Ok guy&gals, got a question. I want to add more rock to my 20 L reef. (Well only one coral so far) my tank has been cycled for about a month now. I want to add more rock. I recently received a few good peices of dry rock (that was live rock at one time but since been pulled out and sitting for prolly a year or so.) Can I put them straight in the tank? If I do will it cause a mini cycle and kill fish and coral? Or should I just go purchase more live rock from lfs. Thanks!!!
Adding dry rock to established tank
- Thread starter tmac18
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Dtackett
Valuable Member
youre going to want to cure your rock. fill a bucket up with saltwater, place the rock in the bucket and put a heater and powerhead in the water. let it run for a week and change out all of the water. do this and test each week before you change the water until your readings come out 0. essentially youre cycling the rock. now, ive added small amounts of dry rock to established reefs without an issue, but your tank is still new enough that depending on how much youre trying to add, it may be too much for it and cause it to go through another cycle.
Ok. Thanks. I have a 60 gallon rated sponge filter in the tank now holding lots on bacteria. I eventually want to lose the sponge filter. What if I steal a peice of live rock from my other tank? It's been in there almost 3 months. I may do that....
Dtackett
Valuable Member
adding established live rock you may get a mini cycle but it normally doesn't last long IF it even happens. how much rock do you have in the tank as is and how much flow are you pushing?
Dtackett
Valuable Member
the issue with dry rock, especially rock that was previously in a tank, is the dead organic matter inside the holes in the rock. in a bigger tank its not normally enough to cause an issue so long as its added slowly, but in a smaller tank it can cause some issues.
mejiamale
Active Member
Smite
2500 Club Member
If you're referring to marco mined rock when you say dry rock, it's fine to add. I've done it multiple times in my system. Just rinse it well.
If it's from the ocean, or an old tang and just dry. Cure it for sure. I'd even give it a muriatic acid bath if that's the case.
If it's from the ocean, or an old tang and just dry. Cure it for sure. I'd even give it a muriatic acid bath if that's the case.
underwaterdan
Well-Known Member
In my experience it's not a big deal to add it. Clean it the best you can, pick out any sponges etc, and rinse it real good. Basically it's just adding more bio load to your tank - Kinda like adding fish.
Ok, great thanks guys. I'm going buy a few more peices already cured and cycled. Reason why I wanta add more rock is I think I got an aggressive yellow tail that took all the caves over for himself. I think he is the culprit who killed my bangaii cardinal.
