please help

nemo79 · 07-07-2006, 05:13 PM

i got 10 pounds of liverock today first ever and my husband brought up a good question. if there is anything living ie feather dusters or anything else, how do i keep it alive? theres nothing else in my tank as i am still cycling so do i add any supplements or flake food? sounds silly but there isn't alot of info in the books on liverock. and i think there might be some tiny feather dusters as i saw little things that look like them but then they inverted. will any growing stuff live in a new tank? will ammonia or specific gravity harm them. my ammonia was 1.0 and sg was below 1.025? thanks so much for the continuing good advice.

coral reefer · 07-07-2006, 07:36 PM

I wouldn't add anything to the tank as far as food goes-all that will do is increase the amount of time to go through the cycle and add more nutrients to your water to aid in the growth of microalgae and excess phosphtates.
The living organisms in and on your rock have nutrients from the pods/bacteria, plankton in your water. Also they will feed on nitrates and phosphates in your water as well.
Adding anything else to your water will only have negative efffects IMO!

APC · 07-08-2006, 10:51 AM

Agreed. Don't add anything to the water. The rock will do fine on its own. What is cool is when the tank finally cycles, more and more stuff will pop up on your rock. I have had my reef going for well over a year now and I am constantly finding new things in and on my live rock. :-)