Live Rock Purchase Questions

I am in the process of setting up a new tank and its time to get some live
rock. A friend is takeing down his tank of a few years due to lack of
interest and whatever else. He has offered to sell me his live rock at a
good price but he has let his tank go abit the last few months and all the
live rock is covered in red algae. Now the rock is good and cured and his
livestock is doing fine but I would have to deal with the algea from what I
have read.

My question is should I get this live rock with algea or just get some rock
from another source that is algea free for my new tank?
How hard is it to get this rock back in shape and whats the best way to do
so?

I guess I would like to know the pros and cons and any advice in between
would be great. Obviously I am new to the hobby.

G.

"SalahiAndSon" wrote in message
...
I am in the process of setting up a new tank and its time to get some live
rock. A friend is takeing down his tank of a few years due to lack of
interest and whatever else. He has offered to sell me his live rock at a
good price but he has let his tank go abit the last few months and all the
live rock is covered in red algae. Now the rock is good and cured and his
livestock is doing fine but I would have to deal with the algea from what
I
have read.

My question is should I get this live rock with algea or just get some
rock
from another source that is algea free for my new tank?
How hard is it to get this rock back in shape and whats the best way to do
so?

I guess I would like to know the pros and cons and any advice in between
would be great. Obviously I am new to the hobby.

G.


If you can get it at a good price and don't mind getting a little wet and
smelly...just take a 5 gallon bucket of sal****er and a fairly stiff brush.
Srub off as much of the algae as you can, rinse it in clean sal****er, and
use the rock. Just make sure you use very clean RO/DI water in your tank and
run a good skimmer. The algae needs the nutrients in the water to grow, so
you should be able to starve out what the scrubbing didn't reach.

Just know that it could easily take 6 months for many algae
to run their course in the tank, so be patient and save some money. :-)

SalahiAndSon wrote:

I am in the process of setting up a new tank and its time to get some live
rock. A friend is takeing down his tank of a few years due to lack of
interest and whatever else. He has offered to sell me his live rock at a
good price but he has let his tank go abit the last few months and all the
live rock is covered in red algae. Now the rock is good and cured and his
livestock is doing fine but I would have to deal with the algea from what I
have read.

My question is should I get this live rock with algea or just get some rock
from another source that is algea free for my new tank?
How hard is it to get this rock back in shape and whats the best way to do
so?

I guess I would like to know the pros and cons and any advice in between
would be great. Obviously I am new to the hobby.

G.





--
Ric Seyler

since we are on the subject,
i have always wondered what exactly live rock is. is it like rock you would
find out side? or rock that has some kinda chemical?
or rocks with legs that may occasionally walk around the tank
you mentioned "red algae"? is really pink algae, and as soon as you put it
in your new tank w/ new fish, it will spread like crazy. i know that b/c it
was in our pool once. our neighbors came over for a swim, and then went to
our other neighbors pool (i think they use us for our pools lol) the next
day, our neighbors pool, (and noodles, flippers, stuff like that) was COVERD
in it. of course it was completely harmless, but no one really wanted to go
swimming for a while. hehe
hmmm, well, now that i think about it, pink algae may only be for pools w/
chlorine. i guess I'm not positive on what it is. argh
its something to look up now right?! -don't tell me I'm not a big help!
-liZ

"RicSeyler" wrote in message
.. .
Just know that it could easily take 6 months for many algae
to run their course in the tank, so be patient and save some money. :-)

SalahiAndSon wrote:

I am in the process of setting up a new tank and its time to get some
live
rock. A friend is takeing down his tank of a few years due to lack of
interest and whatever else. He has offered to sell me his live rock at a
good price but he has let his tank go abit the last few months and all
the
live rock is covered in red algae. Now the rock is good and cured and his
livestock is doing fine but I would have to deal with the algea from what
I
have read.

My question is should I get this live rock with algea or just get some
rock
from another source that is algea free for my new tank?
How hard is it to get this rock back in shape and whats the best way to
do
so?

I guess I would like to know the pros and cons and any advice in between
would be great. Obviously I am new to the hobby.

G.





--
Ric Seyler

"RicSeyler" wrote in message . ..
Live Rock is basically broken up coral heads.. and very very porous..
unlike typical rocks from land.


Hmmm...Then could one theoretically use lava rock instead? It is really inexpensive where I am. Just wondering...-Jen