So I am most likely going to get live rock from an online website or from a lfs and take out the man made rock I’ve had in the tank since the beginning. My tank has been running since June and that’s when I added the rock. I have 3 zoas and a frogspawn as well as 1 clown and 4 turbo snails. Would the introduction of live rock straight and take out of my original rock mess up my tank? Would I have to put my corals and fish in a friends tank for a little bit? If any of y’all could help me with this question I would appreciate it very much. I’m trying to get a better scape for the corals I’m looking to start buying and my original rock structure won’t work.
Would this affect my tank?
- Thread starter TrevorL
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I’m looking at live rock from like gulfliverock.com and kp aquatics which would be shipped damp or I could get it shipping in water. I’m also thinking of looking at lfs and looking in their bins of live rock they have in there which are in water and have a powerhead and heater.
reefpunk707
Active Member
I wouldn't take out all your old rock at once. It has beneficial bacteria thats helping handle your current bio load. What I would do is either cycle the new rock in a bucket or add it all together for a while and then take out your old rock slowly once the new rock is seeded.
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
If you live in the U.S. most of the Florida rock will be drop shipped when they collect. I very recently got Florida live rock (Live Rock and Reef) and there was hardly any die off, as in everything lived through including bivalves, LPS and gorgonian that came on the rock.
I highly suggest you avoid "live rock" from LFSs. It is extremely difficult (read non-existent) to find legitamite live rock this way.
I highly suggest you avoid "live rock" from LFSs. It is extremely difficult (read non-existent) to find legitamite live rock this way.
NatureHold
Active Member
The only thing you need to watch out for is removing too much of the nitrifying bacteria that live in the rock that you started your tank with. If the new "live" rock is partially dead, or does not have the population that is needed to keep up with your tanks ammonia production, your tank you may have an ammonia spike that could be problematic. Do you have a sand bed in the tank or any other media for the bacteria to reside?
My rock that I have in my tank is all glued together so would a good option be to add the new rocks around the rock and place some on it for a couple weeks and then take out the old rock and keep the new?
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
So I think the rock is coming from around Pensacola FL. Live Rock and Reef collected mine and shipped it overnight UPS the same day. They used damp towels and this was enough. You can look at my build thread to see pictures of what it looks like coming in and what it looks like in your tank.
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No need to acclimate
Simply immerse in a container of tank water and agitate to allow loose sand, crabs, etc to fall off and place in tank
Simply immerse in a container of tank water and agitate to allow loose sand, crabs, etc to fall off and place in tank
reefpunk707
Active Member
Thats what I would do if it were my tank. Just to be safe.
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
One thing about real live rock is you WILL have pests. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Get some AptasiaX (or whatever you feel works) because you will very likely have majanos. My rock had 5. I killed them all. One snuck in later that I missed, but because he didn't have time to breed he went with the others. Be diligent, and you will be happy that you got live rock.
I’m looking to buy stuff like that just in case I do find pests on there. My friend has a tank and he has an aptasia problem because one of the rocks he got from an lfs had some and they spread.
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
This wasn't in my build because this is from my established tank. I moved these because the gorgonians needed better light than my new build. The gorgonain the acan and the clam (top of the rock) where all from that rock living as you see them in the pic.
That’s pretty cool! Those are some corals I’m also looking into so it would be very cool if the rocks I ordered came with some! The rock looks great in the tank!This wasn't in my build because this is from my established tank. I moved these because the gorgonians needed better light than my new build. The gorgonain the acan and the clam (top of the rock) where all from that rock living as you see them in the pic.
