Adding more rock to a cycled tank -- how?

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

I have about 80-90 lbs of live rock (reef savers) in my 525XL. The tank has been running for a few months now and all inhabitants are healthy. I don't really dig the open look as much as I thought -- I'd rather pile the rock up against the back of the glass which doesn't seem like the latest trend lol. At one point I'd like some kind of eel as well which would necessitate more rock.

Anyways, I have a bunch of dry rock that had been in the previous owner's tank for a year or so. It has been sitting in my garage for months. I'm thinking I can use that rock behind my nice looking reef savers rock as a support structure (and then you won't see the dry rock much at all).

How should I add this rock? I understand I must do it slowly -- which might make aquascaping really frustrating. What if I just kept adding it to the sump (I have a decent amount of room -- maybe enough for several large pieces) and then when enough time has passed I can add it to the display all at once?

Is there anything I should do to the rock before hand? And how much should I add at a time?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Sounds completely sensible to me, if all that would even be necessary (i.e., anything beyond a nice RO/DI wash of the rocks you want to add). But I defer to others with more experience if you and I are ‘missing something.’

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Since this rock came from another tank, I would consider curing it before adding it. You could put all of it in a trash can filled with salt water and a small pump for flow. Keep topping it off to account for evaporation. After 30 days, the rock should be good to go.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Would it be acceptable to add all those cured rocks at once into the tank after their 30 day curing? Or would that offset the biological balance? Is this potentially a huge risk even if I perform the 30 day curing?

 

[Jr'sReef]

I’ve added about 10lbs of dry rock multiple different times just doing an RO bath for 3 days (new water each day) to an established tank with no ill effects. I just make sure the rock is super clean and usually run a polyfilter when I do this.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Would it be acceptable to add all those cured rocks at once into the tank after their 30 day curing? Or would that offset the biological balance? Is this potentially a huge risk even if I perform the 30 day curing?

I think it would be fine to add it all at once after the 30 days. By leaving it in saltwater for that long, you are not only getting rid of potentially hazardous item, you are cycling it as well.