Live Rock Question

[cjf48043]

I recently ordered 45 lbs of Pre-cured Select Fiji Live Rock over the internet. I rinsed it in buckets of saltwater to remove the rubble and then placed it into the tank along with some Live Sand that has already been there for a week or so. After a week or so it appeared to have some white areas or die back on it, so I attempted to scrub it off with a toothbrush as was said in the attached directions. It didnt seem to come off to well though. On one piece I have some good coraline growth and a few small spots on a few other pieces. Will the coraline eventually take over the die back areas or not? What do I need to do? I think am nearing the end of my cycle (currently 4 weeks) in my new tank so I dont want to do a water change until its finished. I have also recently added 6 damsels, 2 turbos and a brittle star in there to assist in the cycling which are all doing well. :notsure:

 

[thomas712]

Those white areas could be from dead coralline areas, no they don't normally scrub off with a toothbrush.
You don't really need to do anything with the live rock at this point. This in itself would help with the cycle. There was no need whatsoever to add the damsels. With the addition of the rock and fish all at once I think you will see a nice rise in your ammonia dispite the fact that your cycle was almost over.
Some fish are just plain nasty to try to get out of a tank, damsels are among the top 10. So I hope you plan to keep them. Personally I think they are mean, nasty rotton SOB's.
Way to soon for a brittle star, I know they are cool, but way to soon, there just isnt much for him to eat right now. Let your tank mature before doing that again. I suggest you hand feed it for a while. chopped shrimp should do the tick, just a piece or two.
Might not hurt if you slow down a bit
Good luck Michigander
Thomas

 

[cjf48043]

Thanks for the input Thomas. Well, I was told by the LFS to add these critters to help with the cycling. But I guess you cant always trust what they say. Your right, I dont plan on making any new purchases for a while, until the cycling is finished. And yes, I also heard that damsels cant be tough to remove. I planned on taking them back when the cycling was finished, so wish me luck on catching the little SOB's. I have read a few stories on here about them. Unfortunately I read the stories after they were already swimmng in my tank. I guess I will try to catch them when they are sleeping.

 

[nacl-man]

You may not be happy with the damsels, but then again you may end up loving them... who knows?
Coraline propagates exponentially, in a few months with good water quality you'll notice a coraline explosion, so don't worry about that