Live rock critters

[chufa]

Hi. On my new tank I just set up 12 hours ago, I am noticing critters come to life on the live rock. They are little bugs and some barnacle-looking things that stick out some type of feather-like appendage and turn it around like a radar dish. I also noticed some red tentacle thingies that have like a ball on the end.

 

My question is: since I will be cycling for two or more weeks, these things will have nothing to feed off except perhaps from the live rocks themselves. Do I need to add anything, or will they pretty much take care of themselves?

 

New tank:

 

12 gallon eclipse

20 lbs live Aragonite

7 pounds live aquacultured rock

2 pounds live Fiji rock

Dual-Temp 5-20 heater

[tinyreef]

i wouldn't say they'll take care of themselves but i'd let the tank cycle versus trying to salvage any of the peripheral critters that hitchhiked along.

 

:| (too bad) that probably is a barnacle from your description of the radar-like movement. the red tentacles are a question mark here ???

 

(btw, where's dave? i'd gotten used to his flames like an ol' faithful geyser. )

[fishymissy]

If you want to keep some of those critters alive, you can always do some small water changes to keep the ammonia, and nitrite levels low. It's also a good way to practice doing water changes. Even though water changes will slow down your cycle, we are only talking about a couple of days at best.

I wouldn't worry too much about feeding them at this point, they will take some of the bacteria, etc., out of the water column.

Barnacles are very cool....I have a couple in my 90g and they are so neat to watch. Just imagine a small crab that builds a wall around itself, glues it's head to the bottom, then uses it's back legs to filter feed with. Weird huh?