[checker Jim]

ok I picked up another chunk of LR today. sorry I am addicted to cool looking pieces. anyway, on this one it had some cool looking white coral. could this stuff still be alive or is it just remnants of what used to be there?
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[Lowej82]

I had alot of the same stuff on my last batch of LR I bought, I havent noticed any growth out of it. Would be great if it took of though

[lynnvangsnes]

I don't know what that is either. I've got some in a low light area and seems to still be expanding. My best guess is that it's some type of SPS coral.

[checker Jim]

the guy at the LFS said it was very small when it came in and it has grown all of that in the last few months. I was not beliving that but he showed me other rocks that had smaller growths of it. so it may be true. i am going to keep and eye on it. best part is he threw in this very cool looking bristle star that would not come out of the rock.
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[jimw369]

Originally Posted by checker Jim

ok I picked up another chunk of LR today. sorry I am addicted to cool looking pieces. anyway, on this one it had some cool looking white coral. could this stuff still be alive or is it just remnants of what used to be there?
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I am probably way in the minority when I say this but I want NOTHING coming in on my LR.

The next tank I fill with LR I will microwave every bit of it if I have too. Too much money and time goes into these tanks and every piece of LR that comes into your tank brings potential disaster.

Why would I QT corals and fish and then throw pieces of LR in there that can have anything on it? Any bacteria that I would kill will come back in time. Lord willing I have some time left. IMO

Nothing about you Checker Jim. Just putting it out there!

[checker Jim]

I know what you are saying but this is not a high dollar tank. I pick and choose my live rock pieces just for the stuff that is on them .. don't think I am going to throw much in this tank but a lion and a few oddball weird looking fish. when I change over my 120 I am going to attempt a larger scale reef tank. but with a large tank comes large money.....
here is a shot of my 120 now. its a freshwater community tank and I was breeding albino bristlenose plecos in it.
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[checker Jim]

star1.jpgheres a better shot of that nutty star that came in...

[stephaniesquires]

Nice starfish, I have some of that growth on one of my rocks, not sure if it is growing or not.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Check it with a red flashlight after lights out and see if it extends.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by checker Jim

I know what you are saying but this is not a high dollar tank. I pick and choose my live rock pieces just for the stuff that is on them .. don't think I am going to throw much in this tank but a lion and a few oddball weird looking fish. when I change over my 120 I am going to attempt a larger scale reef tank. but with a large tank comes large money.....
here is a shot of my 120 now. its a freshwater community tank and I was breeding albino bristlenose plecos in it.
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Honest checker nothing was meant towards you. As your saltwater tank grows you will become extremely attatched to it whether you spent $200 or $2000. To have a Mantis show up and kill a fish that you hand picked and ran thru QT is a big deal. Your time can really get sucked up in this hobby as well as your cash. To have an unwanted critter show up or even desease of sorts that is really no fault of yours could be a tough pill to swallow.

Your time and animals that come from the ocean are a gift even though you pay for them.
Someday they might even be priceless.

Liked the freshwater tank

[checker Jim]

its cool Jim,
I didn't take offense and I understand your concerns also. if I was spending a ton of money on mine I would be just as cautious as you.
on another note I just struck a deal on another 100 gallon show cube tank. and the guy is throwing in a fluval 404 a wet dry system with bio balls and sump crushed coral, a bunch of LR a (as he calls it)"4 stage filtration modules including UV, Bio, mechanical and heater module" not sure what that means I guess I will find out tomorrow when i go to check it out.
so anyway the plan is to take everything from my 120 and put in the new 100. so the new 100 will become my community fresh tank then make the 120 show a reef tank. so I guess i will be having to take the same precautions as you soon enough..
have not had allot of experience with reef tanks so I am sure I will be picking every ones brains here as I go. all my years of raising fish has been in fresh and brackish. I have only had a few marine tanks and they have all been fish and anemones.

[thelastmucci]

Hey Jim W. I can defanitly see your point on not wanting bacteria infested LR or really any sort of "bad" critters hichhiking on my LR. But don't you think that everything is in proportion. I mean say you do get some hitch hikers on your LR...what are you supposed to do scrap the whole tank. I mean wouldn't you just ahem "go with the flow" as it were. I'm not saying I would take losing a fish to a mantis wouldn't suck but really some things are out of our control. LR and LS are the best filtration components out there. To nuke everything and just leave it barren seems kinda missing the point. The best thing I would say for you is to get a UV unit and hope that does the job.

[e_baer]

well, typically isnt that another good reason to cure the LR before sticking it in the tank? 2 weeks of curing will not only make the water quality better, but it will also give time for those pesky critters to move out/die off.

[rlcline76]

There is more than one way to get rid of a mantis...this is a good idea before tossing rock into the tank.

How to Trap a Mantis Shrimp?

Many do not QT their LR, but I hear hyposalinity can take care of quite a few pests (aiptasia)...and some good pests, too. It's a fine idea, though. This hobby can get super aggravating at times.

[e_baer]

Thats right, hyposalinity.....

When ordering LR or LS from liveaquaria, they also send a sheet on how to take care of LR/LS. And they mention to fill a 5g bucket with 1.035 sg and stick each bit of rock in there for no more than 2 min and no less than 1. So that gives all the pety critters time to get out of their hiding spots. Your still not gonna get everything, but its better than not doing anything.