jar05g

By the way...what's a good rule of thumb to go by to know when your live rock is totally cured and everything that should have died has done so?

bhcaaron

When things aren't falling off anymore? Lol

One thing I did actually read is when there is a fresh ocean smell to the rock and no longer a foul odor.

Gozer_1

Yeah, Stinky Rocks are Bad M'Kay.

You'll see some stuff pop out (ie. your slug) and some of it will die. Even cured rock will have some die off from the shock of moving. You will know when the rocks are cured and ready when the water they are in tests clean.

On a side note I'd HIGHLY suggest using bottled drinking water (ie. Walmart Green Label) or other purified water. (RO or RO/DI) I had my share of issues with tap water. If it has caused problems with your Fresh then I'd imagine it worse for your Salt.

jar05g

I'm guessing you've used bottled drinking water before then? My issue is that I live in a dorm (I'm supposed to call it residence hall, but whatever lol), and the water here is so hard!! I got the idea to put bottled water in...but I wasn't sure which one to get...so I just bought distilled. I wasn't sure if maybe the way they treated drinking water to make it safe for humans would be harmful to fish. I'm going to do a water change soon (probably this weekend), and I have some pure sea water to do it with so I won't have to mess around with tap water this time.

As far as my live rock goes...it's been sitting in my tank for 7 days now and I've thrown out 4 slugs and have seen my fish and water parameters get really bad...but things are fine now. I think once I get the water change done I will see even better water conditions. I haven't seen any slugs in a few days now, and I can see little plant looking things growing (not really plant...but tiny things lol)...so I'm thinking I'm getting close.

Gozer_1

Yes I use Bottled water now and again. I use the green label walmart drinking water. Its better than the distilled water. Look for carbon and micron filtration. The green label is Ozinated as well. Some may be Dionized which is also. I mostly use water I purify myself but it's slow so I buy some water now and again.

jar05g

Awesome!! I'll have to remember that the next time I'm there. It seems like I'm there at least once a week haha. What would you say about using the Beta Water that they sell at your local pet store?

Gozer_1

I'm not sure about Betta water. Either way I'm sure the Green Label is MUCH cheaper. I think I pay $0.26 a gallon or something... No more than $0.50 anyway.

jar05g

I think I will definitely do that. I mean, I would only be doing about 5-7 gallons every 2 weeks. Even at $.50 a gallon...that would only be like $3 lol...and with the water that I have...I'm sure it's much much much better for the fish. After all...we are doing this for them lol

bhcaaron

Jar,

You said there are little plant looking thingies growing on the rock? Do you have pics to post? Can you describe them better? Color, texture, size, anything else you can add. I'm wondering if its algae that's blooming.

jar05g

They are very small...you have to get up close to the glass to see them. They have a tiny trunk with a circular top with little fingers going around the circle. That's the best I got lol. I don't think it's algae...there aren't too many of them...like the rock isn't covered.

bhcaaron

Like this?

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

But less grown?

jar05g

No...nothing like that. I really don't think it's algae. What did you have in mind though?

bhcaaron

At the moment? That I need a second drink!

jar05g

lol...off topic...but I could go for a Dr. Pepper lol

bhcaaron

Ooop!s I don't know how old you are so I wont explain lol

jar05g

It's all good....I'm 21...well I will be in 15 days...but please...I'm in college lol.

bhcaaron

Yeah, dorm... I forgot. Now I feel like doing a Homer... DOH!

Gozer_1

Without pictures I'd say feathreduster worms but I'd look into aiptasia anemones just to be sure. How small are we talking? How many "fingers"? Do they suck their fingers in when startled. I have some weird white tubes with a small disk on top. No idea what they are. They don't move or do anything but they grow in every hidden nook of my system, including the filters.