks for the info on the dip

JMM

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Remember Fish are alive when we get them, lets keep it that way!!!

[srgtkoons]

Most brains are fairly low light critters. And they will be ok without food for a while. I had a red open brain for about 3 months before i started feeding it. And it was doing fine. The clams are another thing. If they are just your normal filter feeding mollusks then if you wish to save them. Id target feed a small amount of DTs phytoplankton. And probably the most important thing at the moment is your ammonia levels if there was any die off and whatnot then youll need to do frequent water changes to save the hitchhikers.

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I have the mind of a 5 year old and own a fire extinquisher you cant imagine the things i do.

[SKRIZ]

I wouldn't do a freshwater dip. I like the high salt dip...it works great! THe FW dip I use on fish only, never on anything else. Inverts are just so delicate, it is not worth chancing it...you can always eradicate the algae with snails/hermit crabs. Also, you do not need to feed everyday, this will help out until the tank settles.

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It seems like the more I know, the less I want to know.

[Bgywrinkle]

Sorry I couldn't reply earlier, I got in.

Henry (aka HCP28},
Thanks for the advise. My tank is a 40 long with a 3 1/2+ Southdown playsand bed. Lighting is 2 96w pcs. There is only a depth of 15" of water with this amt of sand. Lifereef overflow to sump and refugium(30g sterilite with 4+ southdown sand) AquaC EV90 skimmer in 20g sump with Mag1200 return pump into 3/4" nozzle and 1/2" spray bar.
My Ammonia is .0187ppm;SG=1.024;temp 82F; PH=8.2; NO3=.2ppm; NO4=10ppm. I'm planning to do a 25% water change on Wed. These levels have been constant for 14 day prior to adding the rock -- no change as of tonight. Hope this gives you a better idea of where my tank is.

SrgtKoons,
The clams are just your normal imbedded molusks -- lots of beards. The coral hasn't changed any as of yet-- so no news is good news. I will get some DT's Phytoplankton and give that a try. Thanks for the help.

Look forward to hearing more from you all.

Regards,
Don



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May you be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.