adding more live rock

[NanoPerson67]

will adding more live rock effect my nitrogen cycle?? i have a 10 gallon cujrrently 2 and a half weeks at cycling.. u could say 3 weeks... anyways.... if i add live rock will it add more ammonia messing things up? do i have to buy cured or uncured?? i have 5.7 pnds of lr so far....in a 10 gallon... im thinkin about adding inverts and a clean up crew next week, possibly a sexy shrimp... and adding 3nds of live rock, possibly nano... the nano is 6 buks a pound and the big pieces r around 10 bucks... how much did u pay??

 

[RAYS REEF]

The more cured live rock the better,i think you still need a little more time before you should put anything in ur tank.i would buy like 2 green chromis fish to help with the process,not damsels there are to aggressive then later you would have to remove them so go with green chromis they are more non aggressive towards other fish later

 

[KathyC]

If you purchase live rock - that is fully cured and keep it submerged from point of purchase and put it directly into your tank, it should not upset your current cycle. There is no 'rule' about how much rock you should put in a tank as different types from different locations can vary greatly in weight due to the density of the rock.

It is not suggested that you add any portion of a clean-up-crew until your tankl is ENTIRELY finished cycling which should take approx 4-6 weeks.
This is a good time to learn more about the nitrogen cycle and do research on the critters you want to add.
Adding live fish to a tank before it is finished cycling is a poor idea IMO.


LR can be purchased at many different price points depending upon where you buy it. It is typically lowest priced on forum through others reefers breaking down tanks or downsizing. Rock purchased at the LFS is usually the most expensive.

What are your test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate currently?

 

[TonyHNY]

Any LR you buy from any source (cured and uncured) will result in some die offs which may cause a small spike. Since you are still cyclng, you can just add the rocks in and allow more time to cycle. uncured rocks could cause a bit more damage but if you are still cycling, then allow time for the process to cure itself... Your other option would be to buy some dry base rocks which would have no ill effect on the cycle..
I would avoid the shrimp until you can test the water for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites and confirm the cycle is Ok since they are more sensitive to all of them...

 

[NanoAquatic]

you're going to see the good purple algae recede little by little during ur cycle... you probably know that but i hated to see that haha.

 

[MR.Oscar]

Okay peoples sorry i was reading the post here and was wondering what is Cured and uncured live rock as I have a 30g I just setup yesterday and I'm going to pick up some live rock today ....

Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[KathyC]

Okay peoples sorry i was reading the post here and was wondering what is Cured and uncured live rock as I have a 30g I just setup yesterday and I'm going to pick up some live rock today ....

Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

Cured live rock is rock that has already been through a cycle, or has been in an established reef tank that is still heated, had circulating water and was oxygenated.

Uncured live rock might have just recently gotten to a LFS (some tend to add new rock they just got in to the bins which cause them to keep cycling - you do want to ask if you go to a LFS to purchase). It usually has not been kept in water consistently or has been out of water for a while (but not long enough to be totally 'dead'). It will produce ammonia when added to a tank due to die off on/in the rock.

Base rock is 'new' rock that hasn't been in a tank yet and is totally dry.

Hope that helps!

 

[Bellamor]

Ok, Im hijacking here. When Im ready to start, should I get all live rock or 10-15lbs of live and then some base rock to be "seeded" by the LR? What sorts of things should you use for base rock? I have seen some people asking about making it with quikrete, is this ok?

 

[TonyHNY]

Base rocks are just rocks the are mined and dry. Something like this:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/brs-reef-saver-dry-aquarium-eco-rock.html

You can start with all live rocks (would cost more...going for around $7/lbs in my LFS) or the base rocks for less tan $2/lb. The Quikrete you are reading may be DIY homemade rocks or bonding the base rocks together to form some custom looking structures....... It really all depends on your budget.

At the moment, I have 50lbs of base rocks in my 29 gal and I took 1 small piece of LR from my established tank. It is going on week 4 now...but I can tell you that cycling was so much faster with all Live Rocks.

Ok, Im hijacking here. When Im ready to start, should I get all live rock or 10-15lbs of live and then some base rock to be "seeded" by the LR? What sorts of things should you use for base rock? I have seen some people asking about making it with quikrete, is this ok?

 

[Bellamor]

Thanks Tony