Dip live rock before placing in tank??

[erasmu]

My new live rock is due to arrive in two days. I have read that a dip in a five gallon pail of high salinity water (1.035) for one minute is recommended to get any mantis shrimp to come out. What do you think of this suggestion? Are mantis shrimp still thought to be as bad as they were a couple years ago? A lot of things have changed since I had a reef tank with my old wet-dry filter. I am afraid that the dip would cause me to lose other critters that I would rather keep. The last time I set up a tank with live rock (4 years ago), a mantis shrimp did sneak in. It took me quite a while to spot where he lived. Then I had to get that rock (one on the bottom of the wall of course) out to remove him. What do you all do with your tanks and how well has it worked?

 

[Manofathousandpolyps]

I dont know about the dip, but mantis did not go the way of silica sand myths. Still bad.

 

[Mouse]

Ive never heard of a hypersaline dip, but i have heard of people using a fresh water dip. As long as your fast to remove the beneficial critters, i dont see how they would all die. Dont count on saving any hitchhiked snails though.

 

[pcragg]

I think it depends on where the rock comes from. I have heard that Caribbean/Florida rock is notorious for mantis shrimp hitchhikers and Pacific rock is not. I dipped my raw fiji rock in hypersalinity when I got it 1 1/2 years ago. When I looked in the bucket after all the dipping, all that was there was sand and mud. I figured that this was "live" sand and mud so I just dumped it back in the tank.

I think if the rock is from Florida, or has been in contact with Florida rock, hypersalinity dipping is a must.

 

[DrDave88]

please keep this topic conversation up - i have the same LR question


Go Cubs

 

[fishfarmer]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

I have heard that Caribbean/Florida rock is notorious for mantis shrimp hitchhikers and Pacific rock is not.

FWIW, I've bought rock on three occasions. First, 20 lbs uncured Fiji, found dead mantis shrimp in box. Second, 40 lbs cured Fiji from Paragon, found one rock crab. Third, 30 lbs Gulfview, no mantis yet, handful of rock crabs, plus all the other bennies of fresh rock. I cured the Gulfview in a separate container to keep an eye on hitchhikers. Even the grunge at the bottom of the container had all sorts of life squirming in it after three weeks.

A friend bought 80 lbs on Tampa Bay rock, one mantis shrimp, some pistol shrimp and a couple of anenome crabs.

I would be concerned about losing good organisms, especially the little ones you can't see.

[ April 17, 2002: Message edited by: fishfarmer ]</p>

 

[SPC]

I agree with Fishfarmer on not dipping. I buy L/R in hopes of getting as much life as posible, I also cure it in a seperate container.
Steve

 

[erasmu]

Thanks for all the input. At the moment, I am leaning toward skipping the dip. I am getting all Fiji rock, and I am afraid I might lose some critters that I would like to keep. If I do get some bad guys, I will try get them out during the cycling weeks. That way I am not messing up the tank quite as much as when it is complete with corals, etc. Thanks again, and if there are other comments I would be happy to read and consider them.

 

[Scottis24]

When I got my rock I diped it in FW and out popped a crab and two mantis shrimp. I netted the crab an let him in the tank. We merley dunked each piece in for about 30 seconds. The rock has grown al kinds of stuff, even a pink feather duster. I didn't put it in there so it must have came on the rocks......

 

[erasmu]

I would like to thank everyone for their input. There seems to be a variety of approaches. I put my live rock in this evening. At the last minute, I decided to go with a 30 second freshwater dip. I did one piece at at time in about 8" of freshwater in a 15g aquarium. All of my rock was from Fiji. No mantis shrimp or crabs came out. I do not know yet if any went into the tank. I feel that I took a reasonable precaution that was not likely to significantly damage what remains on or in the rock. I will post again later when I see what comes out of the rock. Thanks again.