Adding new rock to current tank

[Greg B.]

Just picked up some white reef rock that is dry and clean. When I built my tank a year ago I used homemade rock with Portland cement rock salt sand and crushed egg shells. Soaked and changed the water until nothing leached into the water and then cycled the tank. Now I want to change it to something cleaner looking but I don't want to mess up the bio in my tank. Should I move the rockwork I currently have in there and place the new in? Or will it be OK just adding the new in. I also have about a 2 inch sand bed of fine sand and crushed aragonate. If I put the new in with the old should I use a started benificial bacteria bottle in the tank to help speed up the process? This is a tank that has fish and corals. Some zoanthids and some chalice and montipora digitata. Thanks in advance.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Just picked up some white reef rock that is dry and clean. When I built my tank a year ago I used homemade rock with Portland cement rock salt sand and crushed egg shells. Soaked and changed the water until nothing leached into the water and then cycled the tank. Now I want to change it to something cleaner looking but I don't want to mess up the bio in my tank. Should I move the rockwork I currently have in there and place the new in? Or will it be OK just adding the new in. I also have about a 2 inch sand bed of fine sand and crushed aragonate. If I put the new in with the old should I use a started benificial bacteria bottle in the tank to help speed up the process? This is a tank that has fish and corals. Some zoanthids and some chalice and montipora digitata. Thanks in advance.

If you remove the established rock, you will remove a large portion of your tank's biofilter. I would add the new rock while the old is still there. No need to add extra bacteria. If in a month or 2 you want to rescape and remove some old rock, it will be fine.

 

[Greg B.]

If you remove the established rock, you will remove a large portion of your tank's biofilter. I would add the new rock while the old is still there. No need to add extra bacteria. If in a month or 2 you want to rescape and remove some old rock, it will be fine.

How will I know when I am ready to remove the old rock? Would it be safe to remove all of the old rock at that time or piece by piece?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

How will I know when I am ready to remove the old rock? Would it be safe to remove all of the old rock at that time or piece by piece?

Do you have a sump? You could put the old rock there... If not, I wouldn't remove too much too fast.