Live rock

[saltysurfer]

Does anyone know if there is a way to tell if live rock is alive? Also how hardy is live rock. What temp, salinity, and chemical fluctuations can they withstand? thanks for you time,

Kyle

[Myka]

I'm assuming something happened to your rock? If so, what happened? That would be an easier question to answer. :)

Usually if the rock is still in salt water (say between 1.015 and 1.040) it is likely to have some sort of life still on it. Heck, I had a Coral Banded Shrimp live in a sesspool of a 10g tank for 6 months (no waterchanges, no water topoffs) before I knew he was in there! I thought he died when the heater stuck on and cooked the tank at 98 degrees. The tank had no heater anymore, and was only half full due to evaporation, so who knows what the salinity was at!

However, if there is significant die-off on the rock, it would be REALLY unwise to use the rock without "cooking" it (doesn't involve a stove...ask if you don't know) for several weeks/months until the phosphates reached 0.

[saltysurfer]

I'm currently setting up my 10 gal hospital tank and I went out of town for the weekend. I didn't anticipate water evaporation to occur so fast. My SG shot up to about 1.03. So I'm wondering if I need to buy a little more live rock or not. Thanks again.

[Myka]

I wouldn't worry about that at all.

[saltysurfer]

I did siphon off a lot of detritus or something of the sort after my SG shot up. I don't know if it was because the rock was still curing or if I killed it. And could you explain "cooking" rocks please.

[Myka]

SG of 1.030 won't cause any significant die-off...if any at all.

Cooking live rocks is when you place them into a dark container with normal salinity saltwater, a heater at normal temp, and a good powerhead for circulation. You do weekly 100% waterchanges, and swish the rocks around during the waterchange to remove all the detritus as it falls off. You keep doing this until you get a Phosphate reading of 0.

This is usually done with rock that is suspected to be leaching phosphates into the water. Tanks that are having severe algae issues are prime suspects. I also do this with any new LR - cured or uncured. I figure what's the point of introducing phosphates to the tank when you can get rid of them in the first place?