How to do a hypo salinity dip on live rock

[fishywishy]

Just got some Kp live rock and im wondering How to do a hypo salinity dip on the live rock to get rid of the hitchhikers?

 

[ReefGeezer]

There are other options to introduce ocean microbes to the tank without the pests. Also, stony corals and shells are essentially live rock. Vast amounts of microbes likely come via corals, fish, snails, crabs, etc., so no matter what, someone gets "live rock."

So, how fast does the desired microbiome become established when small doses of differing, and in most cases competing, strains of microbes are added a little at a time to an otherwise sterile environment? How fast do all the other available microbes that exist everywhere in nature become established in the same environment? I think the "uglies" provide pretty good answer to those questions?

Nature abhors a vacuum. I really believe that starting with dry rock, adding microbes a little at a time, and hoping for the best might as well be called the "Hoover" method.

Why spend so much for live rock and then kill the living creatures that reside on it?

While some die-off may occur, an effective number of the organisms, creatures, and biofilms survive to establish not only the microbiome but also a population of the more complex organisms that are necessary for processing nutrients, providing food, and deterring organisms that comprise the "Uglies".

 

[fishywishy]

Arrow crabs should hunt them until they get to large.

The one I saw was around 4-5 inches, is that too big?

 

[fishywishy]

I was trusting this ammo alert badge to show my ammonia levels so I didn’t bother to do any other test to the tank but today I tested with a api test kit and the ammonia was at 1.5ppm, so I’m doing a 20% water change for the next few days, I also added some prime, are all my hitchhikers and “beneficial bacteria” dead now?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

The one I saw was around 4-5 inches, is that too big?

Good size

 

[Tired]

That ammonia level will likely have harmed some life, but it won't kill the bacteria, and you should be able to look at the rock and see that it's still covered in plenty of things. Algae, probably some fanworms, likely copepods visible if you look hard at the container walls.

A 20% water change isn't enough for that ammonia level. 80% of 1.5ppm is, what, 1.2ppm ammonia? Which is still far too high. The Prime might handle it, but a large water change would be better.

Arrow crabs aren't much more reef-safe than eunicids, is the problem with those. Manual removal, or not worrying about it (because it may well never touch anything you care about), is your best bet over trying to have something eat it.

 

[fishywishy]

That ammonia level will likely have harmed some life, but it won't kill the bacteria, and you should be able to look at the rock and see that it's still covered in plenty of things. Algae, probably some fanworms, likely copepods visible if you look hard at the container walls.

A 20% water change isn't enough for that ammonia level. 80% of 1.5ppm is, what, 1.2ppm ammonia? Which is still far too high. The Prime might handle it, but a large water change would be better.

Arrow crabs aren't much more reef-safe than eunicids, is the problem with those. Manual removal, or not worrying about it (because it may well never touch anything you care about), is your best bet over trying to have something eat it.

I only have a 10 gallon bucket so 20% is all I can do, is there any ammonia detoxifier I can buy to bring it down? Could I also just leave it and let it go down itself or will it just keep going up?

 

[fishywishy]

That ammonia level will likely have harmed some life, but it won't kill the bacteria, and you should be able to look at the rock and see that it's still covered in plenty of things. Algae, probably some fanworms, likely copepods visible if you look hard at the container walls.

A 20% water change isn't enough for that ammonia level. 80% of 1.5ppm is, what, 1.2ppm ammonia? Which is still far too high. The Prime might handle it, but a large water change would be better.

Arrow crabs aren't much more reef-safe than eunicids, is the problem with those. Manual removal, or not worrying about it (because it may well never touch anything you care about), is your best bet over trying to have something eat it.

what would kill everything on the rock like bacteria, algae, Copepods, so that way I know how to prevent it?

 

[Tired]

Prime should bring the ammonia down, and it'll go down on its own as the bacteria use it up. Remember that ammonia bound up in Prime will still read on test kits. It is a little concerning that you have ammonia, though; that means you have a lot of die-off, probably things like sponges and larger worms, that's overwhelming the bio-filter. Do you see anything that looks dead, white slime or fluff or whatnot?

Drying the rock out completely would kill everything on it. So would leaving it in extremely high or extremely low salinity, or putting poison in the tank. Short of that, some algae and bacteria and critters should survive.

Now, what you want isn't /some/ bacteria and algae and critters, you want as many as possible. For that, maintain the same conditions you'd keep any other living reef creature in; good clean water (but not without nutrients), flow, light, heat, food.

 

[fishywishy]

Prime should bring the ammonia down, and it'll go down on its own as the bacteria use it up. Remember that ammonia bound up in Prime will still read on test kits. It is a little concerning that you have ammonia, though; that means you have a lot of die-off, probably things like sponges and larger worms, that's overwhelming the bio-filter. Do you see anything that looks dead, white slime or fluff or whatnot?

Drying the rock out completely would kill everything on it. So would leaving it in extremely high or extremely low salinity, or putting poison in the tank. Short of that, some algae and bacteria and critters should survive.

Now, what you want isn't /some/ bacteria and algae and critters, you want as many as possible. For that, maintain the same conditions you'd keep any other living reef creature in; good clean water (but not without nutrients), flow, light, heat, food.

I see one white fluff ball but everything looks exactly the same.