saltwater aquariums

[Smokey McPot]

Oh ya i live in cleveland ohio and it is cured.

[Fengzi]

No need to throw a raw shrimp in the tank if your going with live rock and live sand. The die off from the rock and sand will cycle the tank for you without adding any additional bio matter for cycling. Hard to say how long it will take the tank to cycle. Each tank is individual depending on whatis in/on the rock and sand. After two weeks or so start testing it every few days and when everything is good your tank is ready. The hardest part is being patient and not putting fish and corals in too soon. When you start to add the fish, don't put too many in at once or it will overload the system.

I definitely agree with unmeg, order the live rock on-line. This place http://www.marinedepotlive.com/live-rock-sand.html has a few different types for about $5 delivered. That's a big savings considering how much you need.

[unmeg]

yes you dont need anything else to cycle tank.there will be(should be) lots of life on youe live rock.you really need to shop around for the live rock,there is so many places that have bitching live rock/with Guarantee!
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...1&q=+live+rock
dont rush it on the rock it is the most important part of your bio filter,you also need to rinse off rock real good b-4 u add to tank,evan cured rock!

[Fengzi]

One thing about rinsing the live rock that unmeg didn't mention, do it in a bucket of saltwater. Freshwater and saltwater organisms don't mix well and if you just rinse it in the sink you stand a good chance of killing off a lot of good things.

[Smokey McPot]

The place where im gettin my rock has good water quality and i guess its the best and biggest fish store in ohio (says the phonebook) so i trust them. I wont need to scrub the live rock if it is cured before i put it in the tank right?

[unmeg]

One thing about rinsing the live rock that unmeg didn't mention, do it in a bucket of saltwater. Freshwater and saltwater organisms don't mix well and if you just rinse it in the sink you stand a good chance of killing off a lot of good things.

yes saltwater is a must & you dont have to scrub the rock that is bad idea.
just simply stick in water and gentile shake,if you are that confident in your store than do what you feel is best.we can't see the rock you can,cant wait to see pic some day

[Fengzi]

Its a good idea to wear gloves when handling a lot of live rock. There's all kinds of critters that can get ya if you don't. Bristle worms are most likley, they won't kill you or anything but can leave an itchy burning sensation on you hand kind of like stinging nettles.

[unmeg]

i got stuck by a lionfish while cleaning a 500 gal tank, that hurt for a bit

[Smokey McPot]

Its a good idea to wear gloves when handling a lot of live rock. There's all kinds of critters that can get ya if you don't. Bristle worms are most likley, they won't kill you or anything but can leave an itchy burning sensation on you hand kind of like stinging nettles.

Ya i read about that in a book. I bought these really long rubber gloves so i wont have to wash my hands and arms everytime i work on my tank. I found this awesome book called The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. It tells you everything and the information all seems to be very helpfull.

[unmeg]

So whats up on some pics?