Is my liverock dying!?!

[critofer]

Hey guys,
I have had my live rock for about two weeks now. i used stability to speed up my cycle and i now have a fish, shrimp, hermit crab, and snail in my tank. But i think my liverock might be dying though. My liverock right now is all a tan-brown color. but there are spots of it that are turning white color. also part of the live rock has black and redish purple color on it too. my ammonia lvl is like .25 and my nitrites are lvl is .1 my ph lvl is like 8.1

 

[EdSnyder]

Your "liverock" doesnt look like it was ever alive. The brown stuff looks like diatoms.

 

[critofer]

really!? darn i got from a aquarium store in my town. paid 6 bucks a pound and bought 5 pounds of it... this sucks if its not live.... any ideas to make it live???

 

[flying_dutchman]

buy some liverock and your rock will become alive

 

[EdSnyder]

All right, it took some digging but, heres what my live rock looked like when I got it and set up my 55. It had tons of life on it and in it. Crabs, starfish, coppapods, coraline, and more. I paid less per lb than you. Hate to say it but you got hornswagled my friend.

 

[critofer]

Ed where did you get that liverock!?!

 

[EdSnyder]

Ken Nedimyer, in the keys... He sells it online. Get you some. I was actually down there on a kiteboarding vacation and met with him and picked some up and brought it back in a cooler in the trunk of my car.

 

[critofer]

I live in Cape Coral, FL. i really hope i can get some of that rock u have! it is AMAZING!

 

[critofer]

Ed whats his website he sells it on? Do you know him personally?

 

[EdSnyder]

Its not amazing. Its just live rock.

 

[critofer]

It is amazing to me! look at those colors! my rock is just brown with zero color.... If i had some of that in my tank it would look awesome.

 

[critofer]

If i am using Stability, how is my rock like dead? The stability is the liverock bacteria.

 

[EdSnyder]

Your rock lacks life. Life is animals, plants, bacteria. Not something in a bottle. All these pretty things on the rocks you see in my pictures came from the wild. Not a magic bottle. Google Ken Nedimyer. You dont have to get it from him. My lfs always has rock in stock that looks similar.

 

[critofer]

Okay, on tuesday i am going to my LFS to get some live rock. What should i be looking for on it? sorry for such a noob question and all, i am new to this stuff...

 

[EdSnyder]

At the least I would look for coraline algae. Do a google search for live rock and you will see lots of pics of rock like mine. If you lfs is selling stuff like what you got in your tank as "live rock" I would find a new lfs. Hope this helps. Good live rock makes for a good start.

 

[Dbroncoboy]

Check out you local reef club forum or Craigslist. Typically someone is breaking down a tank and selling it for $2 or 3 per pound.

 

[critofer]

yeah, thats the thing... i am new to this stuff and bought that "liverock" thinking it was good and put it in my tank with some stability to speed up my tank cycle. i already have a watchmen goby, blood shrimp in my tank. i hope i dont lose them because my LFS sells crappy liverock...

 

[con999]

its not your liverock it you... i dont want to be mean but befor setting up a saltwater tank you shold know the basics.... never use anything during the cycal. you relly shouldent put anything in their and just do weekly water changes, also why would you slowly kill that shrimp and goby. their has to be NO ammonia and nitrites befor you put ANY living thing in the tank. the liverock would probaly have atleast somthing on it to start the cycal. or just put a chunk of raw shrimp in the tank. just buy some higher qualty rock and you shold be ok

sorry im not trying to be a jerk at all but you shold know that befor setting up a tank

 

[EdSnyder]

its not your liverock it you... i dont want to be mean but befor setting up a saltwater tank you shold know the basics.... never use anything during the cycal. you relly shouldent put anything in their and just do weekly water changes, also why would you slowly kill that shrimp and goby. their has to be NO ammonia and nitrites befor you put ANY living thing in the tank. the liverock would probaly have atleast somthing on it to start the cycal. or just put a chunk of raw shrimp in the tank. just buy some higher qualty rock and you shold be ok

sorry im not trying to be a jerk at all but you shold know that befor setting up a tank

Man thats some awful spelling and grammer. Wow. That being said, I dont think weekly water changes are part of cycling a tank. I dont think you are going to slowly kill that shrimp or goby. I wouldnt go putting raw shrimp in your tank either. Just go get some good live rock, and you will be fine. Good luck.

 

[con999]

o wow i just saw that. im way too tired to be on here, its like 3 in the moring here