Adding Live Rock to Dry Rock

fernalfer

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So I have Had my dry rock in bleach for 2 weeks and then I gave the rock a Muriatic acid bath. I aquascaped my Rock for my Waterbox 60.2 and then it was placed in a Brute Tub for 2 months. I then placed it in a Temporary Red Sea tank until the Waterbox 60.2 is setup upstairs where we are putting in new flooring. It won't be ready for another 3 months. I have done a fishless cycle in the temporary tank and will add a fish in the next 2 weeks from another 20 gallon that has been set up for 2 years. The light just got turned on. So here is my question:

Would I benefit from adding a few pieces of Live Rock from the 20 gallon that are full of Coraline algae? Would it help add some biodiversity to the dry rock and possibly help seed it with Corralline? Or should I leave it alone and keep it all Dry Rock? It will be a bare bottom tank.
 

T-J

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The only harm would be possibly bringing anything undesirable from one tank to another. If the tank it's coming from is pest free, then IMO it's good thing to bring in live rock!
 

SMSREEF

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Would I benefit from adding a few pieces of Live Rock from the 20 gallon that are full of Coraline algae?
Yes this is a benefit to get different strains of coralline to grow

Would it help add some biodiversity to the dry rock and possibly help seed it with Corralline?
Yes even beyond coralline, it will add biodiversity that can help your tank mature faster.

Or should I leave it alone and keep it all Dry Rock?
I started with dry rock and ended up adding live rock. After the live rock addition, my tank is doing much better.
The risk of hitchhikers/parasites is real. I quarantined in a 5 gallon bucket, fishless, before adding to my tank.
 
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fernalfer

fernalfer

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The only harm would be possibly bringing anything undesirable from one tank to another. If the tank it's coming from is pest free, then IMO it's good thing to bring in live rock!

I don't visually see any hitchhikers on the rock. it is algae free and completely covered in pink and purple coralline. I'd only be adding the Live rock in this temporary tank for 3 months then just the Dry rock pieces will be moved to the final Display tank. Is it possible for this Live Rock to seed this dry rock in the 3 month period?
 
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fernalfer

fernalfer

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Well hopefully everything works out, although I'm baffled. the 20-gallon tank that has all my live rock covered in coralline has zero algae. It has been running for about 1 year. It has 1 turbo snail, 3 nassarus snails, and 1 pajama cardinalfish. I top off every once in a while, never do water changes, and have a $30 light that is white with 3 led modules. What i don't understand is everyone talks about stability, but the tank that I don't take care of at all is what I'd want my main display to look like. It has a hang on the back filter with a pad i have never changed. Boggled
 

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And consider cycling without using fish. Ammonia is toxic to fish. It wouldnt make sense to break in a toxic dog house by sticking a dog in it, if there was such a thing.

Throw a crap ton of frozen food in there and it will cycle 3x faster than if there are fish.
 
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fernalfer

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And consider cycling without using fish. Ammonia is toxic to fish. It wouldnt make sense to break in a toxic dog house by sticking a dog in it, if there was such a thing.

Throw a crap ton of frozen food in there and it will cycle 3x faster than if there are fish.
yeah I already did a fishless cycle with dr tims.
 

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