SG for live rock?

[Stryker]

I'm going to have a hunt for this answer but I'd rather hear fist hand from those with personal experiences.....

How low can the SG be while allowing the bacteria on/in live rock to thrive?

IE would top end brackish at 1.015 be suitable?

Just interested at this time as in/around 4-6 months my two GSPs will be up to 1.015 and inevitably with these two puffers I'm going to end up with a fish only SW tank anyways.

PS: I'm not going to add any tankmates/lunch with these guys

 

[Yano]

Well, the SW inverts on LR are like most SW inverts, they like a higher SG (1.024-1.025) I don't think they could surive at anything lower than 1.020.

 

[Stryker]

Ok, so at SG 1.015 would it be a better idea to try some live sand in my sump? that way if the bacteria can survive at that SG I can give it a go without causing the genocide of countless little SW creepy-crawlies.

 

[Navarre]

Live sand isnt just sand with bacteria. Good quality live sand is full of life. Pods, brittle stars etc. These would very likely die in anything less than 1.020sg

 

[Stryker]

really? I see. Ok then, live sand/rock comes when I'm up to 1.021 at least then.

Many thanks all.

 

[ostrow]

Many fish stores keep FO tanks at 1.015-1.018. But inverts definitely need higher. 1.025 should be your aim.

If you have a cheap plastic hydrometer, you absolutely must test it against a known sample. To callibrate it. Because my plastic thingy reads 1.021 when in fact the tank is 1.025 or 1.026 on my refractometer.

Callibrate it, at a minimum borrow a refractometer from somewhere and test your water, then test with the hydrometer, and mark your hydrometer accordingly.