Adding dry rock to established tank

[TiredDuck]

So I'm looking into adding more rock into my display, but I want to know what the best way to go about it is. I know getting live rock would be the best route but what would I need to do in order to add in dry live rock?

 

[Idoc]

I'm assuming you have a mature tank already up and running...

Adding a few pieces here and there should not be an issue. I actually keep several pieces of "once" dry rock in my sump just in case I want to move them to the display tank at some point. You can always add a couple of pieces to the display and then put some more in your sump and add later, if needed. I don't foresee a mini cycle occuring as long as the rock is already clean. If not clean, then possibly cure the rock for a month in a plastic tote with heater, circulation, and water changes.

 

[bushdoc]

Your dry rock will go through Ecological succession with various algae growing on it, starting from diatoms probably. This is difficult to avoid, unless you try to "mature" dry rock in some container earlier. I tried this and also tried putting dry rock directly in to mature tank and found that if rock is not to big for a size of your matured tank it will be just fine. As Idoc says you can keep dry rock first in a sump for a while.

 

[BryanM]

Basically the same thing would happen if you started a tank with 50/50 live and dry rock. You're ahead of the game, but the dry rock is going to go through some hell.

 

[Naekuh]

Soak in salt water for a couple weeks with power head and an air stone along with a piece of established live rock.

This is how we used to do it old school style. Over time, the dry rock should become live. It wont have coraline on it, but it will have the benifical bacteria.
You can throw in Ammonia Chloride to accelerate it.

If its not a significant piece, then you can just soak it in salt water for a couple days, with an pump to allow whatever is caked on the rock to leach out.
Then you can take the rock out and put it in your main.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Personally I would skip all the hastle and get live rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater. The level of beneficial bacteria you get is un-matched. In my eyes, starting with dry rock is going backwards for your progression. As mentioned above you could stick it in the sump in a non lit area. However it will take a while to become live rock. To me, for peace of mind alone I’d only put in live rock to avoid all the hastle. I just added another 60 lbs of live rock to my reef with the intention of raising the height of my aqua scape. I’m glad I chose TBS again.

 

[Waters]

As stated I would just add a few pieces at a time. I do it all the time without any issues regarding algae/dinos/etc. As long as you have a sufficient CUC they will keep a couple of small pieces pretty clean.

 

[TiredDuck]

Thank you for all the information, I’ll have to think about how I want to go about it.

It is a mature tank, the display is 95 gallon.

 

[TiredDuck]

I had been told I could add one piece of dry lice rock a week with no issues, but wanted to gather a bit more information. I’d like to add dry live rock, but definitely have to look into live rock.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you have a sump, add the new rock to the sump for a few months, that way when its added to the display tank it won't be an algae magnet.

 

[exnisstech]

IME dry rock added is going to go through the uglies. I would use live rock given a choice. Next choice would be to try and find some real live ocean rock that is dead now from drying out and seed it in s sump. The dry white mined rock they sell is almost as bad as man made stuff as far as growing undesirables. I've used all the types together in the same tank before and the real rock will remain clean and the mined / manufactured rock went through the same uglies as any dry rock start up. Even seeding the mined/ fake rock for months didn't prevent uglies once the rock was placed in a DT with light.

PS. Regardless of which you choose I wouid advise seeding it first. It will help but not prevent all the uglies. Also often dry rock leeches PO4 but it shouldn't be too much of an issue add small amounts.

 

[TiredDuck]

Alright I’ll see what I can find as far as live rock goes and then go from there.

 

[Naekuh]

Yes on the phosphates.

Which is why i suggested he soak it for a couple of days with a pump circulating the water.
Also dry rock tends to pick up ambient stuff, its calcium carbonate in its raw form, so soaking the rock will allow whatever is caked on the exterior to leach out.

I usually will never just drop dry rock in.
So much easier to soak and then throw in sump for a week to get the biological started.

Like i will always have some rubble in my sump incase one of my corals break off, or my shroom decides it was to split off from the mother. Then i will toss it in a basket with rubble, or i will glue the broken piece onto the rubble and then go about my day.