How long does it take live rock to gain color

T

The Bass Hole

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 29, 2011
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Long Island, NY
I just started a 29 gallon tank that I'm looking to do a small reef in most likely with a few soft corals and a mandarin and a few fire fish. Right now i only have a grouper in cycling the tank and 6 pieces of live rock (~15lbs.) Im adding the Purple Up chemical daily 1 dose. I use aragonite sand and the salt level is 1.026 specific gravity.

Is it better to have the rock in for a while to gain some color before putting in corals or does it not matter? (I'm not gonna put the corals in for at least a month)

also does anyone have an recommendation for cool, non aggressive or semi-aggressive corals?

thanks a ton guys I'm looking forward to this new challenge, I've done freshwater in this tank for long enough
 
O

Otherone

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 2, 2009
2,683
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Lancaster,PA USA
Do you know what your Alk reading is? Calcium to magnesium ratio? Is your Lighting - T5HO, Metal Halide,LED, or someother type not rated for photosyntetic corals? These are the questions I'd want answered before I dosed anything ALK related or add corals.

Purple Up is basically over priced Baking soda (calcium) with Magnesium Drive way de-icer. If you look at your salt mix you'll notice a Cal (calcium) and Mag (magnesium) reading on it. This stuff is pre-bonded to the salt. Your spending $20 extra for something you already put in the tank everytime you do water changes.This is why you want to answer those questions - make sure your not overdosing your tank - odds are w/ no stoney corals or coraline, you are.

I'd also wait at least a year before adding a Dragonette unless you have a refrigium specifically dedicated to growing pods even then - they are a tough fish to keep.

Easy softies -
Non-photosynthetic softies - Gorganians and Sea Fans
Partial photosyntetic sofies - Colt and Kenya trees, Leathers, Ricordea and other mushrooms, xenia and other polyps.
 
T

The Bass Hole

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 29, 2011
314
0
0
Long Island, NY
oh alright good to know. i ordered the Magnesium and Calcium test kits from my LFS last week they should be here on tuesday. I have T5s on the tank but i might switch to Marineland LED(is this one better?) What brand of LED do you recommend?
 
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Otherone

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 2, 2009
2,683
4
0
Lancaster,PA USA
The 1.026 + Cal + Mag + T5 lighting will grow Coraline no problem - exception being High levels of phosphastes. Test kits gonna show you how much cal + mag you have niether are really all that essential for softies unless theres to much, but nessassary for coraline.

My tanks too large for affordable LED lights, so I'm not the one to help you there.

One suggestion tho - 1.026 is pretty much borderline, daily evaporation can bring the salinity reading up and above 1.026. I personally target 1.025 so the levels don't get too high. With softies only you can even be alil' lower.
 
P

Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
2,993
32
81
New York
Hey I've heard great things, and bad things about the led unit. One thing is that you can't have the actinic color on a separate timer, and I think i was told as time pass by it losses intensity, here watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnWO7ym4u4Ymarineland

Hope this helps, if I was u I would subscribe and follow up on the vids like I have, very useful info.
 
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Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
2,993
32
81
New York
Grouper probably won't do well in a reef set up, I would probably sell it or trade it in for reef safe fish or corals..imo
 
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