Help need to identify thing

[ryan wong]

Hi, I am Ryan from Singapore, I am into marine fish for 4 years with only drawf lionfish and sand substrate only.

Recently, i got hold of some dried "live rock" and attempt to revive them. The picuture in my gallery shows the result of some growth on the rock, are my rock alive already?

Calcium level is ok, so far only one damsel living in the refugium.

I also came across this myth that calcium level can be maintained by placing crashed egg shell in the filter media? Is this true?

 

[Monkeyfish]

Hi Ryan.

"Live Rock" refers mainly to the rock being colonized by beneficial bacteria that will help with the filtration of your aquarium. Any porous rock will become "live" over time. With sufficient calcium and magnesium in the water coraline algae will grow on the rocks (and everywhere else) giving the rock it's purple/red/green color. It was difficult to tell from your picture, but the rock looks like its coming along nicely. Watch out for hair algae though.

 

[AdidaKev]

Ryan,
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>
Where did you hear about the egg shells? I've never heard of that before.

 

[ryan wong]

Thanks alot guys, can i confirm with you all one more thing, the piece of hairy rock on the top left hand corner, are hair algae growing on them? Hair algae is not good right?

 

[BurntOutReefer]

Egg shells actually are a great source for Calcium...albeit...I've never heard of it being used in the aquarium world....
just in cosmetics, farming (chicken feed) and fertilizer....they do need to be processed though into a powder form..they are also a great source for phospher....just my 2 cents

 

[Pandora]

Egg shells are mostly calcium carbonate, but they contain a tiny bit of calcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate & some proteins, too. Like Burnt said, I've seen it used for the above reasons, but haven't come across the direct reefing myth. I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world to use (though you are releasing some phosphates, so hmmm), but I think there are better things to keep your calcium up like a limewater drip. But first off my question would be are you sure you need it... sounds like you have only fish and live rock so far? It's only stony corals that will be depleting your calcium at a significant rate, if you have a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank, you won't need to replace calcium especially, just do regular water changes. Besides which, you have a sand bottom, and live rock, both of which will help buffer your water and both of which have a significant calcium carbonate content.

It looks like sort of a light coat of bryopsis or hair algae to me. It's not so much the "live" you are looking for. The things that are important when people say "live" are bacteria and dentrivores. If you added the dry rock to your living system, then it will eventually colonize with both of those from your other rock, if it was already well populated. If you are worried about diversity in your system to begin with, you could go to a healthy, well established system (try a friend into the reef hobby) and get a boost to seed yours. You can also make it "really" live if you get pods, etc, from an online source such as ipsf.com , but this is expensive. For the most part, a good seed source is all you need.

 

[ryan wong]

Thank you guys and gals

Thank you guys and gals

Hi all, Thanks for the advise, will forget about trying to use egg shells to booast the calcium level.Yup, my tank is only FOWLR. Do not know why, i cannot stand the sight of anemones's tentecles, makes me uncomfortable all over, maybe i have some phobia or something.

Will also try to get some "live rock" from friends to seed the my tank. Thanks alot