Buying live rock while on a weekend trip...will it live

Jrod4 · 08/07/2013, 07:27 AM

The woman and I are going up to central ohio from east TN this weekend (6 hours)and I would like to stop at a few LFstores while we are there visiting her family.
I am setting up a tank right now and I would like to get some live rock either in the tank to start cycling or in some buckets with some power heads to get something going. I will most likely put them in the tank since it is about ready to be up and running.

My question is this: If I buy the LR on Friday(which is the day we are most free while we are there) and have it stored at room temperatures over the weekend before we head back, will that be detrimental to the organisms in the rock? There is a chance of waiting til sunday to visit the main store that has live rock I want, but I am not sure on that yet.

When I put the rock into a new tank, will it even matter? Will a lot of the stuff die off anyways through the cycling process?

d2mini · 08/07/2013, 08:44 AM

As long as you have powerheads providing flow in your storage container you should be fine. A heater if room temp is below 75 would be helpful too. The less die-off you have on the rock before putting it in the tank, the better but since it is a brand new tank you are correct that it won't matter as much. Some of that die-off will help kickstart your cycle.

jda · 08/07/2013, 09:49 AM

Yes, it will die off anyway in the cycle. Rock goes through way worse at the wholesaler being sometimes left in piles in the sun for weeks. What you really want is the bacteria and more than enough will survive.

Honestly, you don't want a lot of the stuff from the sea in your tank - most of it is not sustainable and some can be a nuisance. Some people will pay more for dead rock that has been reseeded with bacteria and coralline in captivity.

d2mini · 08/07/2013, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

Honestly, you don't want a lot of the stuff from the sea in your tank - most of it is not sustainable and some can be a nuisance. Some people will pay more for dead rock that has been reseeded with bacteria and coralline in captivity.

Just for the OP's information, this is a personal preference but not fact of the hobby. I actually prefer the complete opposite. I like to start a tank off with as much life as possible and wouldn't use typical LFS rock because it doesn't have nearly enough life on it. All those micro organisms, barnacles, sponges, etc are very good for your tank. When i start up my tanks with rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater it leads to a very healthy start and a very quick cycle.

There's usually very little life left on rock that is sitting in your LFS.

08/07/2013, 07:27 AM	#1
Jrod4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 126	Buying live rock while on a weekend trip...will it live The woman and I are going up to central ohio from east TN this weekend (6 hours)and I would like to stop at a few LFstores while we are there visiting her family. I am setting up a tank right now and I would like to get some live rock either in the tank to start cycling or in some buckets with some power heads to get something going. I will most likely put them in the tank since it is about ready to be up and running. My question is this: If I buy the LR on Friday(which is the day we are most free while we are there) and have it stored at room temperatures over the weekend before we head back, will that be detrimental to the organisms in the rock? There is a chance of waiting til sunday to visit the main store that has live rock I want, but I am not sure on that yet. When I put the rock into a new tank, will it even matter? Will a lot of the stuff die off anyways through the cycling process? __________________ Mixed Reef 58g Oceanic, 20 gallon sump, AquaMaxx EM200 Skimmer, Sicce 3.0 Return, BeanAnimal Overflow, 50 pounds LR

08/07/2013, 08:44 AM	#2
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	As long as you have powerheads providing flow in your storage container you should be fine. A heater if room temp is below 75 would be helpful too. The less die-off you have on the rock before putting it in the tank, the better but since it is a brand new tank you are correct that it won't matter as much. Some of that die-off will help kickstart your cycle. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

08/07/2013, 09:49 AM	#3
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Yes, it will die off anyway in the cycle. Rock goes through way worse at the wholesaler being sometimes left in piles in the sun for weeks. What you really want is the bacteria and more than enough will survive. Honestly, you don't want a lot of the stuff from the sea in your tank - most of it is not sustainable and some can be a nuisance. Some people will pay more for dead rock that has been reseeded with bacteria and coralline in captivity.