Adding Lr To An Established Reef

[Blake]

Looking for opinions on adding some LR (obviously cured) to my already established 1 year old 90 gallon reef. The reef is primarily made up of zoas, softies, some mushrooms, hammers, bascially beginnner style corals as this is my first tank. I currently have around 90lbs, but would love a few more 'show' like peices, maybe 30-40 more pounds? Is this a good idea?

I've done some reading and gotten mixed reviews.

Help?

 

[scubasteve]

ive done it all the time but my advice is to limit what you add at a single time to 10lbs a week max especially if never done it before. I also always stick it in a vat for minimum 3 months to make sure any pests are gone since most live is straight from the ocean. The only way i wouldnt qt is if you know for sure the lr started as dry and was cured in a clean system for curing rock only. Filling the vat with your own tank water is a great way to stabilize the lr to your tank system which takes away even more risk of dieoff or cycle happening once introduced.

Hope that helps a bit

 

[jroovers]

I think it kind of depends. If its cured live rock, clean, that has been in system water then there shouldn't be any issues. If its live rock that being sitting in another person's tank that has gone neglected, it could be chalk full of detritus, phosphates, etc. that could have a negative impact on your tank. Also, I wouldn't add a bunch of live rock at once that had been exposed to air for a period of time... as I understand it, a lot of LFSs receive live rock shipments that have been covered in wet newspaper, as its obviously weight prohibitive to ship it in water... this rock will have die off, and will be the last thing you want to introduce to your system all at once without cycling as ScubaSteve mentioned.

 

[heath]

have you given any thought to adding CLEAN dead rock to your tank ? With having lr in your tank already that will seed the new stuff..it also works out to be a lot cheaper..I have added clean pukani rock with no adverse effects and within a couple of months you can't tell which is which..

 

[Blake]

Thanks for the indepth advice from experience guys.

As you all have eluded to, the risk of die off and added nitrate/nitrites has me concerned as it would any tank owner. Trusting people who say the rock "has been circulating in heated water under minimal light" makes me believe it may put my system in jeopardy.

Heath, I have looked into adding some dry, pest free rock as well was one less risky option. Assuming, in time, that the coralline algae will soon encrust that rock. Correct? I really like the red/purple look personally.

Just grabbed a nice torch frag from living aquarium today.

As my coral addiction grows I'm just looking for a few more pounds/space to add some room for frags to expand.

Safe to say I've caught the coral bug.

 

[scubasteve]

i have a few small peices in the vat justadded two to my tank a week ago..... but no you CAN NOT have my flat shelf peices

 

[heath]

Just remember which ever way you go, do it SLOWLY (that includes adding fish and corals)....the easiest and fastest way to crash a tank is going too fast.. there are members here that occasionally have clean rock for sale.. my suggestion to that is, look at their tanks first, that will tell you a lot about the rock and don't be afraid to ask why they are selling their rock.. to me clean lr is like having a bar of gold..

 

[Blake]

Awesome, great advice.

I won't take the shelf pieces don't stress Scuba, you use those babies to pump out too many good looking corals!

I think the plan will be to introduce some dry clean rock over this winter season when we're all cooped up! Oh and gotta wait on those pay checks too!

 

[unibob]

Awesome, great advice.

I won't take the shelf pieces don't stress Scuba, you use those babies to pump out too many good looking corals!

I think the plan will be to introduce some dry clean rock over this winter season when we're all cooped up! Oh and gotta wait on those pay checks too!

If you do want shelves, let me know dimensions as I have close to 70lb of just shelf pieces I can pick through.

TONS of pukani, and will be bringing in a new rock that is pest free, dry but looks coraline covered already!


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[Blake]

Thanks Unibob, I threw you a PM.

Thanks again guys, keeping me on track once again!

 

[unibob]

Thanks Unibob, I threw you a PM.

Thanks again guys, keeping me on track once again!

No prob. Fragtank is here to look after you.


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[Nonuser]

I was under the impression that when ever you add live rock to your system depending on the amount and state. It causes a mini cycle to your system.

Either caused by die off or leaching phosphates into the water or just the extra surface area that causes issues.

 

[heath]

I think yes and no, I would think that it depends on where the rock came from, how it has been treated and how well it was cleaned before it went into a tank.. also, the amount that is being added could maybe cause an issue..

 

[scubasteve]

I was under the impression that when ever you add live rock to your system depending on the amount and state. It causes a mini cycle to your system.

Either caused by die off or leaching phosphates into the water or just the extra surface area that causes issues.

As long as you put it in a vat filled with tank water from water changes and add no more than 10 lbs a week you will have zero issues and it will already be acclimated to fit your tanks bio filter needs. Adding dry rock straight to an established tank is asking for trouble. Evel lr can be from a more nutrient rich system so once added to a newer system the bio filter is off balance and dies off due to less nutrients. Every rock that has ever gone into my tank was in the vat first.