Bio-diversity.

mpderksen · 09/26/2014, 09:29 PM

I used dead rock. I did start with live sand, and I'm sure I've gotten a little bacteria with the frags I've added. The tank is a little over a year old. Would I maybe benefit from buying a piece of live rock or some snake oil in a bottle, just to make sure? I'm considering starting vodka dosing, but if I don't have the right bacteria to feed on it........

cherubfish pair · 09/26/2014, 11:37 PM

If anything has been alive for that year in your tank, then the tank has gone through it's cycle and everything is coated in bacteria. That's what causes ammonia in a cycle, bacteria colonizing.

mpderksen · 09/27/2014, 12:30 AM

Okay. Cool. I have a small amount of coraline growing, and it certainly wasn't from the original rocks (dead and dry in the garage for almost a year before I set up). And I'm certainly not interested in adding pests.
I just know that my previous tanks I used live rock. Of course, then I battled bristle worms and other crap too.....

kw22 · 09/27/2014, 01:37 AM

Bristle worms are beneficial.

I would add in a piece or 2,even if just in the sump.There are so many useful creatures you could get!

Bryopsis · 09/27/2014, 05:56 AM

With my own experience once, I would try to keep bristleworms out.
They easily grow to epic proportions unless you keep an eye out for them. At first miss, I had some creatures die in the middle of the night.

09/26/2014, 09:29 PM	#1
mpderksen Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Manteca, CA Posts: 1,853	Bio-diversity. I used dead rock. I did start with live sand, and I'm sure I've gotten a little bacteria with the frags I've added. The tank is a little over a year old. Would I maybe benefit from buying a piece of live rock or some snake oil in a bottle, just to make sure? I'm considering starting vodka dosing, but if I don't have the right bacteria to feed on it........

09/26/2014, 11:37 PM	#2
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	If anything has been alive for that year in your tank, then the tank has gone through it's cycle and everything is coated in bacteria. That's what causes ammonia in a cycle, bacteria colonizing. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

09/27/2014, 01:37 AM	#4
kw22 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Éire (Republic of Ireland) Posts: 435	Bristle worms are beneficial. I would add in a piece or 2,even if just in the sump.There are so many useful creatures you could get! __________________ If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,it will spend its whole life thinking that it is stupid. Current Tank Info: All freshwater at the moment.Hoping to set up a marine tank in the future.

09/27/2014, 12:30 AM	#3
mpderksen Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Manteca, CA Posts: 1,853	Okay. Cool. I have a small amount of coraline growing, and it certainly wasn't from the original rocks (dead and dry in the garage for almost a year before I set up). And I'm certainly not interested in adding pests. I just know that my previous tanks I used live rock. Of course, then I battled bristle worms and other crap too.....

09/27/2014, 05:56 AM	#5
Bryopsis Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 275	With my own experience once, I would try to keep bristleworms out. They easily grow to epic proportions unless you keep an eye out for them. At first miss, I had some creatures die in the middle of the night.