Rock and such directly from sea?
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166 Posts
Well, You cant just slam anything into your tank or it will die.
However, Yes you can take most fish from the sea and put them in a tank and they will live. There is alot of *If''s and But's* to that statement.
In my experience, most all rock can be taken from the sea and put into a tank. Keep in mind the rock will need to re cure a bit in your tank, anytime you transport live rock some of the bacteria dies off, so the longer it is in transport, then the more bacteria dies off.
Snails and Crabs are alot like the rocks, as long as you properly acclimate them, they should do just fine.
Fish are a lot trickier. Many wild caught fish just will not survive ina tank, not because they cant, but because they will not adjust to the new environment and quit eating, or get ich or something of that nature. Always take tropical fish to a tropical tank. If the fish are brackish water fish, then leave them in brack water. if it is a cold water fish, it stays in old water, do not try to drop fish that do not belong in a reef environment, into a reef tank. If you do, you will just cause the fish stress, and eventually death, and will just cause you heartache.
Personally,
I would only tank natural rock, snails and crabs. I would leave the fish to the LFS. Also, keep in mind, in alot of places taking things away from a reef, or the ocean in general is against the law, so make sure you are doing it legally.
With everything, in this hobby, please do lots of research before jumping into anything.
However, Yes you can take most fish from the sea and put them in a tank and they will live. There is alot of *If''s and But's* to that statement.
In my experience, most all rock can be taken from the sea and put into a tank. Keep in mind the rock will need to re cure a bit in your tank, anytime you transport live rock some of the bacteria dies off, so the longer it is in transport, then the more bacteria dies off.
Snails and Crabs are alot like the rocks, as long as you properly acclimate them, they should do just fine.
Fish are a lot trickier. Many wild caught fish just will not survive ina tank, not because they cant, but because they will not adjust to the new environment and quit eating, or get ich or something of that nature. Always take tropical fish to a tropical tank. If the fish are brackish water fish, then leave them in brack water. if it is a cold water fish, it stays in old water, do not try to drop fish that do not belong in a reef environment, into a reef tank. If you do, you will just cause the fish stress, and eventually death, and will just cause you heartache.
Personally,
I would only tank natural rock, snails and crabs. I would leave the fish to the LFS. Also, keep in mind, in alot of places taking things away from a reef, or the ocean in general is against the law, so make sure you are doing it legally.
With everything, in this hobby, please do lots of research before jumping into anything.
I bought 2 lbs of rock from my lfs put in in saltwater that was 70 degrees then 2 days later i added it to the dt at 75 degs did i just kill my live rock ?
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166 Posts
most likely not. in my experience, live rock is pretty resilient. i have had my heaters go bad while I have been on vacation, and I have lost everything in the tank, but my live rock has always made it just fine lol...
Also, keep in mind. the rock itself is not actually living. its the bacteria on it that makes it living. Any bacterial die off, will grow back eventually.
Also, keep in mind. the rock itself is not actually living. its the bacteria on it that makes it living. Any bacterial die off, will grow back eventually.
as you know i have only 2lbs liverock if i add base rock will it become live or should i add more liverock and some base rock
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166 Posts
yes. I very frequently use a base rock that is calcium based rock to help set up a new tank.
Eventually, any and all rock in a tank will become live rock. Like I said, the only thing that makes live rock, live, is the bacteria on and in it. bacteria will grow on any rock.
How big is your tank again?
its a 75 gall with a 30 sump will the 2lbs make the base rock live or should i get a little more liverock to help seed?
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166 Posts
The standard rule of thumb is 1 lb of live rock per gallon of water. I typically to 75/25 live rock to dry rock.
So for you i would recommend at least 60 lbs of rock, or something along the lines of 45 lbs live pre cured rock, and 15 lbs dry base rock....
Or something of that nature... There is no set cookie cutter method to this hobby.
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My problem with adding anything direct from the ocean to my tank is the transfer of "pollutants" by this I mean motor oil from boats,fertilizers from run off in rivers,tanning lotion from sun bathers,the list is endless. Having lived either next to and or near the ocean has allowed me to observe the unhealthy impacts we have on the ocean and everything in it. The oceans are a massive, complex series of ecosystems that I've seen struggeling to survive, in spite of its size. I've seen BP oil spills first hand as well as red tides, and freshwater run off destroy reefs that most likely will never recover. Enough ranting, remember that your tank is a closed system and whatever you put in it you will never be able to fully get out. So if you are willing to take that risk there are plenty of companies out there that will gladly take your $$$$ to remedy your mistakes. I wonder if just adding 1 drop of mixed gas every 2 weeks would do to my system? It would be more true to nature!! Keep on reefing!
i dont plan on taking form the ocean i was jsut curious if it was safe to do so
The more live rock vs base rock you use, the faster the things on the rock (coralline, amphipods, tubeworms) will spread around your tank, and the more likely you will get hitchhikers, both good and bad. It's mostly about aesthetics and patience level. If you use mostly dry rock, be more discerning in your choice of live rock to get pieces that have inclusions of the things you want seeded into your tank. If you see lots of pests in the display tanks wherever you buy it, you are much more likely to get the same pests, although pristine displays don't necessarily mean the rock is as 'clean'.
I think that "standard" was created by people that want to sell live rock. I have 1/2 that.
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