Worth to buy media bricks to seed future tank?

[VintageReefer]

But all the bio filtration your tank could ever need is supplied by a piece of ocean reef rock, and it looks better too.

All these types of products are sold on the basis that more bio available area is better, which is not true. Bacteria will multiply until they are nutrient limited, and then they stop.

Everyone. This is not to replace live rock. This is not to allow your system to “be better by having more bacteria”

My only use for this is to transfer bacteria in a quick, easy, and clean way, to new tanks, with minimum risk of bringing over anything unwanted. Rocks and pot scrubbers get built up with detritus, these are small, easily checked for any hitch hikers, and easy to fit in overflow chambers, all in one chambers, or regular sumps.

17$ got me 3 tanks. That’s 6$ a tank for convenience. Who here is not guilty of spending $6 or more, to make something easier in their hobby? Live rock costs over 20$ a pound now. I got media for 3 tanks for less than a pound of rock. Far from my worst purchase ever

 

[VintageReefer]

And, I like the way it looks aligned in my sump

 

[ajremington68]

And, I like the way it looks aligned in my sump

I agree it makes your sump very OCD and I love it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Everyone. This is not to replace live rock. This is not to allow your system to “be better by having more bacteria”

My only use for this is to transfer bacteria in a quick, easy, and clean way, to new tanks, with minimum risk of bringing over anything unwanted. Rocks and pot scrubbers get built up with detritus, these are small, easily checked for any hitch hikers, and easy to fit in overflow chambers, all in one chambers, or regular sumps.

17$ got me 3 tanks. That’s 6$ a tank for convenience. Who here is not guilty of spending $6 or more, to make something easier in their hobby? Live rock costs over 20$ a pound now. I got media for 3 tanks for less than a pound of rock. Far from my worst purchase ever

All valid points, but I would still likely just transfer a rock out of laziness

 

[VintageReefer]

All valid points, but I would still likely just transfer a rock out of laziness

Question for you. Does the rock come from the display or the sump? And afterwards, do you replace the rock?

 

[brandon429]

They're not that helpful for a new tank seed.

Reason why: a brick that's cycled takes 20 days or more to cast its bacteria to dry surfaces in the display. If it's in a sump it could take longer, exchange water has to get into piping to even reach the display but if they're in the display that's 20-30 days wait time

There are faster cycling methods. Save money on useless biobricks, don't own them, and put the money into one bottle of fritz 9 cycling bacteria.

To ready a tank you tip the bottle and put an ounce or so into the new tank

It's then cycled right then. So there's 20-30 days wait option with brick seeding or there's 30 seconds cycling using one single addition of fritz or biospira. It's not helpful to expend money on biobricks for reefing. They're redundant to the live rock surface area we already have that didn't need any extra help.


They're a waste of money gimmick because water doesn't flow through them it flows around and misses all that internal surface area. Bricks would have to be inside a channeling setup to get enough pressure to shoot through the complete brick. Laying in a sump isn't how to get water through highly porous material.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Question for you. Does the rock come from the display or the sump? And afterwards, do you replace the rock?

More than likely the sump. If I knew I was setting up a new system I may add rock beforehand, or replace it afterward if I took a lot out.

I used to have buckets full of fiji and tonga rubble and softball size pieces (maybe 150 pounds or more). Mostly leftover from when we hosted MACNA. I think most of it is gone now, but there may be 100 pounds of rock in my sump. It is where I toss stuff that is a problem or doesn't fit when I reboot rockscape every 5 or so years.

 

[brandon429]

The reason one addition of bottle bac works with fish on the same day is because fritz works on ammonia control immediately just by being in suspension in the water

Dr. Reef uses it to instantly prepare dry holding systems for loads of $ fish for disease preps.

A truly cycled tank's surface area/ filter bacteria can't be harmed by any degree or frequency of water changes, so when adding fritz we need to wait a couple days before changing water (to prevent export of in- suspension bacteria)

But, fritz carries bioload ethically immediately, doesn't allow ammonia to harm animals and that's all any user would care about.

You're as good as cycled with one bottle tipped because your ammonia control, fish safety, isn't going to change between the implantation and pre implantation conditions present in a bottle bac cycle. You have a 30 second cycling option.

Even if you didn't want fritz, adding used reef tank water would be a cheaper and more effective transfer of filter bacteria to a new system.

Old cycling science got that edict wrong too: reef water has tons of transmissible bacteria free of charge. The old rule was incorrect saying only surfaces have bacteria.


Reef surfaces are in a high shear environment and rock surfaces slough material 24x7 in that current. The rafts that come off, the various plankton inside all our systems, are filter bac carrying vectors

 

[VintageReefer]

More than likely the sump. If I knew I was setting up a new system I may add rock beforehand, or replace it afterward if I took a lot out.

I used to have buckets full of fiji and tonga rubble and softball size pieces (maybe 150 pounds or more). Mostly leftover from when we hosted MACNA. I think most of it is gone now, but there may be 100 pounds of rock in my sump. It is where I toss stuff that is a problem or doesn't fit when I reboot rockscape every 5 or so years.

I can’t afford to take anything from the display, it has no removable rock. My sump does have rock but I like the way it fits and don’t want to remove it. I did add two caribsea base rock pieces recently but it’s essentially junk rock that has fake pores. This stuff just works for me and us easily bounced around when needed and easily replaced.

Both methods work!

 

[gbroadbridge]

I can’t afford to take anything from the display, it has no removable rock. My sump does have rock but I like the way it fits and don’t want to remove it. I did add two caribsea base rock pieces recently but it’s essentially junk rock that has fake pores. This stuff just works for me and us easily bounced around when needed and easily replaced.

Both methods work!

The Caribsea Life rock works just fine for bio filtration - it's all I'm running in my tank and I have to dose Nitrate and Phosphate to keep them above zero

 

[BeanAnimal]

Actually - I just looked, right now maybe there is 40 pounds.... or 50, but not 100 in my sump.

I can’t afford to take anything from the display, it has no removable rock. My sump does have rock but I like the way it fits and don’t want to remove it.

Fair enough. It sounds like the bricks are a good fit for you.

Both methods work!

I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The Caribsea Life rock works just fine for bio filtration - it's all I'm running in my tank and I have to dose Nitrate and Phosphate to keep them above zero

It may not be as porous of some other rock, but it still has surface area and is porous. I have a good bit of fiji rock and it is extremely heavy and dense. I doubt there is really any porosity at all.

 

[BeanAnimal]

They're not that helpful for a new tank seed.

Reason why: a brick that's cycled takes 20 days or more to cast its bacteria to dry surfaces in the display. If it's in a sump it could take longer, exchange water has to get into piping to even reach the display but if they're in the display that's 20-30 days wait time

Old cycling science got that edict wrong too: reef water has tons of transmissible bacteria free of charge. The old rule was incorrect saying only surfaces have bacteria.

Those two statements made as fact, fully in contradiction to one another just minutes apart. It is hard to let stuff this blatantly contradictory go, but I am out.

Enjoy the thread folks and good luck @ajremington68 use what works for your setup. The media will be fine, or any other method.

 

[VintageReefer]

The Caribsea Life rock works just fine for bio filtration - it's all I'm running in my tank and I have to dose Nitrate and Phosphate to keep them above zero

I’m sure it works ok, this is my first experience with it. It wasn’t what I was expecting though. Doesn’t really matter once it’s covered in coral and stuff

 

[VintageReefer]

Guess I’m hesitant to use my reserves

This is rock. Natural pores and caves and paths through the rock one side to another. This is going to form the structure in my new build. Whatever leftover will get stuffed in the sump

I’ve got half a 50g brute bin filed with this. Been storing it for 8+ years waiting for my next build

 

[ectoaesthetics]

I personally feel like it is better than NOT transferring bacteria. However, I have always believed that a couple of cups of sand is often more than enough to seed a tank. I also think being able to sprinkle the sand over everything (rock work and new sand) allows the bacteria to spread a lot faster as most of it is not moving though your water column. With totally uncolonized space it can spread quickly but it takes time to form the well balanced plaques (think communities of bacteria and fungi) we seek. However, I firmly (and with zero scientific evidence) believe that by dropping so many little dots all over the tank that DO contain these plaques that we speed up the more even spread -rather than waiting from them to spread out from our sump to our main tank or even from a couple of locations in the main tank. WAY back in the day we all used to bring a cup of sand to fish events put it all in a container mix it up and take a cup home... now it just feels like a great way to get pests lol, but the concept was great and it without a doubt increased biodiversity.

 

[ajremington68]

Those two statements made as fact, fully in contradiction to one another just minutes apart. It is hard to let stuff this blatantly contradictory go, but I am out.

Enjoy the thread folks and good luck @ajremington68 use what works for your setup. The media will be fine, or any other method.

Goodnight sir, so many different ways and conversations came trying to get caught up

 

[ajremington68]

Guess I’m hesitant to use my reserves

This is rock. Natural pores and caves and paths through the rock one side to another. This is going to form the structure in my new build. Whatever leftover will get stuffed in the sump

I’ve got half a 50g brute bin filed with this. Been storing it for 8+ years waiting for my next build

How do you plan on scaping? Stacking? Glue? Expoxy? Glue and epoxy?

Also will you cycle the rock before? I’ve heard stuff about putting it in a cab and cycling it but never really understood that.

 

[VintageReefer]

How do you plan on scaping? Stacking? Glue? Expoxy? Glue and epoxy?

Also will you cycle the rock before? I’ve heard stuff about putting it in a cab and cycling it but never really understood that.

I always just stack so I get freedom to remove/rearrange in the future. I don’t know if 3 years from now I’ll have a overgrown coral fused to a rock or if I’ll see a dream coral and need to make space.

I won’t cycle it ahead of time. I add sand water and rock, to the tank and seed with biomedia, a cup of sand from my sump, and a if the tank is large I might add a few pieces of rock from my sump

 

[VintageReefer]

I made this from the Carib sea rock a few weeks ago

Top / front view looking downwards

Front looking straight in

Right side

Left side

It’s basically 4 rocks acting as legs with open space between all of them so fish and wares can come in any direction and exit any direction, with a roof structure that has flat spots for mounting corals