Just added cured live rock - now what?

[Taki]

So I just filled my brand new 110.4 with fresh saltwater. Salinity is at .023, temp is 78 And the lights in the room are dimmed. The following day I picked up about 60 pounds of cured live rock from the lfs to start. I thought since the rock has been soaking in these giant baths for such an extended period i could come home with a couple of clownfish as well. The store owner thought it would be wiser to wait a week before adding the fish.

No problem I could wait a week. But what do I need to do to the tank in the meantime? Do I just top off with rodi ? Do I need to feed the rock

? when would be a good time to add my 80 pounds of sand?

 

[laverda]

You were smart to listen to the advice of your LFS. Cudos for them not selling you any fish then!
In the meantime it is best to add the sand before fish or anything else. It will take a couple days to clear up depending on how you add it. If it is live sand I would put the whole bag in the bottom of the tank, slice it open length wise and slowly pour it out by lifting one side of the bag.
You will probably need to remove some water after adding the sand. For top off you want to use distilled or RO/DI water. Check your salinity first. Typically you only want to add saltwater if you remove some.
Feed the tank lightly and check your ammonia and nitrite levels. They need to be zero before you add anything! Once both stay at zero your tank is considered cycled.

Tanks will cycle very quickly when using live rock. However there is a big difference between cycled (safe for fish to be added slowly.) and stable or established. Your live rock probably still has a lot of beneficial bacteria in and on it. Most LFS are removing and adding live rock regularly to their bin. If some of the rock was recently added to the rock bin it may have die off or not be fully cycled. I would take it slowly no mater what. Only bad things happen quickly in this hobby.

Stable to me means your able to measure and maintain proper water parameters. That just takes time, experience and practice. This is when you need to learn about water chemistry and how it affects our tanks. The relationship between salinity, PH, Alk, CA magnesium, as well nutrient control. How do are you going to manage them? Once stable soft corals can be added slowly.

Established is much harder to define. Stable, past the various ugly phases, established pods and other criters, including CUC. This is takes 3-6 months in many cases. Longer with dry rock. Experienced hobbiest are able to cut the time because they have the experience to achieve stability quickly. This is a good time to be learning motr about the animals you are planning to keep.

Established is when more sensitive animals, anemones and corsls can be added safely. Again it is best to go slowly as adding a bunch of corals can change you stability.

Welcome to the hobby. Enjoy and good luck!

 

[Taki]

Thank you for the reply.

Rock was added Monday, sand will be added today.

But I don't have a controlled and accurate way of feeding the tank. I don't want to over feed with a chunk of shrimp. The lfs is only open Thurs thru Sunday. I could order a bottle online but it would take 2 days to get here.

How do I feed the tank safely?

 

[Rjmul]

Thank you for the reply.

No problem adding the sand.

But I don't have a controlled and accurate way of feeding the tank. I don't want to over feed with a chunk of shrimp. The lfs is only open Thurs thru Sunday. I could order a bottle online but it would take 2 days to get here.

How do I feed the tank safely?

You could literally add any food. Just a little bit every day