Using shells from beach in reef tank

[tknude]

Hi all,

Just starting out with the whole salt water thing. I am planning on having a reef tank eventually.

So far I have had my 33 gallon with salt water running with an aqua clear HOB filter for a few days.

I am planning on getting my live rock shortly to start the tank to cycle.

Is it OK to include with the live rock a bigish shell I found on the beach in Florida years ago? It is as it was found except for a bit of dust which I will clean off before putting it in the tank. It is very porous so I thought it may become live with the LR. It is very cool and it would provide a place for the fishes to hide.

Any thoughts?

Ted.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

If you're worried, boil it. I've used lots of shells in my tanks, fw & salt tanks.

Anthony

[Patwa]

yep..shoudl be no prob.....i've got a pile of small pieces of coral my gramma brought back from her trip to Cuba......just rinse 'em and they're good to go!

Zach

[tknude]

Great, Thanks. I just wanted to be sure.

I did actually rinse it off and put it in my tank with water only last night. This morning the water is quite cloudy. Hoping to pick up LR today and will see if it clears up over time.

Should I be using any media or sponge in my filter while I am cycling my tank?

Ted.

[Beverly]

Cure your LR in a container other than your display tank. Once it is cured, i.e., no detectable ammonia and nitrite, put it into the display tank. That way, all the crud, dead stuff, and ntirate and phosphate from the curing process stay in the curing container. This will result in fewer nuisance algae problems over the short and long term in the display tank.

Use saltwater in the curing tank, which you probably already know. Also use a heater and something to keep the water moving well. Depending on the container you use, you might be able to use the AquaClear HOB for water movement. It's up to you whether or not to use foams in the HOB. If you do, be prepared to clean it weekly so crud build up does not impair performance of the HOB.

For more detailed information, here's my page on curing LR. (http://www.lostmymarblz.com/reeftips-curingliverock.htm)

BTW, where are you located, and where are you going to buy your LR?

[tknude]

Thanks for the tips!

I am located in Calgary and was going to go to Golds.

Ted