Gulf live rock fallow period?

[kenchilada]

I have 150 pounds of live rock out of the Gulf of Mexico in a Rubbermaid tub for a month now. It was shipped wet, and has never been dry. It just occurred to me there could be parasites and other bad things in this rock. Should I leave this fishless for another month or so? I plan to prophylactically treat all fish in QT.

 

[flampton]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. There's risk but so minimal that its not worth the extra wait. If it's gulf rock i would be way more worried about Exaiptasia pallida. Keep an eye out for those and eradicate immediately. Also have you checked for crabs yet? You'll need to remove them too. Can be good rock but need to keep an eye on it.

 

[Variant]

If you want you could try an iodine dip. I did that with my live rock from KP Aquatics. Got all my gorilla crabs and pistol shrimps and many bristle worms. But i still had a lot of life after the 6hr dip.

All my sponges, worms, and stuff survived and no cycle. I added corals and anemones to that tank a week later and has been great since.

My original concern was mostly cirolanid isopods since they are fisb parasites that is difficultto catch and eradicate manually

 

[ichthyogeek]

If you're super paranoid about ich/velvet, you could just let the rock lie alone for another month and a half (total 76 days fallow).

 

[kenchilada]

That’s surprising, I was thinking everyone would tell me stay fallow. This is all so confusing! ;Nailbiting

 

[kenchilada]

Hmm... I guess I could always put some acclimated black mollies in for a week and see what happens?

 

[Pistondog]

My perception is that ich is a feature of the artificial ways we store fish until they get to our aquariums.
If the gulf live rock had rampant ich, there'd be alot of dead fish in the ocean, the ich parasite must have natural predation that keeps it in check..
I purchased some live rock from the gulf and have had a couple of unexplained small fish disappearances. Maybe a small Bobbitt or equivalent worm.
Will buy again.

 

[kenchilada]

My perception is that ich is a feature of the artificial ways we store fish until they get to our aquariums.
If the gulf live rock had rampant ich, there'd be alot of dead fish in the ocean, the ich parasite must have natural predation that keeps it in check..
I purchased some live rock from the gulf and have had a couple of unexplained small fish disappearances. Maybe a small Bobbitt or equivalent worm.
Will buy again.

That makes a lot of sense.

My rock had a bumpy start (some kind of shipping problem) but it’s settling down now.

It’s crazy how different it looks compared to dry Marco rock... there’s a small piece visible at top right to compare.

 

[DungSl1nger]

Most people who get live rock just make sure whatever died during transport has finished its decay. If you are worried about hitchhikers you could make a bucket of 1.040 saltwater and dip te rock in there. The hitchhikers should leave the rock. I cured and then looked over the rock carefully before putting it in my tank.

 

[Timfish]

That’s surprising, I was thinking everyone would tell me stay fallow. This is all so confusing! ;Nailbiting

Different risk/reward equations. Most responses are based on experiences with just a few or one system for just a few years and often are parroting what they've heard or read that resonates with thier perception of how a reef system works.

Of alk the pests I've gotten in my tanks the one that has killed more stuff and caused more problems and grief are bubble tip anemonies. Not siptasia or mantis shrimp. Majanos would be a distant 2nd but they've all come from other aquarists not maricultured live rock. Looking at the science showing how critical cryptic sponges are foe removing the labile DOC that can be so problematic for corals I attribute my success at keeping multiple systems for years in part to my use of maricultured live rock over the last 2 1/2 decades.

 

[sfin52]

Different risk/reward equations. Most responses are based on experiences with just a few or one system for just a few years and often are parroting what they've heard or read that resonates with thier perception of how a reef system works.

Of alk the pests I've gotten in my tanks the one that has killed more stuff and caused more problems and grief are bubble tip anemonies. Not siptasia or mantis shrimp. Majanos would be a distant 2nd but they've all come from other aquarists not maricultured live rock. Looking at the science showing how critical cryptic sponges are foe removing the labile DOC that can be so problematic for corals I attribute my success at keeping multiple systems for years in part to my use of maricultured live rock over the last 2 1/2 decades.

I started my tank from real lr in 2014 some could have been maricultured. So much better than dry rock. You can't beat the biodiversity

 

[vetteguy53081]

i would at minimum add some tank water to it in tub and allow any hitchhikers to come out so you can identify any.
Gulf rok generally has mantis shrimp, whelk snails, gorilla crabs and other undesired visitors.

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

If one decides to fallow to prevent any ich, how would one keep the biodiversity alive ?

also, I’m curious it is worth it, I mean many out there add corals and inverts, even fish without a proper QT method.

i QT my fish, never used live rock in my previous tank, however I’m thinking of going LR on my new nano set up

 

[Pistondog]

I qt'd in a heated brute can for a week, then add.
If new tank, then start with it in the tank.