TBS Live Rock…Is This An Issue?

[GoogleWasMyIdea]

So I purchased and added a little bit of live rock from TBS @LiverockRocks to my DT and sump and all looks great! (got a glimpse of a couple hitchhikers, but not able to identify yet). Very happy.

My question is in regards to my resident diamond goby.

My goby seems even more happy with the new rock than I am as he has decided to make his new home under the new rock pieces (they are the small rubble pieces) and he is moving the sand and covering overtop the new rocks. This should will not cause an issue, in regards to getting the benficial bacteria from the rocks, will it? And I’m also concerned it will kill off anything that may be good for my tank growing on the rocks. Or should I be doing some Turkey Baster clearing of the sand off the rocks as he piles it up?

Anyone experience this before and would it be better for me to clear off the rocks?

 

[exnisstech]

One reason I stopped keeping a sand sifting goby. He covers you blow off, he covers again it just becomes a cycle. At least yours is covering rocks, mine liked to cover coral. Sorry I'm not sure what effect the sand covering the rock will have if any.

 

[DaneGer21]

Not an issue other than visually

 

[GlassMunky]

no, its not an issue. the bacteria is on/in the rocks and them being in the sand still gives them access to surface space too colonize. your sandbed is alive with microorganisms, the same as your rocks, so a little sand covering the rocks wont do anything.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

No issue with the rocks, but with corals it can become an issue. I had the exact same experience as @exnisstech with mine. He constantly moved sand over my corals and I was constantly blowing the sand off. When mine passed away from a velvet outbreak, I vowed to never get another one for that reason. Its a shame because they are really cool.

 

[LiverockRocks]

So I purchased and added a little bit of live rock from TBS @LiverockRocks to my DT and sump and all looks great! (got a glimpse of a couple hitchhikers, but not able to identify yet). Very happy.

My question is in regards to my resident diamond goby.

My goby seems even more happy with the new rock than I am as he has decided to make his new home under the new rock pieces (they are the small rubble pieces) and he is moving the sand and covering overtop the new rocks. This should will not cause an issue, in regards to getting the benficial bacteria from the rocks, will it? And I’m also concerned it will kill off anything that may be good for my tank growing on the rocks. Or should I be doing some Turkey Baster clearing of the sand off the rocks as he piles it up?

Anyone experience this before and would it be better for me to clear off the rocks?

Rock will be fine and doing its thing. The goby moving about that area will help keep the sand/rock aerated and healthy.

 

[GoogleWasMyIdea]

Thanks Everyone! And especially @LiverockRocks for a great product! My already established peppermint shrimp are going crazy over the new rock. I'd never see them except at feeding time. Now they are constantly on the new rocks picking/eating/claiming them for their own. (next tank...if this one does not send me to marriage prison...will be started with all live rock) And hopefully I'll be able to identify any hitchhikers...seen and yet to be seen.

 

[brandon429]

@LiverockRocks

hey would you consider ever doing something that would benefit the cycling community (all of us) and for sure especially your rock buy customers? = get a seneye (most accurate ammonia meter avail to us) then calibrate it on a running normally-stocked reef tank so that you can see the low end nh3 levels .001-.005 is this what 99.9% of all reef tanks large/medium/small run at, it's the universal daily running rate for all reef tanks. once you get that seneye calibrated

then start putting it into test containers with a few of your rocks

do a group of base rocks

then separately some of your premium rocks, save those logs, let your customers see how much true ammonia curing happens over time, post those results. nobody has this info for uncured rock cycling, everyone just assumes the dieoff is massive because api said so...
with a seneye you can streamline your recommendations for curing between rock groups and for cycle hacks we'll have some data that nobody has in pattern. it's not like you have to test every set of rocks, just do a few rounds of various base rocks you collected and do a few rounds of the premium to get a common running average, I'm telling you people will eat up that knowledge on what they can expect.

heck you can even do a shipping test where you bag up some rocks from each group, seal and pack them, leave the package on your own property to simulate shipping times, then unpack it all and test the two rock groups that way to know how shipping and bag time affect nh3 averages.

 

[LiverockRocks]

@LiverockRocks

hey would you consider ever doing something that would benefit the cycling community (all of us) and for sure especially your rock buy customers? = get a seneye (most accurate ammonia meter avail to us) then calibrate it on a running normally-stocked reef tank so that you can see the low end nh3 levels .001-.005 is this what 99.9% of all reef tanks large/medium/small run at, it's the universal daily running rate for all reef tanks. once you get that seneye calibrated

then start putting it into test containers with a few of your rocks

do a group of base rocks

then separately some of your premium rocks, save those logs, let your customers see how much true ammonia curing happens over time, post those results. nobody has this info for uncured rock cycling, everyone just assumes the dieoff is massive because api said so...
with a seneye you can streamline your recommendations for curing between rock groups and for cycle hacks we'll have some data that nobody has in pattern. it's not like you have to test every set of rocks, just do a few rounds of various base rocks you collected and do a few rounds of the premium to get a common running average, I'm telling you people will eat up that knowledge on what they can expect.

heck you can even do a shipping test where you bag up some rocks from each group, seal and pack them, leave the package on your own property to simulate shipping times, then unpack it all and test the two rock groups that way to know how shipping and bag time affect nh3 averages.

Love this idea!

Atm, we are absolutely swamped with orders. With 2 folks doing all the planting, harvesting, holding, packing and shipping, and me scheduling orders / answering questions; don't have the time right now.
We are also moving out of the current warehouse in February, which is going to be a huge endeavor.
Spring may be the best to time to work on this project. DM for further discussion.