Advice needed on priming new Aquacultured Live Rock/Sand tank with stock

[JoJosReef]

Hi reefers! I have a priming strategy question for you. Thanks for your help!

Next Thursday, I will get my Tampa Bay Saltwater premium nano rock and sand, off of a direct flight, packaged in the AM and received about 8 hours later. It will also come with their "Package" 5x Astras, 5x Ceriths and a peppermint shrimp. I also will have to pick up 2 corals that I got on Xmas live sales that I would prefer to go into this new tank than in my tank at home to prevent transferring over certain uglies when I bring them back to the office.

My question is how do I best to preserve the biodiversity on the TBS rock/sand, minimize die-off, and potentially keep the 2 corals (1x baby trachy, 1x octospawn) alive and well. I will be testing the tank at least daily from the get-go with Red Sea kits. Water will be LFS-bought Red Sea Coral Pro, 1.025-1.026, 10.9ish Alk, 430ish Ca, 1260ish Mg. Water changes daily at 20% until stabilized. Seachem Alert Badge will be on. I will also add a bag of Seachem Matrix that has been seeding with Microbacter7 for a month.

A. Add Seachem Prime?

B. Add Bio-Spira (or Fritz, Dr. Tim's, etc)?

C. Add both?

D. Run carbon and/or Purigen?

E. Add something else?

F. Add nothing, it'll probably be fine?

G. Don't put those corals in!

 

[JoJosReef]

Could still use some help with this.

Also, since the rocks will likely arrive with living stuff on them, should I prep the tank water at 5-10ppm NO3 (NeoNitrate) and 0.1ppm PO4 (Seachem Flourish Phosphate)?

 

[kenbennedy]

for option G, what corals are you referring to? just the live rock?

Personally I would just let 'er rip, test, and change water as needed to keep nutrients in the desired range.You can add Dr Tims or other bacteria, but the live rock should be flush with good stuff. I dont think carbon would hurt, but again I dont think it is necessary unless you are trying to treat anything.

 

[JoJosReef]

for option G, what corals are you referring to? just the live rock?

Personally I would just let 'er rip, test, and change water as needed to keep nutrients in the desired range.You can add Dr Tims or other bacteria, but the live rock should be flush with good stuff. I dont think carbon would hurt, but again I dont think it is necessary unless you are trying to treat anything.

Thanks @kenbennedy

I have 2 corals bought from the Unique Corals live sale that are waiting on me to do a local pick-up. Can't delay it any longer and will pick up the corals when I pick up the TBS gulf rock/sand. The corals are: 1x baby trachy and 1x golden octospawn.

My main concern is an ammonium spike. There shouldn't be too much die-off since everything is happening super fast and in water (not wet paper), and I'm dumping seeded Seachem Matrix in the AIO sump... but, just want to be sure a short spike/cycle doesn't kill off the live rock sponges/tunicates/CUC/hitchhikers AND that it doesn't kill off my 2 new corals.

Would adding Seachem Prime as a precaution have any adverse effects on the live rock/corals?

Would adding some "backup bottle bacteria" compete with the natural bacteria on the Live Rock?

Thanks again for the help! This is a big big effort for me (and $$$), so I just want to get as positive an outcome as I can.

 

[kenbennedy]

I havent used prime before, but this thread makes me think it should be safe - https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/why-is-seachem-prime-a-problem.131704/

To some extent, yes the bottled bacteria would compete, but from what I have read you dont have to worry about killing off the whole population from the live rock. Bacteria populations are kind of self limiting, they grow and die off simply as needed. As long as you stock slowly, they can grow to handle more bioload. This seems particularly low risk to me. I have read a few places that people recommend dosing bacteria to keep uglies and other unwanted competing organisms under control.

I think those two things plus staying on top of water changes will keep you safe. Maybe test daily? Can you do a saltwater rinse of all the rock before putting it in your tank? That could conceivably help. I would aerate plenty and keep the circulation up. Keep the rock scape relatively open, even if you want to rearrange later to help circulate everything. Does your tank have a skimmer? Run it if so, otherwise maybe add an air line, but I wouldn't add a skimmer just for this, especially if you can stay on top of water changes.

 

[JoJosReef]

I havent used prime before, but this thread makes me think it should be safe - https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/why-is-seachem-prime-a-problem.131704/

To some extent, yes the bottled bacteria would compete, but from what I have read you dont have to worry about killing off the whole population from the live rock. Bacteria populations are kind of self limiting, they grow and die off simply as needed. As long as you stock slowly, they can grow to handle more bioload. This seems particularly low risk to me. I have read a few places that people recommend dosing bacteria to keep uglies and other unwanted competing organisms under control.

I think those two things plus staying on top of water changes will keep you safe. Maybe test daily? Can you do a saltwater rinse of all the rock before putting it in your tank? That could conceivably help. I would aerate plenty and keep the circulation up. Keep the rock scape relatively open, even if you want to rearrange later to help circulate everything. Does your tank have a skimmer? Run it if so, otherwise maybe add an air line, but I wouldn't add a skimmer just for this, especially if you can stay on top of water changes.

No skimmer, just water changes and carbon/purigen for organics control. I plan to be in daily for water changes during the first week until I read no ammonia or nitrite.

I think I will add the advised dose of Seachem prime in the water when introduced. Once I'm sure there's no mini-cycle, will drop it. Hopefully that keeps everything in the tank alive. Will have extra water on day one to do a rinse of everything going into the tank. Will skip the bottle bac and rely on the seeded Seachem Matrix and what's already in the live rock.

Thanks!

 

[kenbennedy]

Good luck and definitely report back either way! I am sure someone after you will learn from your experience.

 

[Ghost25]

I vote F.

Ideally have a skimmer, but regardless do several water changes the first week. As long as it arrives in a reasonable amount of time plenty of stuff will survive just fine.

I definitely would not have bought a Trachyphyllia before my tank was wet though.