BRS Reef Saver Eco Rock question

[mfinn]

I bought some BRS Reef Saver Eco rock and placed it in my sump of another tank I have setup.
How long will it take to turn this into live rock?
I plan on using this rock with no other in a tank I'm setting up for zoanthids, with maybe a single small wrasse.
It would be no problem if I was using store bought live rock, but this is something new for me.

 

[gilmour01]

do you have a spare piece of live rock to help seed the eco rock?

 

[mfinn]

I have plenty in my 240 gallon tank, but I don't want to use any live rock at all that could bring in any unwanted pests.

 

[gilmour01]

oh, gotcha! you could use the old table shrimp trick and maybe add a little tank water from your established tank to help introduce some good bacteria. you could even collect some coralline algae scrapings and toss them in.

 

[mfinn]

I want to leave the eco rock in my established 240 gallon tanks sump untill it becomes colonized with bacteria. I don't want to start a tank from scratch.
I'm asking people, how long do they thing it would take the eco rock in my sump to become live rock.

 

[mfinn]

Once it becomes live rock, then I'll start the new tank up.

 

[mfinn]

Anybody?

 

[gilmour01]

if your not in a rush, i would leave it in for a month or two.

 

[AlexStinson]

I'd leave it for more like 6, it takes along time to get that anoxic bacteria growing in the center of the rock, depending on porosity

 

[mfinn]

I'd leave it for more like 6, it takes along time to get that anoxic bacteria growing in the center of the rock, depending on porosity

Didn't think that was nessary to convert ammonia to nitrite then to nitrate.










after thinking about this for a while you are right, as this is where the denitrifying bacteria habit.

 

[KingRicky]

I put about 40 lbs in my tank as base rock a little over a year ago and it is just starting to get Coraline growth on it. It is just getting to the point that you can't tell the differance between it and the LR.

 

[mfinn]

I'd leave it for more like 6, it takes along time to get that anoxic bacteria growing in the center of the rock, depending on porosity

If it takes 6 months, why can you have a wet/dry up and running in just a couple?