Placing Extra Dry Rock in Sump - Any downsides? Destabilizing to remove?

[Pepper Reefer]

Hello, thank you very much for your help!
Please forgive me for asking so many questions - please do not feel obligated to answer every one line by line, if you can answer even 1 it would be a huge help!
I have a lot of extra dry reef rock rubble after assembling my aquascape
I have seen many videos of people putting extra reef rock & media in their sump, and then using this later in their quarantine tank

I have a few questions in relation to this:
1. Would you recommend putting the rocks in a bag for easy removal?
A. Does a filter sock work for this? What do you use?
B. When putting the rocks in a bag / filter sock, do you need to worry about over the longterm the media inside the bag getting 'dirty' and causing issues in the tank?
C. Should you ever clean the bag / rocks in the sump?

2. If I place extra rock in my sump, far beyond the 'standard' 1:1 rock to gallon ratio, will I run into any destabilizing problems if I remove the bag later? I only ask because I remember Ryan at BRStv talking about how bad it was when he removed sand from his tank - as long as the ratio post removal remains very high / bacteria populations remaining are enough, no problems?

3. If I place extra rock in a bag in my sump, and then start a quarantine tank - let's say that I notice there are pests/sickness on the coral or fish I am quarantining --- what do you do afterwards with these rocks in the bag?
A. Are they now 'contaminated' and you shouldn't risk bringing them back to your main sump? Seems not worth the risk!
B. If they are contaminated, what should you do? After taking apart the quarantine tank, take the rocks out and let them dry completely before using them again?

4. In a tank that is fully cycled / healthy bacteria population, if you were to add a new bag of dry rock to the sump, how long would you estimate that it would take for that new bag to have grown itself to where it would be enough to provide for a quarantine tank? 2-3 months, just like cycling?
A. Do you rotate bags in and out in this case? Like start 'seeding' a bag now, just in case you might want to use it later months from now?


Thank you very much for your advice and sharing your experience! I really appreciate it!

 

[MACHO]

Hello, thank you very much for your help!
Please forgive me for asking so many questions - please do not feel obligated to answer every one line by line, if you can answer even 1 it would be a huge help!
I have a lot of extra dry reef rock rubble after assembling my aquascape
I have seen many videos of people putting extra reef rock & media in their sump, and then using this later in their quarantine tank

I have a few questions in relation to this:
1. Would you recommend putting the rocks in a bag for easy removal?
A. Does a filter sock work for this? What do you use?
B. When putting the rocks in a bag / filter sock, do you need to worry about over the longterm the media inside the bag getting 'dirty' and causing issues in the tank?
C. Should you ever clean the bag / rocks in the sump?

2. If I place extra rock in my sump, far beyond the 'standard' 1:1 rock to gallon ratio, will I run into any destabilizing problems if I remove the bag later? I only ask because I remember Ryan at BRStv talking about how bad it was when he removed sand from his tank - as long as the ratio post removal remains very high / bacteria populations remaining are enough, no problems?

3. If I place extra rock in a bag in my sump, and then start a quarantine tank - let's say that I notice there are pests/sickness on the coral or fish I am quarantining --- what do you do afterwards with these rocks in the bag?
A. Are they now 'contaminated' and you shouldn't risk bringing them back to your main sump? Seems not worth the risk!
B. If they are contaminated, what should you do? After taking apart the quarantine tank, take the rocks out and let them dry completely before using them again?

4. In a tank that is fully cycled / healthy bacteria population, if you were to add a new bag of dry rock to the sump, how long would you estimate that it would take for that new bag to have grown itself to where it would be enough to provide for a quarantine tank? 2-3 months, just like cycling?
A. Do you rotate bags in and out in this case? Like start 'seeding' a bag now, just in case you might want to use it later months from now?


Thank you very much for your advice and sharing your experience! I really appreciate it!

1-just a mesh bag will work fine your putting it in there so bioculture can grow on the rock. normally just blowing off the main rock in the tank will get detritus and such off so that's what i would recommend.
2-he is talking about large destabilization. yours would be a bag of crushed rock no it wont destabilize a tank if you remove the bag as long as the tank has established with your other rock and sand.
3-i normally don't start a quarantine tank with my liverock but some people do i feel that your quarantine is not sterile since that rock might come from a sick fish in your display.
A-if a fish came in from a lfs store and you used it then that rock will have-copper, or any other medicines you used so yes technically it will be contaminated.
b- I bleach my old rock then let it be running with a heater and pump 24/7 just incase i want to put together another tank.
4-depending on the size obviously i just have a few sponges in my sump that i put in and forget about then i pull them out. i normally wait and test ammonia nitrite and nitrate before putting a fish in a qt
A- so yes i do rotate bags in and out of the sump. mine is sponges so i just buy a new sponge which is like 7 bucks bc im paranoid lol.