Newbie Question

[bmbpka]

I am upgrading my DIY 29 Gallon AIO tank. I loved it at first. However, I quickly realized a 12" wide tank sucked for placing items. Especially now that I have started buying coral.

I made ALOT of mistake starting that tank and learned alot, expensive lessons.

So I upgraded tanks... 40 Breeder with a sump. Build thread to come.

Stand is built, sump is built, tank is drilled. This weekend I am going to go out and buy Dry rock for my aqua scape. Probably the white lace rock. I like the look of it and it works for placing frags on temporarily.

My plan is to use 10-15 LBS of live rock from current tank (covered in Zoas) and use this as aquascaping rock in my dispaly. The remaining live rock will get dumped into my fuge. It's ugly and i dont really want it in my display tank. I am also going to use all of the existing water (26-29 Gallons) and fill the new tank, the rest will be freshly mixed water.

Water Parameters are all in line:

PH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate/Nitrate: 0
Phos: 0
SG: 1.025
Temp: 78.5
Mag/Calcium: Too tired to go get my sheet, but they were in line.

Is this plan going to work? My LFS said yes, but I dont always trust those guys.... Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[cpschult]

New rock may cause a cycle. Can cycle in a pail, get some prime, or buy Biospire/dr Tim’s to help handle the potential ammonia. Dry rock will cycle. All depends on if your current liverock can handle detoxing it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yes. It will work. It’s called a skip cycle.
Also common when done when transferring to a larger tank.

Dry rock won’t cause a cycle. (Nitrogen cycle ), unless there are a lot of organics on the rock that will rot and create a lot of amoina. A mini cycle is a sudden or large release of ammonia. Adding dr Tim’s is not a bad idea at all.

You will however probaly get a sizable diatom bloom.(or sponge bloom) And quite likely a bit of an ugly phase.


If you’re adding quite a bit of new Rock you may want to consider cycling it in a bucket(or the old tank) with a cheap powerhead and some of the unwanted live rock just as a caution.

 

[bmbpka]

Awesome! Thanks you you very much!

 

[cpschult]

Yes. It will work. It’s called a skip cycle.
Also common when done when transferring to a larger tank.

Dry rock won’t cause a cycle. (Nitrogen cycle ), unless there are a lot of organics on the rock that will rot and create a lot of amoina. A mini cycle is a sudden or large release of ammonia. Adding dr Tim’s is not a bad idea at all.

You will however probaly get a sizable diatom bloom.(or sponge bloom) And quite likely a bit of an ugly phase.


If you’re adding quite a bit of new Rock you may want to consider cycling it in a bucket(or the old tank) with a cheap powerhead and some of the unwanted live rock just as a caution.

Any dry rock will have something organic on it. Either it’s harvested from the ground or the ocean. He doesn’t want to kill corals. Definitely would go more conservative.

Lace rock likely won’t cycle as hard as pukani, etc because it’s not as porous. But you are offering contradictory advice. Silly to contradict yourself and me.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Any dry rock will have something organic on it. Either it’s harvested from the ground or the ocean. He doesn’t want to kill corals. Definitely would go more conservative.

Lace rock likely won’t cycle as hard as pukani, etc because it’s not as porous. But you are offering contradictory advice. Silly to contradict yourself and me.

My last reccomendation was as conservative as it gets. Cure and cycle outside the tank.

Not sure where sizable amounts of organics are from a mine where the rock is literally broken apart after sitting in the ground in a compacted limestone formation , and relative to an ocean or costal harvested piece the organics is still comparatively if not measurably minimal.

As lace rock was not clearly identified as aragonite I didn’t address it. Most commonly, lace rock is an inert stone generally used in fresh water. If it’s an aragonite , the same cautions should be used as with any other type.

Offering different viewpoints and opinions is the point of most threads and forums.