more LR questions

[aaronfeeney]

to start with I am planning on about 25 lbs of LR, then let the tank cycle, I'd like to add more LR as budget allows. some advise to keep tank critterless until finished adding LR then complete cycle. wouldn't it Be ok to start with the 25lbs,let it cycle, then add some life, then add more LR? If the new LR came from an established system and stayed wet until set in my tank?

 

[lvsuckerfish]

if life you mean clean up crew then go ahead but if life means fish I would hold off as each time you add rock. their is a good possiblity of a cycle each time you add live rock stick to snails but let cycle for 4 weeks then add them then let cycle some more 6-8 weeks if not longer. is a good number of waiting. and get a cheap API test kit to check ammonia nitrate and nitrite to make sure all are reading something until nitrite and amonnia are zero then the cycle should be done for the worst part.

 

[dogfrog]

Something else to remember. Any rock can be made into “live” over time

Look at adding some of the dead rock that some of the sponsors sell and also do a Google search for some of the different suppliers of Key Largo rock. At $2 to $4 per lb you will get more for your bang. Plus you can (some what) control what pest you can keep out of your tank


I started my 220 out with about 160 lbs of dry (dead) rock and let my tank cycle with it. Just added a shrimp (dead) and let nature take its course

 

[aaronfeeney]

I have even seen threads on homemade LR, from various materials

 

[jeffro]

I cycled my 20 gallon with 2 yellow tail damsels, a sandbed of aragonite live sand, and I added 1 rock at a time as I was in no rush. watched the alge cycle of diatom (brownish gunk) take it's course while feeding the fish pellets. eventually I reached 25 lbs of rock or so and things have been fine. I was even adding small ammounts of rock after the initial cycling had run its coarse.

 

[returnofsid]

Aaron, as long as you have very little die off, with future additions of live rock, you'll be just fine. Any die off that takes place, has the potential of causing a cycle, even a small one, which could stress out any livestock in your tank.

 

[aaronfeeney]

Thanks guys , this makes more sense to me than, "just don't do it."

 

[jrgilles]

If you find someone taking a tank down, you can get a great deal on rock and it will cycle almost immediately. It is good for about an hour our of tank to keep everything alive (except sponges will need to be submerged from my understanding.)

I have a 75 with 50 sump, added maybe 80-100 lbs with 40-50 of those pounds being dead rock that someone gave me. Was pretty much already cycled. Started testing a few days after adding, and never saw nitrates or ammonia.

Then slowely added the clean up crew over a few weeks, then a couple of chromis.