how to add live rock

[briansreeftank19660426]

how to add live rock? if you buy it from you lfs is it ok to just add in ..? if its alive? if u online order it and some organisms on it have died will that cause to you recycle? (i think that happend to me)... does the amount of rock we are talking about play into consideratoin? if its one small piece im sure the response is throw it in. but if its a sizeable amount i would imagine the rock should be cured? thoughts?

 

[jumpfrog]

I made the huge (and costly) mistake of adding 45lbs of supposedly cured online live rock to any already cycled tank. Results were dead fish and a new cycle.
Conversely I've added single 3 to 5 pound cured pieces with no negative results.
Good Luck!

 

[therock0861]

Yes if you plan on adding a large amount of LR you should cure it first or prepare to lose your fish because no LR comes in the mail fully cured. I would add small amounts at a time from your LFS and have them bag it in water like a fish.

 

[karlas]

lr ordered ol even fully cured has die off during shipping. this die off causes the amm spike when added to the tank. especially if there are any sponges. once exposed to air they will die and decay. i went through the ol rock and cleaned all that stuff off and it went through the cycle faster.
any bought ol should be cured seperatly. i bought fully cured locally and broght it home and had no effects after put in the tank and tons of life on it. it was put in after the cycle but no fish yet and no parameters changed with the fresh.