From: davep@paladin.corp.sgi.com (David Packer)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: [M] Cowfish, live rock and beginners...
Date: 22 Jan 93 17:57:23 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc., Mountain View, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: paladin.corp.sgi.com

In article <1993Jan22.155409.1881@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, mhatz@nyx.cs.du.edu writes:
> 
> My reader goofed up my first post and I wanted to repost my questions; thanks
> for the patience.
> *********************************
> After reading the story about the poor cowfish and the response that live rock
> may cause a "parasitic siege" of sorts, my questions are?
> 
> 1)  What should you visually look for on live rock before you add it to 
> reduce the chances of "bad things" being added to the tank?

parasites are usually to small to see....but I would recommend scrubbing the 
rock (I Use one of those big sink bristle brushes), as a first step. This 
gets rid of a lot of dietrius(sp?) that's on the live rock that will just
break down into ammonia anyway. Secondly, It's smart to wash the rock in 
fresh water(dechlorinated). It shouldn't harm any of the algaes but, it
will cause most parasites to either fall off the rock or die(due to the
osmotic pressure).


> 
> 2)  How dangerous is it to add live rock to existing tanks whether they are     
> reefs already or non-reefs?
> 

After taking the steps above it should be o.k. to add the live rock. If you're
first starting a reef tank. I would recommend doing this to all of the rock.
It will reduce aggrivations later down the road. If you have a non-reef tank
I probably wouldn't add in the rock.  NOTE: One thing about a reef system
is that your trying to create a close resembelence of a natural habitat. When
a reef matures it actually keeps a good balance of (Nitrates/Nitrites/Ammonnia).
By reducing them down to NIL, and some how manages to keep the tank very 
healthy. At least this has been my experience. On occasion I have had Ich
on my Tang in my reef. He parks himself over by the cleaner shrimp, and 
the cleaner picks it off.


> 3)  What can be done to minimize the chance of parasitic attack when new rock
> is added?
> 

Read the above...


> I am a newbie and will be setting up my first marine tank this weekend.  I live
> in Colorado and the water has some serious copper problems.  I would like to
> add live rock and go with inverts.  The exisiting tank is a friends 55 gallon,
> It is a "sterile" environment ie nothing but fish and dead coral decorations.
> It is populated by 1 damsel (I wanna trade it away) and a clown I will keep.
> 
> 4)  How can I get the copper out of the water and decorations/gravel that is
> already in the tank?  Would it just be easier to trade away the 2 fish and
> toss all the tank contents to start over with "virgin" materials?
>

Yes....Copper tends to stick inside corals, because of them being so 
porous. It's really hard to take out...
 
> 5)  One last question..I would like recommendations for a 55 gallon reef
> population.  I would like all the fish to get along and hopefully be half
> way sociable too.  I would like to add a shrimp or two, anemones and
> corals.  Any suggestions would be very welcome.  I have 20 years of fresh
> water experience and am on the edge of making the "big switch".
> 

I have a 30Gal. reef system..I built the sump for it..added a protein skimmer
(my best move!) has a fluval 303 and 2-aquaclear 301. It's stocked with:

1) cleaner Shrimp...
2) Sebae clowns (female/Male)
1) Purple Anenome...
1) Kole Tang / KEEPS the tank clean....
1) Elegens Coral
1) Grape Coral
1) Green Polyp Coral
3) Bali Stars
1) Green Brittle Star


> Thanks!
> 
> Mike
> 
> PS any Colorado Springs or Denver or Pueblo marine types please drop e-mail 
> so I can bug you directly! :-)


Hope...this helps you out.!!

Dave
Xref: sparky alt.aquaria:6754 rec.aquaria:10381