Adding new rock to existing tank

[Fishn28]

Hello, I realized that I wanted to expand my aquascape and add more rock. What rock would be the best to add and what should I do to it before adding?

 

[tbrown]

First question you have to answer for yourself: what do you want to add to the rockscape? Are you looking for arches, caves, branches, shelves, etc?

There are different options available from dry rock to live rock to dead rock, etc. live rock is typically more expensive and often comes with with hitchhikers or bonus life of some variety. Depending on where the rock comes from you could end up with good hitchhikers or pests.

If you decide to go with dry rock, depending on if it was previously live, you should probably soak it for a few days to make sure anything dead and decaying doesn't cause an ammonia spike when added to your tank.

I soak mine in saltwater from my tank and add some phosphates to preload the rock before adding to my tank because I have to dose my tank with phosphates.

Presoaking also allows bacteria and potentially some pods to start colonizing the rock before it goes in the tank.

If it's "new" dry rock, a good rinse is all that's really necessary but a presoak still does the same as mentioned above.

 

[Fishn28]

First question you have to answer for yourself: what do you want to add to the rockscape? Are you looking for arches, caves, branches, shelves, etc?

There are different options available from dry rock to live rock to dead rock, etc. live rock is typically more expensive and often comes with with hitchhikers or bonus life of some variety. Depending on where the rock comes from you could end up with good hitchhikers or pests.

If you decide to go with dry rock, depending on if it was previously live, you should probably soak it for a few days to make sure anything dead and decaying doesn't cause an ammonia spike when added to your tank.

I soak mine in saltwater from my tank and add some phosphates to preload the rock before adding to my tank because I have to dose my tank with phosphates.

Presoaking also allows bacteria and potentially some pods to start colonizing the rock before it goes in the tank.

If it's "new" dry rock, a good rinse is all that's really necessary but a presoak still does the same as mentioned above.

I would like to add the rock for more caves and overall biological filtration. Id like to prevent the uglies from growing on the new rock so I think getting live rock from my LFS would be the best, they dose pods and phytoplankton every month so I think it should be good to go without doing anything before adding.

 

[tbrown]

If it's live and from a trusted source you may be able to add them to the tank directly.

 

[Fishn28]

I perused your threads. Your tank is 1 year set up.

For long range sustainability, consider biodiversity of diver collected live rock, when you add rock. When you get it, add it to your display.

Both Tampa Bay Saltwater & Gulf Live Rock are my to go vendors.

https://gulfliverock.com/premium-deco-live-rock
https://gulfliverock.com/hitchhiker-id

I looked into Tampa Bay Saltwater and I was interested, I am a little worried about brining a potential pest into the tank though