new 72 gal FO should I use liverock

[9fishers]

Am new to the hobby and in the process of trying to decide how to "aqua-scape" the tank. LFS set the tank up for us and it is currently cycling. We have 100 lb.s of live sand, and are debating about LR. I want to add it but wife not sure.She is afraid of it causing too much algea and making the tank look dark. Our tank is a 72 gal. bowfront. We hope to have mostly smaller fish, and as I read more about these type fish,(damsels, clowns, dwarf angels,ect.) I see they like lots of rock work to hide in.
Anyway I think our compromise may be to just add a little slowly and see how it shapes up.Do you need special lights for LR as you would for a mini-reef? If I get LR should I cure it and add it to the tank before any fish are added?How does LR affect presence of algea in a tank? Answers to any of these questions or other comments would be greatly appreciated.

 

[acez28]

well the LR will help with the filtration process and to me makes the tank look ALOT better. And since you are cycling now i would go ahead and add the LR now. And also if your LFS didnt stress the importance of LR then maybe you should be looking for another LFS. You can have regular lights as long as you are not trying to get any corals or anything.

 

[9fishers]

Thanks Ace,
Yes the more I read and learn the more I am a little ticked at my lfs. However I should have done more research on my own before jumping in so can't blame it all on them. I feel like with this site and some of the books I now have that I am on the right track. Thanks for the reply,
Clay

 

[9fishers]

Thanks JW, wife is coming around to the idea of LR. If I order the ultra pre-cured is it really o.k. to put it straight in the tank? Should I wait till my tank has finished cycling, or will this LR only help to speed that along?

 

[balistidae]

add the liverock asap....when ordering live rock a little die-off can always be expected so be prepared for sort of a "mini-cycle"...good luck

 

[infalable]

In addition, since you are planning on the smaller fish, the lr provides the fish with a place to hide or stake out. As stated by so many, the lr is one of the best investments for the tank. Also, if lighting is a problem, the light can be increased now or down the line.

 

[mikeyfish]

Hey 9fishers, when I first started a few months ago buying stuff for my FO tank I listened to my LFS which was in New York at the time and he said there was no need to buy Live rock and the fish would eat it all. Me like an idiot listen to him and first set up my tank with a canister and a hang on the back filter for carbon. I still have those running but after reading I now have 45 lbs of live rock which I have added slowly to my tank. My wife didn't want it in the beginning either, but once I pulled the Dead coral out (biggest waste of money ever) and added more live rock, the tank looks sooooooo much better and water looks sooooooo much cleaner. Plus it's a pleasure watching certain fish weave in and out of the rocks. You can add most now and some more down the road. But once your cycle is finished you must only put cured live rock in your tank very slowly as JW as already mentioned.
Good luck
Michael

 

[9fishers]

Thanks to all who have replied. We have ordered the 20-25 lb.s box of ultra pre-cured fiji lr from this site. Will probably be here middle of next week as I understand it. Am looking forward to adding this and almost certainly more in near future. One other question, am setting up 10 gal. qt tank. Can I use some of that LR to cycle that tank? Added a little of my LS from my big tank, now I need an ammonia source to start that cycle. Will the LR do that for us or should we toss in a shrimp from the grocery store as I have read some here do? If a shrimp, at what point would we remove it? After the ammonia spike occurs?

 

[mikeyfish]

That's how I cycled my tank with 2 prawn size shrimps. I got that idea from this board. It worked great. I had a nice spike after 3 days. The only draw back is that it smells sooooo bad. Some people leave it in during the whole cycle but I removed it after I saw the spike go off the charts which was only in a few days. My 55 gallon completely cycled in about 2 1/2 weeks with this method, every tank is different but with the rock and shrimp you should have a faster cycle. But I'm new at this thing also, so let the other guys comment on this issue. I only set up one tank SO FAR and this method worked wonders.
Michael

 

[dattong]

I personally think FO tank looks more natural with LR. And if you can buy all the rock at the same time, do it now so that you don't have to go thru the mini cycles later on. You don't want your fish go thru even the mini cycle. For algea problem, I don't think you should have problem with it if this is FO tank. Turn the light off during the cycle and turn it on whenever you wanna watch your fish. By doing this you'll minimize the chance of getting algea bloom. Clean up crew is a great addition if you should ever encounter algea problem. Good luck with the new tank! Just a reminder in case you don't know. Do not ever do any disease treatment in the display tank when you have sick fish. Have a Q-tank set up instead. Most hobbyists will turn to reef eventually and corals just cant live if your tank once used as a treatment tank.