100 lbs dead live rock

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schroder_reef

Guest
I recently aquired a 165 gal reef tank. Now converting from my small 46 gal to my 165 gal reef, I was given 100 lbs of dead live rock. I have the tank set up right now with the substrate, good filtration and circulation for the dead live rock. What should be my next step? Do I seed the rock with my live rock or wait for ammonia spike? It makes sense to me either way, add real LR now and everything could die....but wait for the spike to add the LR and it could recycle all over again and kill everything anyway..See my quanandry?? Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
thanks.....Ambie
 
aceiswild7

aceiswild7

Member
if you cycle before you add the live rock you are fine because the live rock is already cured so it wont cause any spike
 
billyv

billyv

Member
If your concerned about a second spike after the first, just add one piece of lr every two weeks or so. That won't cause a spike, and won't hurt your wallet nearly as much.
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
Maybe I read your question wrong.. but.. If you already have Live rock that is cured it will be fine to add to your tank. If your Dead rock is dry and been dry for some time just rinse it off and add it too. If it is dry and nothing on it, it will not cause an ammonia spike. It will just start to pick up bacteria just as if it was rock from the back yard added after your tank was setup.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
AH YES!BIGGER TANKS, THE FUN PART, welcome to a new addiction(our tank will never be big enough)
what exactly do you mean by dead rock?
if you mean lr which has beenoutta water for a while, ok, but if not, what is it? you should be careful with what you add to your tank, much rock is not safe for sw
also, areyou in your cycle and not yet complete, if so , you very well could wait for the spike to fisnish before adding your lr, it won't hurt to add lr to the tank after the cycle, and most everything will survive from your rock that way it may go throuhg a mini cycle, but very mini, then move your fish after that
if you have no fish in your old tank, you could move your lr sooner, it will probably speed your cycle, although you could loose some life off your lr, but it will regrow itself
one advantage you have, is that you cna take your time, if your 46 is still running, your fish can stay there until you are completely ready
HTH
 
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schroder_reef

Guest
Yeah no kidding about the addiction, I told my hubby that this is as big as it gets, it took us 4 days to get the plumbing right... Anyway...
The Dead rock... The guy who owned this before us, his wife actually made him sell all this stuff. The rock is live rock out of his reef tank but he took it out and let it sit for about 6 months... So it isn't just rock out of my backyard, it is SW LR.
But..... will dead rock if in there by itself, cause a cycle???
It has been dead a LONG LONG time.... We picked off pretty much most of the dead stuff.... So back to the original question.
Should we just go ahead and add LR that is cured from our other 2 tanks to seed this dead stuff?????
Thanks again :)
 
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schroder_reef

Guest
I'm still confused. I've read so many contradicting things online and in our reef books, I'm still hoping more people can help with this...
 
D

diatom

Guest
The "dead rock" will not cause a cycle. It is the break down of living things that cause it. The rock will just give the good bacteria a place to grow and multiply. I'd put the dead rock in, seed it with some LR and let the tank run for a bit myself. Also before adding the rock if you have a dsb make sure you add some LS to it to seed it as well to get everything well established before adding any fish, etc.
 
josh

josh

Active Member
Hi, congrats on the new tank. I will just add a bit about the cycle if you don't already understand. The rock has living organisms normally, yours won't, that die when put in a new tank due to lack of a nutrient source. After death they degrade releasing ammonia. This ammonia will be the food source for bacteria that further break it down into nitrites and then nitrates. So you see if you have nothing on the rock, it can't cycle the tank b/c there is nothing to die and degrade. HTH
Josh
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
yes, you can seed it with your lr, but if you want to save most of the life on lyour lr, cycle with the dry using shrimp, then add your rock, since it is healthy and well cured(should be by now)LOL, then add your rock, it should not spike, and if it would, it would more than likely be minimal,and not kill much, it will take time to seed the dead with your lr, but it will happen
we added 40 lbs of (well)cured lr, after our peak to 45 lbs in a 75 gallon, and water quality got better,(almost) overnight, then a couple of days later added 25 more, then waited to make sure it would not recycle before moving the fish, and it did NOT recycle with adding the lr, i am assumingthis is because it was well cured with no die off(even from shipping) at all
HTH
[ December 27, 2001: Message edited by: fshhub ]
 
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