Adding LR to a cycling tank

[DracoKat]

I don't know why I am having trouble figuring this one out..

my tank is in the middle of cycling (75 gal).

I used mostly dry rock with a few live from my existing established tank.

I want to add more rock.. I feel like adding dry is a bad idea, and it's OK to add live? or should I wait until cycling is complete before adding more rocks? I have more LR from my existing tank I want to add.

 

[Elegance Coral]

You can add either type of rock. Nothing bad will happen. Adding LR will speed the cycle. Base rock will have little effect.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed typed same time

It would be neutral action if you add the live rock after transporting it in such a way as to guarantee no dieoff. Merely moving between tanks won't kill live rock, go ahead.

Adding dry is neutral to your cycle too as long as it is clean dry. The extra live rock added will simply take over filtration and make the cycle required to house a small bioload complete upon addition

Maturation continues for the overall system

 

[DracoKat]

thanks all :) I tried to search for the answer but I couldn't find it.

Appreciate it! I can add with ease now

 

[Michael Faul]

not to Hijack the the thread but I am also starting a 75 gallon, with sump and two Hydra twentysix. I would like to put most of the live rock from my nano in my new aquarium with aragonite, dose with some quick start bacteria, I just dont want to kill all the beautiful coraline. So I've struggled to put dry or live. My question is two fold... Will my current live rock have a die off that will essentially make it less beautiful if I put it in my new tank? Next is do I need to have my lights on for the rock?

 

[brandon429]

Nope you are good to go there just the same. Even though I'm slow to edit, too much footage on file, I have multiple water change videos for the pico reef that show my entire reef drained dry for 20 mins in air, the whole reef, as a single take. Air exposure isn't a big deal, my pics and vids show fine sponges and live rock stars and worms just fine after the drain, years.

Coralline is inch thick and corals galore, 20 mins out of water eighty times or so now since 2006 during big cleanings or just to make demo vids/threads

Brief transfers among tanks are a comparative cakewalk

 

[brandon429]

The entire premise of this thread that has cycled many tanks is the degree to which live rock does not dieoff after various actions are done to it

http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

 

[Michael Faul]

Correct me if i'm wrong please...I will leave my live coral in the established tank on rock and take and put my coralline covered rock in the new tank, water, sand and turn on the lights and let it go...

 

[Michael Faul]

Thanks Brandon...

 

[brandon429]

sand transfer...that's dangerous I must offer this instead

http://reef2reef.com/threads/the-of...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445


The whole painful read there lol is about tank transfers and dealing with substrate

Not posing my links as exclusive. Someone else may have a better way...but we happened to collect examples in others tanks there about topics at hand, that's how other people implement the method it's not just my tank. The number one risk in tank transfers is accidentally moving and disturbing pent up waste, detritus. Can be stuck inside live rocks or in sandbeds depending on setup, we posted tests how to find it.

The key for the new tank is storing no such waste as a hidden liability. That, and always starting with a blast-rinsed sandbed. We should literally transfer only our fish, animals, live rock and corals. Not much need to use old water, or old sand. Reacclimate fish slowly etc...but we like to rip clean tanks back to new right above without hesitation.

 

[Michael Faul]

sorry I forgot to mention that I purchased 50lbs of aragonite I'm not cycling my new tank with established figi sand.

 

[brandon429]

No prob, it means that sand portion w be neutral. There's no reason for the live rock to die when moved so in my mind it's the same as you moving the rocks into a bare bottom tank, where no aged substrate is providing extra surface area. Those tanks can support quite the bioload still...but in 60 days yours becomes extra filtration anyway, just by being in the same tank underwater.