Cycling with Premium Live Rock?

[DocPorkChop]

I have a 54-gallon tank and a 36-gallon sump I am about to start up. Right now I plan to purchase 55lbs of the premo deco live rock from Gulf Live Rock and 30lbs of the coralline base live rock to get the tank established.

Will it be worth starting the cycle with premo live rock or will the die off diminish the potential benefits?

 

[Dan_P]

I have a 54-gallon tank and a 36-gallon sump I am about to start up. Right now I plan to purchase 55lbs of the premo deco live rock from Gulf Live Rock and 30lbs of the coralline base live rock to get the tank established.

Will it be worth starting the cycle with premo live rock or will the die off diminish the potential benefits?

Not sure what your asking. If you are placing live rocks into a new aquarium, you are ready to go.

 

[Fish Fan]

Not sure what your asking. If you are placing live rocks into a new aquarium, you are ready to go.

The good ladies at Tampa Bay Saltwater suggest starting tanks using their base live rock and sand, and then adding their premium live rock sometime a month or so after. The premium stuff does come much more life, so die off may be an issue, and I think this is what the OP is questioning.

I started a 10 and a 15 gallon tank using TBS rocks and sand about 18 months ago, I ordered and added the sand and both the base rock and premium rock all at the same time. Indeed, I did have an ammonia spike, though most things pulled through just fine. Currently, I'm working on building a 150 and I already have the rock and sand on order from TBS, but this time I am going to get the sand and base rock first, then the premium rock after that. That's a lot extra in shipping, but I don't want to take a chance with so much of this rock I have ordered.

 

[JGT]

Also depends on how they ship it. KP Aquatics ships their live rock fully submerged in water so there is virtually no die off and no cycling required. They ship air freight as well so it is pretty reasonable for the amount of rock/water.

 

[Miami Reef]

I don’t see why you can’t add both at the same time. The live rock will seed the dry rock.

If the live rock has die off, it wouldn’t make a difference if you added it before or after the dry rock.

 

[Fish Fan]

Also depends on how they ship it. KP Aquatics ships their live rock fully submerged in water so there is virtually no die off and no cycling required. They ship air freight as well so it is pretty reasonable for the amount of rock/water.

TBS also packs and ships in water via air freight.

I don’t see why you can’t add both at the same time. The live rock will seed the dry rock.

If the live rock has die off, it wouldn’t make a difference if you added it before or after the dry rock.

There's no dry rock here. This is maricultered Gulf of Mexico live rock. Both TBS and Gulf Live Rocks offers a "base" live rock and a "premium" live rock. Both are fully seeded, but the premium rock comes with significantly more life including larger critters, corals, etc. I know that TBS advises starting new tanks with their live base rock and sand, and then adding in the premium rock some weeks later. I would guess from the OP's post that Gulf Live Rocks advises the same.

Hope that helps!

 

[JGT]

TBS also packs and ships in water via air freight.


There's no dry rock here. This is maricultered Gulf of Mexico live rock. Both TBS and Gulf Live Rocks offers a "base" live rock and a "premium" live rock. Both are fully seeded, but the premium rock comes with significantly more life including larger critters, corals, etc. I know that TBS advises starting new tanks with their live base rock and sand, and then adding in the premium rock some weeks later. I would guess from the OP's post that Gulf Live Rocks advises the same.

Hope that helps!

Good. If you go that route you’ll be fine.

 

[Fish Fan]

Good. If you go that route you’ll be fine.

I'm not the OP, but thanks for the reassurance ;-)

 

[DocPorkChop]

The good ladies at Tampa Bay Saltwater suggest starting tanks using their base live rock and sand, and then adding their premium live rock sometime a month or so after. The premium stuff does come much more life, so die off may be an issue, and I think this is what the OP is questioning.

I started a 10 and a 15 gallon tank using TBS rocks and sand about 18 months ago, I ordered and added the sand and both the base rock and premium rock all at the same time. Indeed, I did have an ammonia spike, though most things pulled through just fine. Currently, I'm working on building a 150 and I already have the rock and sand on order from TBS, but this time I am going to get the sand and base rock first, then the premium rock after that. That's a lot extra in shipping, but I don't want to take a chance with so much of this rock I have ordered.

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for.

If there was an ammonia spike I assume I could do a couple of small water changes to try to control it.

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for.

If there was an ammonia spike I assume I could do a couple of small water changes to try to control it.

Yes, I would say so. From my experience, I'd say you'll likely be fine adding both base and premium rock at the same time, especially if you mitigate any ammonia spikes with water changes. But, if you're asking, I'd actually suggest starting with the base rock first, and adding the premium rock a month or so later, just out of an abundance of caution.

 

[BryanM]

I have a 54-gallon tank and a 36-gallon sump I am about to start up. Right now I plan to purchase 55lbs of the premo deco live rock from Gulf Live Rock and 30lbs of the coralline base live rock to get the tank established.

Will it be worth starting the cycle with premo live rock or will the die off diminish the potential benefits?

I started with all premium live rock from gulf live rock, minimal die off, and was extremely successful.

 

[FishTruck]

Do what is most convenient for your aquascape plan. Measure the ammonia and see what happens.

 

[KrisReef]

Don’t add any fish until the rocks have stabilized and post loads of pictures to show us how it turns out.

If you do this in two parts I would leave the lights off until part 2, premium rock addition.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I started my pico tank with tbs live rock and had no die off in that tank!

 

[Fish Fan]

@LiverockRocks Thanks for being active here on R2R, it's noticed, and appreciated!

 

[Subsea]

I will comment on shipping premium live rock fully submerged in water.

I have purchased from KP Aquatics, TBS and GLR. Gulf Live Rock ships damp in the event something dies, it does not contaminate shipping water and other hitch hikers. It also makes shipping less expensive.

I always do bulk shipping and pick up at air freight terminals. The first 100 pounds cost $100 and everything after cost $0.50/lb.