Live rock

[harryehlers]

How do you keep the plants and critters on live rock from dying off? Is it lighting, water chemistry, what? No clean up crew, or plant eating fish and still they disappear. Will I have better luck getting rock shipped in salt water? Is the shipping in wet newspaper just too damaging to the live rock?

 

[Stephen8169301]

How do you keep the plants and critters on live rock from dying off? Is it lighting, water chemistry, what? No clean up crew, or plant eating fish and still they disappear. Will I have better luck getting rock shipped in salt water? Is the shipping in wet newspaper just too damaging to the live rock?

Since I never actually purchased live rock I wouldn’t know so I’m just writing this in hopes someone has an answer for you

 

[mww00ds]

How do you keep the plants and critters on live rock from dying off? Is it lighting, water chemistry, what? No clean up crew, or plant eating fish and still they disappear. Will I have better luck getting rock shipped in salt water? Is the shipping in wet newspaper just too damaging to the live rock?

Every time I ordered live rock, I've always had it wrapped in wet newspaper. Yes I've lost some algea, but most animals have survived. Also any algea I've lost, other macroalgae has grow just as fast that I didn't know was on the rock. I think most of what we lose is due to chemical differences between the natural saltwater location and what's in our tanks.

 

[fish farmer]

I had plenty of things live when I got uncured Fiji live rock and cultured Florida coralline rock, both shipped in newspaper overnight. I probably had more things live on the gulf rock (shorter shipping time). But both did experience die off and had to be cured prior to adding livestock, but still had macro algae growth, tube worms, sponges, urchins,etc.

I knew someone who got the package from Tampa Bay saltwater. There was crazy amounts of life but I never got to see what actually lives long term.