Do you have sources for the claim that rocks do not have room to take on more bacteria after cycling? That would certainly be a fascinating read and a game changer in my understanding of marine bacterial colonization.here's how bioload capacity works, after cycle completes:
surfaces in the tank that function as filters do not leave a cycle with room unused by bacteria. They're full, its how we close out and end a cycle, by filling interstices.
Rocks do not have room to take on more bacteria after cycling, but there's a neat hidden years-long process that actually will afford some extra boost, and its by creating extra ***surface area room** not by adding bac into spaces avail, there are no available spaces post cycle.
Stacking bacteria on top of bacteria does NOT add surface area, it reduces it.
so this means post cycle, your rocks can carry as much fish as they'll carry for the next few years even if you added them all at once, no ramp up. Over time, as coralline grows, as vermitid spikes increase surface area, you get room for more bac and water contact increases so filtration efficiency increases, if you've kept surfaces clean. do not think that your rocks infinitely stack up bacteria after a cycle, surface area mechanics doesnt work that way or we couldnt get away with ripping out 10 year old sandbeds, in 20K$ sps reefs, essentially doubling the bioload presentation to the rocks who got no ramp up period when we removed the sandbed.