Removing Live Rock

Deezill · Apr 19, 2018

Hello all. I have a question I have 165 pounds of now live rock in my system. What harm could I do if I removed lets say maybe 45 pounds of rock from my system or maybe even 60 pounds? Let me know. Thanks.

Mike Reef Addict · Apr 19, 2018

Deezill said:
Hello all. I have a question I have 165 pounds of now live rock in my system. What harm could I do if I removed lets say maybe 45 pounds of rock from my system or maybe even 60 pounds? Let me know. Thanks.

You'll loose a lot of bioload. But if you let it rebuild bacteria before adding anything new or power feed it shouldn't hurt anything IMHO. Test ammonia and nitrite you'll probably get a small spike I know I did when I went back to BB took about a month to get back to normal.

Snookin · Apr 19, 2018

How large is your tank?
What is your bio load (fish, inverts, etc.)?

Justfebreezeit · Apr 19, 2018

Remove small amounts a week at a time and you'll stress the system less.

Snookin · Apr 19, 2018

Justfebreezeit said:
Remove small amounts a week at a time and you'll stress the system less.

This is the correct answer but we still need to know the total volume to give an accurate answer. Hypothetically, if its a 700g tank he shouldn't remove any.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 19, 2018

I agree that you can probably remove some slowly. Might even be able to remove it rapidly, depending on the setting. Can you describe the system in more detail?

FWIW, I don't think we have any sense of a full understanding how important rock actually is in many tanks with other means of ammonia export, such as macroalgae.

Deezill · Apr 19, 2018

Snookin said:
How large is your tank?
What is your bio load (fish, inverts, etc.)?

My tank is 150 gallon I have the following fish:
1 yellow tang
1 scopas tang
3 Green Chromis
2 Clowns
3 Pajama cardinal
2 dart fish
1 cleaner shirmp
a few hermit crabs

I also have 4 lyretail anthias and a powder blue tang in QT

Deezill · Apr 19, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I agree that you can probably remove some slowly. Might even be able to remove it rapidly, depending on the setting. Can you describe the system in more detail?

FWIW, I don't think we have any sense of a full understanding how important rock actually is in many tanks with other means of ammonia export, such as macroalgae.

I am trying to let Nitrates build up in the tank naturally as opposed to dosing. My bioload is way light. I don't run my skimmer everyday anymore. I am trying to get rid of the ultra low nutrient system because of the problems that ultra low brings (dinos). I don't want to chemically dose nitrates I would rather let them build naturally. I figure if I remove some of the filtration then I should be able to get my results.

Deezill · Apr 19, 2018

So will removing rock allow me to naturally raise nitrates? this is hilarius because when I had my 125g non rr tank I had a canister filter
and I could not get nitrates below 30PPm but it was also a FOWLR. I wanted coral and I knew I would have to change this.
I am going from to many nitrates now to not have any and now I need some lol.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 19, 2018

I think it is especially unclear that removing the rock will have a big effect on the nitrate, but it might.

It seems like a lot more work than just feeding more or dosing. [emoji23]

Deezill · Apr 19, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I think it is especially unclear that removing the rock will have a big effect on the nitrate, but it might.

It seems like a lot more work than just feeding more or dosing. [emoji23]

So just dosing would be easier? I really did not want to take my rock out but I would probably chew my left finger and put it in my sump
if there was proven fact that it got rid of Dinos lol. I do know I have no nitrates what so ever and if they are there they are undetectable
I figure remove some filtration and that should work. I am just going to get the Potassium Nitrate from amazon and dose that.

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Comp...&sr=8-3&keywords=potassium+nitrate+food+grade

@Randy Holmes-Farley thanks for the link.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 19, 2018

Deezill said:
So just dosing would be easier? I really did not want to take my rock out but I would probably chew my left finger and put it in my sump
if there was proven fact that it got rid of Dinos lol. I do know I have no nitrates what so ever and if they are there they are undetectable
I figure remove some filtration and that should work. I am just going to get the Potassium Nitrate from amazon and dose that.

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Comp...&sr=8-3&keywords=potassium+nitrate+food+grade

@Randy Holmes-Farley thanks for the link.

If you don't have a dosing pump handy, just pour in some solution once a day.

Deezill · Apr 20, 2018

Well I just ordered https://www.amazon.com/Science-Comp...&sr=8-3&keywords=potassium+nitrate+food+grade

KNO3 should get to me by the 25 or 26th. I might need help dosing this stuff. I do have a doser but I am going to hand dose this.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 20, 2018

Deezill said:
Well I just ordered https://www.amazon.com/Science-Comp...&sr=8-3&keywords=potassium+nitrate+food+grade

KNO3 should get to me by the 25 or 26th. I might need help dosing this stuff. I do have a doser but I am going to hand dose this.

We can help guide dosing when it arrives. [emoji3]

cracker · Apr 20, 2018

Good call Deezill, I also was hesitant but it was very easy. Just start slow & test your nitrate often. Don't dose too much as it might kick off an algae bloom. I speak from experience. The tank will seem to drink the stuff at 1st then quickly stop.

Deezill · Apr 28, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
We can help guide dosing when it arrives. [emoji3]

I recievd my order of kNo3. I am not sure how to mix it. I read the label and the only thing I took from it is wear gloves and be very very careful lol. So what are my mixing instruction for a 150g. I did a nitrate test and no3 is still undetectable. thanks for the help. I knew I would need it.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 29, 2018

Deezill said:
I recievd my order of kNo3. I am not sure how to mix it. I read the label and the only thing I took from it is wear gloves and be very very careful lol. So what are my mixing instruction for a 150g. I did a nitrate test and no3 is still undetectable. thanks for the help. I knew I would need it.

Here's a calculator that allows you to make different stock solutions of KNO3 in water, then tells you how much you need to dose to your tank to reach different nitrate concentrations:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

For the stock solution, choose something that, in the end, allows you to dose a reasonably measurable volume (based on tools you have) to reach 2-3 ppm.

Deezill · May 5, 2018

ok so I have nitrates now. I am at 5ppm I am cool with this but my phosphates are still undetectable by my hanna checker. How can I increase my phosphates? Thanks for the help. I have also noticed that some of the dinos seem to be dying off all of a sudden. I am beginning to see my rocks again for those that were covered in this ugly stuff. Thanks.