calerpa, skimmer, live rock ?'s

[snapdragon9]

I have been walking up the salinity slowly for my GSP, the salinity now is 1.010.

*Can calerpa be added to a salinity of 1.010, or should I wait until a higher SG is established?

*I have a 25 gal tall, (inherited from a friend) and when chief salinity is reached for the GSP, will I need a protein skimmer, do I need one now?

*When would the addition of small portions of live rock be added, (in regards to SG) and can chunks of lace rock mature/accumulate to serve the same purpose of live rock? Thanks!!! (sorry if this post is in the wrong section)

[Rue]

I'm a little confused...

Caulerpa is a genus of macro algae...I suppose it can withstand a range of salinity as long as it's acclimated a bit...

Corals generally need a SG of 1.024-1.026. I aim for 1.025, you don't have to work up to that salinity...just set it there and keep it there.

I think you should get a protein skimmer right off the bat, you might not have much to skim at this point, but a skimmer also needs a 'break-in' period, so that would give you time to tweak it.

Why are you adding small bits of LR? LR provides superb natural filtration - you would want to start with it in your tank, much easier than putting it in later. You can add your manufactured base rock at the same time.

How long the base rock takes to come 'alive' is somewhat dependent on the overall parametres of the tank and the quality of the LR you started with. I'd say it should be quiet 'alive' within 6-8 weeks...

[gem]

GSP in his case, Rue, is a green spotted puffer not green star polyps. So, this will explain the slow acclimation to 1.025. Caleurpa can't survive in a lower SG, so you'll want to wait till you're at full salt. A skimmer isn't absolutely neccesary in a puffer tank. But, still a good idea. It's definately more important in a reef tank.
When you add any lr at all, you'll want to make sure it's completely cured so that you don't get a cycle. So, you might want to keep a tub of lr curing/cooking till you're at full salt as well.

[Rue]

OHHHH!

LOL...well, that explains some of it...:hmm3grin2orange:

[gem]

LOL Rue...it confussed me at first too. Had to think about it a minute....then I remembered another forum I visit where I had spoken to someone about the possibility of turning my 55 gal fw into a puffer tank for either a Green spotted puffer or a Ceylon puffer. That's when it hit me...not GSP.....A GSP. LOL

[snapdragon9]

Thanks for the info, it helped tons. I just figured, while I'm walking up the salinity, why not start planning now for some of the future oportunities of a saltwater tank. I have always admired salt water, and although it may be intimidating, its good to be prepared. So it would be ok to add live rock now, as long as its cured, what does cured mean anyway? Also, my tank is just near the end of cycling...finally!

*If I added a little LR would that throw things off kilter? Could you please explain a little of how LR actually works in an aquarium? I know it is used for filtration purposes...

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

You can eventually start using a protein skimmer but you won't need it until you get your SG up around 1.015-1.019. If you want to keep it at a brackish level there are actually a number of plants that can be added. However if you plan to raise it to full SW levels then those plants will not work. You will likely have to wait till you get up around 1.019 before you can sucessfully keep Caulerpa. If you do decide to use that particular macro algae, please be extrememly careful when disposing of excess. Caulerpa can choke out an entire ecosystem in a very short period of time.

[spudbuds]

Live rock provides biological filtration for your tank. It contains the bacteria that complete the nitrogen cycle in the tank (ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate -> nitrogen gas). Because the rock contrains organic matter, if it's removed from the water it will experience some die off that can cause a cycle. Curing is the process of allowing that organic matter to decompose and allows time for bacteria to re-populate the rock. It's just like a cycle in a freshwater tank, except the live rock provides the ammonia (via the decomposing matter).

Since you have a fish in your tank, it would be very bad to cure the rock yourself in your tank. So, you have two choices. One is to buy uncured live rock and cure it in a seperate container, then transfer it to your tank. The other is to buy cured live rock and make sure it's not out of the water any longer then necessary. I would take buckets of water with you when you buy it so it can be transferred from the stores holding bin right to your bucket (some stores may provide the buckets and water for you).

Hope that helps.
- Bill

[snapdragon9]

Would there be a certain salinity in which I should have before I add the rock? right now its about 1.010.

[gem]

I would wait till you're at least at 1.020 to add the LR. But as already stated....make sure it's completely cured.