Adding Live Rock to Established 125 Gallon

[cruzan277]

Hey guys I would like to add about 45 pounds more LR to my 90 that I have in my 125 Gallon. I know I cant just place it in there so how do I go about adding this rock without causing major problems?

 

[predator]

It needs to be cured, if it isn't already. Ask the place where you got it from how long they have had it. It took my rock close to 2 weeks cure.Though I'm sure it varies.If it is not cured and you add it your amonia will go nuts.

 

[jagster]

There are places on the internet where you can purchase fully cured live rock. Costs a bit more, but worth it in my opinion. When I moved my 55 gal to a 120 gal, I purchased approx. 130 lbs of the fully cured and added it to the 70 lbs I had in my 55gal. I set up the 120 and added all my fish, corals and inverts immediately. No problems or deaths! Since, I've purchased another 30 lbs and just added it to my tank with no adverse effects.
I guess you by un-cured or partially cured, you can either fully cure it yourself or just add it very slowly over time, ie, one rock every week or so. This assumes your 45 lbs of rock is in small pieces.
Good Luck!!!

 

[sduda]

I'd suggest you setup a rubbermaid container that you can put the additional LR into to cure yourself. Don't take the LFS word for the fact that it is cured. Get the LR into the container and have it cycle like you would any other normal setup. When you are confident this is no longer a problem, you can add it in at your pace to your existing setup. This has worked well for me in the past. If you're only adding a small amount at a time, you should be able to do this without setting up an additional tank. You just don't want to shock your existing setup. Good luck!

 

[cruzan277]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions.