Adding dry rock to an established tank

[Mr. Krabs]

I plan on removing a large piece of live rock (~15% of total LR) from my 90g DT that's covered with Chicken Liver Sponge and is migrating onto my SPS; it's nasty, persistent and a PITA to control. The DT has been up and running for 6 years. I'm considering replacing the covered LR with some dry rock but am concerned with the potential negative impact it may have on the system by removing that amount of the biological filter in the established LR. The LR I take out would be used in my 40 breeder prop tank which is not plumbed into my DT.

Question: Will the dry rock go through a mini cycle or throw off the balance of the rest of my system until it becomes established? Not sure if I'm being overly concerned or not.


Jack

 

[Marc]

It all depends on the dry rock,
If it's straight out of a tank or the ocean and dried it'll be full of organics that will cause an ammonia spike.
If it's cooked or what we call "pre-cycled" it will not. Even starting with rock that has had the locked up organics removed you would do well to liven it up some first. A week in a tote or your 40 with some seed rock, sand or a bottled bacteria product (I use the Fritz turbo 900 on every new tank I install, Great stuff!) will liven the new rock to the point where it will have some beneficial qualities and lessen the nuisance algae normally associated with adding new rock.

 

[treylane]

I've added seachem dry lace rock after some minor rinsing and soaking to an established tank, w/no problems.

 

[herozero]

If you want to be worry free, stick it in some old water from a water change with a spare heater and some flow for a week or two. It's the potential phosphates on the rock you want to worry about.

 

[Mr. Krabs]

Thanks for the suggestions folks!

Marc, I think the dry rock I want to use is actually yours that I got from Bec when she sold off her system. I'm going to try to find the Fritz Turbo 900, otherwise seed the the new rock with a piece of LR from my display in a bucket w/heater and powerhead for a couple of weeks, and monitor the cycle (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate). Once that's done, I'll switch it out with the CL sponge rock in the DT.

Jack