Will adding more LR to cycled tank cause a problem?

[dkw27]

I have a 125 gallon tank that has been up and running for over a month and is cycled...I just ordered 75lbs of cured LR to add to my exisiting 140lbs...Will this create a problem for the fish that are currently in my tank? I have 3 green chromis, a yellow tang, 2 juvi perc clownfish and a brownbarred goby, plus about 12 snails...Everyone is doing great, don't want to disrupt anything...I plan on soaking the new LR in RO water before adding to the tank...Thanks-

 

[rbaldino]

Depends on how you're getting the rock. If you ordered it through a LFS, they're probably having it shipped to them, which means it will probably have to cure again, at least for a short while. Same thing if you're ordering it over the Internet. If you're just going down to the LFS to pick out some rock, it should be fine as long as it's cured and you get it home quickly.

 

[grubsnaek]

i would soak it in RO salt mix water. lightly brush off the rock to remove any die off, but you should be good.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by dkw27
I have a 125 gallon tank that has been up and running for over a month and is cycled...I just ordered 75lbs of cured LR to add to my exisiting 140lbs...Will this create a problem for the fish that are currently in my tank? I have 3 green chromis, a yellow tang, 2 juvi perc clownfish and a brownbarred goby, plus about 12 snails...Everyone is doing great, don't want to disrupt anything...I plan on soaking the new LR in RO water before adding to the tank...Thanks-
If the rock is being shipped to you it will have die off and need to be cured before adding to a tank.

 

[grubsnaek]

you beat me to it.... a small rubber maid with salt water and a power head and your good if its being shipped. to be cured again sorry for not making that clear.

 

[dkw27]

I'm ordering it over the internet from a place I've ordered from before....So I should soak it in RO saltwater before adding to tank? If so, how long?

 

[grubsnaek]

again saltwater mix, brush off any die off. then place in rubbermaid, test till all test are good. thats what i did with 200lbs of fiji live rock. i also used a 50w 6500k light fixture to jumpstart the coraline.....

 

[dkw27]

Originally Posted by grubsnaek
again saltwater mix, brush off any die off. then place in rubbermaid, test till all test are good. thats what i did with 200lbs of fiji live rock. i also used a 50w 6500k light fixture to jumpstart the coraline.....
Am I testing for ammonia or more than that?

 

[zman1]

AM and NO2 would be what I would check - It's not mentioned in the link below but a good list of steps...
The link below is page 2 of a post you can find in the "A list of extremely helpful threads for all hobbyists" found on the sticky at the top of the "New Hobbyist" fourm. Section HELPFUL INFORMATIONAL THREADS THAT YOU WILL NEED -
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...11&postcount=2

 

[dkw27]

Thank you so much for all the quick responses....I had no idea it would be such a big deal to add more LR....I'm glad I asked, otherwise I could've been in for some big trouble....My fish and I thank you all! I LOVE this forum!!

 

[grubsnaek]

its not really that bad just looks it when you read it.

 

[michaeltx]

if it was bought from a LFS and has been there long enough to cycle through you could have just added it to the tank but as stated above since you are buying online there will be dieoff and kick your tank into another cycle unfortunatly.
Mike

 

[dkw27]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
if it was bought from a LFS and has been there long enough to cycle through you could have just added it to the tank but as stated above since you are buying online there will be dieoff and kick your tank into another cycle unfortunatly.
Mike
But from what I'm reading, if I soak it in RO/saltwater and scrub it good, I should be OK and not go thru another cycle....

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, Go to Loew's hardware and get a 33 gallon rubbermaid and place all the rock in there with saltwater and a powerhead for a week or two and make sure to add top off water. Test for amonia and nitrite every few days. When the levels are zero for a couple of days you can add your live rock to your display. Before putting the live rock in the rubbermaid it helps if you manually remove anything that is dead or dieing on the rock. Lesley

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by dkw27
But from what I'm reading, if I soak it in RO/saltwater and scrub it good, I should be OK and not go thru another cycle....
no, because stuff that you cannot scrub off will still be dying. keep it in the tote for a couple days, testing for ammonia.
while you do have a ton of rock in there, why take the chance?

 

[dkw27]

I don't want to take the chance, and I don't want to endanger my fish...I'll do what Lesley suggested and hope all goes well...This is the last LR I'm adding to the tank, so I won't have to go thru this again....Thanks for all the replies, as always...

 

[dkw27]

OK...I took delivery this afternoon on the 75lbs of LR...I took it outside and thoroughly scrubbed it and rinsed it in RO...Then I placed it in a 33 gallon rubbermaid can with 15 gallons of saltwater and a powerhead....I think I did everything correctly, now it's just time to wait for the ammonia and NO2 to come down....While I was cleaning some of the fiji rock, I came across something I couldn't identify and took a photo of it...I scrubbed it good, but I'm hoping it's not some sort of bubble algae...Does anyone know what those dark spots are?

 

[grubsnaek]

could be a type of coraline. it doesnt alway come as pink. but some one else might know alittle more. as far as the rock. just test, it might not take that long to cure. every batch is different. looks good though. did you get a different variaty of rock sizes.

 

[dkw27]

Originally Posted by grubsnaek
could be a type of coraline. it doesnt alway come as pink. but some one else might know alittle more. as far as the rock. just test, it might not take that long to cure. every batch is different. looks good though. did you get a different variaty of rock sizes.
Yes, lots of nice rock, only bought 25 lbs of the Fiji (already have 140lbs in DT) and 50 lbs of RATU FIJI Live Aquacultured Base Rock w/ Coraline Color, that will add some nice contrast....The photo is the Fiji Super Premium, not RATU...

 

[dkw27]

Does anyone else have any thoughts as to what the dark spots are on the rock and if I should be worried about adding it to my DT? Several pieces have this... Thanks-