I'm new to saltwater, in fact just started about a week ago. I purchased some rock that had been dried out from a tank at a reputable local saltwater only store. After only a few days of it's new home in my tank it has developed this white cotton looking stuff growing on the underside of one of the rocks. My question is, what the heck is it? Should I take the rock back out? Any help would be much appreciated. Ammonia 0.25 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 PH 7.8 and tank is 75 gallons with 6 Damsels. I have a picture of it but for some reason not letting me upload it. If I figure it out I will post it.
White cotton on rocks
- Thread starter SaltyH2O
- Start date
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
I can't help you with the white stuff but please please take your damsels back to the store... it is unnecessary to cycle your tank with fish.
little_fish
Moderator
Dying of ammonia toxicity is very cruel, please take them back.
Plus you are limited to one fish per 10 gallons, so with those 6 damsels you are your stocking limit. Plus damsels are the meanest fish you can buy in the hobby and will more than likely kill any fish you at to the tank as well as each other until you are left with one.
Plus you are limited to one fish per 10 gallons, so with those 6 damsels you are your stocking limit. Plus damsels are the meanest fish you can buy in the hobby and will more than likely kill any fish you at to the tank as well as each other until you are left with one.
Smitty
Reef pro
Welcome aboard...I'm gonna have to agree with the ladies about the damsels...as far as the white cotton like substance, it may just be q tip sponges, which are beneficial filter feeders.
navyguyame
Reefing newb
+1 on all the above. i used a small piece of DEAD shrimp to cycle my tank and it worked just fine. It is unnecessary to use fish.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Yah take the damsels out, but you should be able to keep more than 6 fish.
Northstar24
The Tang Herder
+1 to the ladies - get those damsels out of the tank and find a new LFS
We wont be able to help id the growth on the rocks without photos. Upload them to a hosting site like photobucket or snapfish and post the links
We wont be able to help id the growth on the rocks without photos. Upload them to a hosting site like photobucket or snapfish and post the links
jcegt87
Dude Dude DUDE!!!!!!
regardless of that i do believe that if the was dry and had been taken out of another tank i would advice you to boil the rock to get rid of all the nasty dead stuff on it and dont use fish to ccle as many have said the cycle will last about a month or two BEFORE YOU CAN ADD ANYTHING TO YOUR TANK
ammonia is toxic to fish deadly thats what the "cycle"
no traces of ammonia or nitrite should be noticeable in your tank once both of those go down to zero then you can SLOWLY add fish not a bunch at once because that can cause another small cycle to happen
it really depends on size IMHO i doubt that 6 small damcels would create half the bio load of 6 lets say tangs
so size depends when it comes to fish per gallon
ammonia is toxic to fish deadly thats what the "cycle"
no traces of ammonia or nitrite should be noticeable in your tank once both of those go down to zero then you can SLOWLY add fish not a bunch at once because that can cause another small cycle to happen
it really depends on size IMHO i doubt that 6 small damcels would create half the bio load of 6 lets say tangs
so size depends when it comes to fish per gallon
little_fish
Moderator
That is very true, usually i put 1 small fish for every 10 gallons.
Also, i believe that you can add more fish than that, but not in a new tank and not by someone who is new to the hobby.
Also, i believe that you can add more fish than that, but not in a new tank and not by someone who is new to the hobby.
AmberSunrise
Reef enthusiast
I got the white stuff on my rocks when I first got them also but it goes away in time.
I would not boil the rocks though what is the point of buying live rock if you are going to boil it??
I agree that you should cycle the tank with a piece of raw shrimp from the grocery store rather than a living creature thats a painful way to go.
I would not boil the rocks though what is the point of buying live rock if you are going to boil it??
I agree that you should cycle the tank with a piece of raw shrimp from the grocery store rather than a living creature thats a painful way to go.
jcegt87
Dude Dude DUDE!!!!!!
Well the reason I.said.to.boil it was because he said it was dried out so whatever was alive is dead by now but I could be wrong:)
Northstar24
The Tang Herder
He said it was dry rock, I'd boil or at the very least wash any rock thats dried out
ghostryderflhx
Reefing newb
best practice is 1 inch fish per gallon of water
marcah
Reef enthusiast
1 inch per gal is rule of thumb for fresh water but for saltwater it is 1 small fish per 10 gallons..
little_fish
Moderator
+1 Marcah
ghostryderflhx
Reefing newb
this is a true statement I stand corrected
