Great deal from LFS that i have to share!

I am going today to take another look around the LFS for a few items. While I am there I will get a pic. I should have it up this afternoon.

 

Here are the pics at last!

I had to circle the shroom because my camera sucks.

Also i circled what turns out to be one of about 15 fans! And there are a couple of other very small corals starting to bud out. This rock is actually more biologically diverse than the rest of the tank all together. I am super thrilled!

 

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!! Very nice!

 

no doubt.

I am a little dismayed at the amount of wild anemones that are on the rock, but i think my 2 new peppermint shrimp will love them

 

That is a very nice score. Good job. But your tank is only a week old. It was worth taking the chance. The rock itself is worth the price. Be prepared for some loss. Not total, but some.

 

Yeah i know i might lose a little, but my tank is actually a little over two weeks old. I was incorrect when i stated the length of time i had set it up before. I actually had a cycle complete just a couple of days ago. It went quickly and smoothly due to me getting all completely cured and alive live rock from an established tank. In fact i have had an emerald crab and lawnmower blenny in there for basically the entire time with no health issues whatsoever. In fact, the blenny is growing like a little weed and seems to be very happy with his new home. All parameters are at perfect levels right now. my ammonia and nitrites and nitrates are back to 0, and my pH is right where i want it to be. So hopefully i won't loose very much at all. I am getting some food for the featherdusters tomorrow.

Should i get calcium too? and anything else? what doses should i use?

 

very nice find!! I am surprised a LFS would sell an 11 lbs rock encrusted with corals for so cheap!! the rock alone is worth 90 or so bucks depending on the fish store. Also, what test kits do you have and what type of lighting do you have? Word of advise, do NOT dose any supplements unless you test for them, mainly Calcium, PH, Alk, Magnesium. You need to get test kits for all of those if you are going to dose anything, and it's allready a good start to test your other parameters. Got a spot picked out for the rock allready?

 

I have really only ran the tests needed for initial set up and keeping track of cycling (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH). I have not yet tested for trace elements, but I am getting the kit today along with some food for the feather dusters that I discovered last night on the rock.

I actually already have the rock in the tank. It's doing well along with the other few inhabitants. My cycle just ended a couple of days ago and all the rock that was already in the tank was from the same LFS owner's display tank. It was already quite alive when I put it in my tank and none of it ever left water so I sort of cheated on cycling.

I am running PCs. I have a 65w actinic and a 65w 10K. I know it's not the best, but in the next couple of weeks I am going to place a clip-on MH on the tank as well. I went with the PCs because there are at least a couple of corals/critters that I want that tend to do better under somewhat subdued lighting, and I didn't want to flood the tank with lights. So I am just going to spot a couple of rocks for the more light-needy things and let the rest hang out under the PCs.

So far my lawnmower blenny seems to have claimed the new rock as his home. With all the fresh delicious algae, he is in heaven just perching on the top.

 

That is one awesome rock you got there. Congrats.