Help: How long does Live Rock last in bag

[dnez]

Hey guys, 

 

I'm getting ready to start my first nano reef. It's been slow goings but I'm finally getting to the point where I can start adding water. 

 

I went to petco over the weekend and purchased a piece of their aquacultured live rock from one of their fish tanks. I'm using all reefcleaners dry rock for my build and thought in addition to Caribsea Live sand and Bio-Spira to start my bio-filter I'd use a small piece to seed my dry rock for bio-diversity and onnhe off chance it could help jump start coralline algea. 

 

Well I didn't don't get my tank ready when I expected I would. Stupid things like having doubts about tank placement and removing the egg crate after getting my aqua-scape exactly how I wanted it and then placing eggcrate just below where there's rock delayed my efforts. In that time (I got it Saturday) it has sat in a petco fish bag. Is this rock useless for that purpose now? Today I moved it to a small bucket of freshly made saltwater and a powerhead. But worried that it's too little too late? 

I don't want to sabotage my new tank in an effort to jumpstart it. So if it's useless for seeding now, I'll just let it dry out. 

The rock looks cool with different shades of coralline.  It doesn't really  smell like any thing now or when I got it.

any help or insight is greatly appreciated. I'm just learning all this stuff.

[MainelyReefer]

Throw the petco rock away and find one from a local reefer or LFS that is higher quality.  It's good luck you messed up the petco stuff really.  Also logically you knew the answer to your question, I'm sure if you open the bag it smells like death.( hint don't do this with fish if you get to that point)

[dnez]

Bummer. Even though I didn't want to risk it I was hopeful especially since it didn't really have any foul smell. I tested for ammonia and came up 0ppm but maybe the bacteria die off can't be detected the same way as you would livestock.

 

I know Petco doesn't have a great rep but it the rocks (well, some of them) looked decent. The corals are very sad though. I have a couple good LFS but none seem to have good rocks at the moment. They have great fish options just the rocks aren't at same level and maye. And maybe this is a bad idea but I wanted to seed using rock that was already part of functioning tank.

 

thanks for your response. 

 

 

[Nocturnal]

Was the bag sealed or open? If it stayed wet and was exposed to fresh air it would be fine. If not, if it doesn't smell like death like Granite mentioned it's probably ok. That said, you don't need it. Your sand and bio-spira will handle your bacteria needs. If you want to start coralline algae the best thing to do is scrape a little bit off of a rock from a quality store or a local reefer. Once you add coral you will also be introducing some coralline algae most likely.

 

As a beginner, real live rock is fun. You get to see all sorts of cool things pop out. After a while though those cool things become annoying pests.

[Clown79]

If it has partially dried out it has die off but that's not garbage, it will cause a cycle but you will be cycling anyway. 

 

It could have been placed in a bucket of sw until set up.

[dnez]

I love how helpful everyone is here, thank you all. I appreciate the feedback. I have exposed the fresh air but kept submerged in the bag the entire time except when I moved into a bucket with powerhead. And before I bought it, they had it in a tank and it went straight into the bag. Seems like I don't really need it. Just wish the local guys had better looking LR. 

 

My tank is so beige between the dry rock and sand so I thought I could accelerate that part. But I do try temper that impatience with all the stories I read about someone rushing one aspect or cheating another and then consequences ending up much worse than just being patience. Trying to learn from others experiences as I know I will make my own mistakes along the way. 

 

I went with reefcleaner rocks because I want to avoid hitchhikers so I was conflicted about adding live rock no matter how small since it goes against that logic.

 

Its funny how with Corraline Algae so many of us new guys are so excited to get some in our tanks and then the seasons guys are like be careful what you ask for.

 

thanks again!!

[Clown79]

2 minutes ago, dnez said:

I love how helpful everyone is here, thank you all. I appreciate the feedback. I have exposed the fresh air but kept submerged in the bag the entire time except when I moved into a bucket with powerhead. And before I bought it, they had it in a tank and it went straight into the bag. Seems like I don't really need it. Just wish the local guys had better looking LR. 

 

My tank is so beige between the dry rock and sand so I thought I could accelerate that part. But I do try temper that impatience with all the stories I read about someone rushing one aspect or cheating another and then consequences ending up much worse than just being patience. Trying to learn from others experiences as I know I will make my own mistakes along the way. 

 

I went with reefcleaner rocks because I want to avoid hitchhikers so I was conflicted about adding live rock no matter how small since it goes against that logic.

 

Its funny how with Corraline Algae so many of us new guys are so excited to get some in our tanks and then the seasons guys are like be careful what you ask for.

 

thanks again!!

I personally like liverock.

 

I like the diversity, the look, the ease of cycling. 

 

the chances of  really bad hitch hikers is not that high considered the millions of hobbiests out there.

How many truly end up with mantis or hobbit worms? 

 

Not to mention, hitch hikers can come via corals, frag plugs, and even rocks corals are on.

[HarryPotter]

54 minutes ago, dnez said:

I love how helpful everyone is here, thank you all. I appreciate the feedback. I have exposed the fresh air but kept submerged in the bag the entire time except when I moved into a bucket with powerhead. And before I bought it, they had it in a tank and it went straight into the bag. Seems like I don't really need it. Just wish the local guys had better looking LR. 

 

My tank is so beige between the dry rock and sand so I thought I could accelerate that part. But I do try temper that impatience with all the stories I read about someone rushing one aspect or cheating another and then consequences ending up much worse than just being patience. Trying to learn from others experiences as I know I will make my own mistakes along the way. 

 

I went with reefcleaner rocks because I want to avoid hitchhikers so I was conflicted about adding live rock no matter how small since it goes against that logic.

 

Its funny how with Corraline Algae so many of us new guys are so excited to get some in our tanks and then the seasons guys are like be careful what you ask for.

 

thanks again!!

 

 

I worked at petco. The "live" rock is painted. 

[Nocturnal]

46 minutes ago, HarryPotter said:

 

 

I worked at petco. The rock is painted. 

Who painted my white rock red? Off with her head!

[dnez]

I wondered that too. Not saying the don't, just saying they really went all out with variety and to capture the look of the various hues of Corraline algae; it's wasn't just pretty pink, purple and brown and they didn't have a uniform look - some were ugly and had no good growth. The tank backwall, substrate, powerhead and nozzle where covered with splotches of it too. So even if the rocks were painted, I suspect there's incidental real algae on there if it got on everything else in there. Im assuming so don't know for sure but doesn't seems impossible.

I'm still torn. Assuming it still doesn't smell bad I may place it in, but it's not end of world if I decide Bio-Spira and live sand is safer. can't wait To start my cycle. 

[dnez]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

I personally like liverock.

 

I like the diversity, the look, the ease of cycling. 

 

Clown79,

 

Ive read post from people who find the ecosystem that emminates from live rock just if not as amusing as the livestock. I've stared at bottles of copepods so I can understand that. 

[Nocturnal]

Don't stress either way. If it looks good in your scape then use it. Even if it's dead that is just dead stuff to power the cycle.

[Clown79]

5 minutes ago, dnez said:

Clown79,

 

Ive read post from people who find the ecosystem that emminates from live rock just if not as amusing as the livestock. I've stared at bottles of copepods so I can understand that. 

It's pretty cool the life that evolves from a tank.

My first tank, I spent a lot of time with a magnify glass just seeing all the tiny life.

Just now, Nocturnal said:

Don't stress either way. If it looks good in your scape then use it. Even if it's dead that is just dead stuff to power the cycle.

Yup. It will become live eventually.

Most of the stuff isn't even dead.