Safety with Live Rock

[bigskies]

Hi All- I have 2 GSPs that have outgrown their current home and are about to be moved to a 100 gal tank. I plan to take them from brackish to full marine and want to slowly add live rock. My concern is that one puffer always torments the other by chasing and annoying the crap out of her ( I can only assume its a her). In the past, Ive had a slate wall in the tank for their hiding places, and in the heat of their chase, she slightly cut herself on the edge of a piece of slate...so I sanded them all down. Ive since removed the slate since they've grown so big.

Anyway - Live rock looks like it can be really sharp. Has anyone had any problems with their puffer getting cut on the rock? We all know they don't have protecting scales. That's really my only concern. Hopefully, they'll let something grow on the live rock.... or should I just put it in the sump? It's not as pretty in the sump though.

[purplecandle]

Their skin is so thick that it usually can't get cut on the decor...it can get scraped and it sort of looks like the color comes off..but it doesn't get cut.

I looked at your old posts and it seems you have these puffs in a 40 gallon tank? I am willing to bet that if they are given more space they will be able to find their own territories and that will cut down in the fighting....provided you have decor and hiding spaces.

They are really gonna love that 100 gallon!

[defool89]

Kind of un related here but, whatever you do and I dont know why you will now, but m
maybe later it may have crossed your mind....dont ever boil that live rock. It can have deadly consequences on you...good luck with the rehome.

[bigskies]

Yes - They are still in the 40gal... I've had to remove some decor and put their tree root on stilts because they're too big to fit under it... they try to wiggle through holes they can no longer fit through. Good news about the live rock though... one has a linear scar along "her" side - it must have been a fluke of an accident. Not that kind of fluke - fluke is a bad word on this site
I'm setting up the 100gal next to them and I can see they look at it longingly in the night.... I'll also set up a sump for the skimmer, heater, and such to get that stuff out of the way.
Thanks for you help. I still have to cycle but I'll post a pic when its ready.

[purplecandle]

Don't forget to post pics of them in their new home!

[El Scorpio]

Oh, yeah +1 on NOT boiling live rock; it can release an airborne toxin and make you, your family and pets seriously ill.
Not that it seemed that you were planning to boil live rock, but it's dangerous enough to throw out a friendly warning.
Anyway, the live rock in my tank has some pokey bits, but I've never had a problem with my puffer or goby sustaining any injuries from it. I think you'll be just fine.

[bigskies]

Hmm...I never even considered boiling the live rock until you guys mentioned it.... a good warning though. I know healthy live rock isn't supposed to have the stench of death. That might make someone want to biol it. I'm hoping to purchase smaller pieces of already cured healthy rock from a dealer and add it slowly. From my understanding, the more porous the rock, the less you need. And the less rock i need, the more space the puffers have to swim.
You guys rock. Pics are a definite when they are sporting their new pad.

[defool89]

Not all live rock is cured like the lfs swears it is. You always risk die off which will in turn provide dead decaying matter. Ideally I would suggest setting up you 100g and live rock before you add the gsps so you can do all the appropriate WC to get rid of that die off. Too much of that dead matter will give you a ton of ammonia resulting in deadly water

[RTR]

+1 to defool89's comments

[bigskies]

Ideally I would suggest setting up you 100g and live rock before you add the gsps so you can do all the appropriate WC to get rid of that die off. Too much of that dead matter will give you a ton of ammonia resulting in deadly water

Good plan. I intend to ditch my canister filter and rely on the live rock and skimmer (and maybe a refugium with critters) so I'll need to have it all in place and of good quality when my precious ones move. I'm going to switch to RO also since my tap water continues to be a problem. A lot of work to do.