Do I Really Need More live Rock?

[ReeferTCG]

Hi all!

Question which I know will get opinions on both sides so ill tally them up

Ive had a tank running for almost 1.5 years. I started with dry rock and added a lot of bottle “bacteria” as well as corals from different sources. Half way I added a bit of TBS nano live rock.

As I plan my 250 gallon build, I plan to transfer everything, should I get more live rock in the sump or will it eventually colonize the new 200 lbs of dry rock from my current rock.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

should I get more live rock in the sump or will it eventually colonize the new 200 lbs of dry rock from my current rock.

I think there are two different questions wrapped up in this.
Starting with the second, yes, the current rock life will eventually colonize whatever else you put in the new tank.
I will answer the first with another question: How much time have you got?

 

[ReeferTCG]

I think there are two different questions wrapped up in this.
Starting with the second, yes, the current rock life will eventually colonize whatever else you put in the new tank.
I will answer the first with another question: How much time have you got?

Answer your question with a 3 question. How much time I got for what? Fill the tank? Keep the tank?

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Answer your question with a 3 question. How much time I got for what? Fill the tank? Keep the tank?

Fair enough!
Time until your tank can support the livestock you intend to keep, and time you spend trying to control phosphate. Time really depends more on your intended stocking list than anything.
I guess you already know the upside and downside of real live rock from your current tank. How long do you wish to wait for those benefits to take hold fully, and how open are you to new, unknown hitchhikers? Since you are talking sump rock, I'm guessing many types of hitchhikers could be tolerated.

 

[keagan]

Personally if I had the option (I'm jealous they don't ship here) I'd budget for as much live rock as I could afford to speed up the process and have more biodiversity. So +1 on what's said above, it depends on how patient you are.

 

[ReeferTCG]

Thanks for the feedback so far! @Euphylliaphyle maybe a better question I can ask is: With enough time will a dry rock system seeded with a previous older small system have good enough biome or does it need live rock to get there? Even if it takes a year or more.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Thanks for the feedback so far! @Euphylliaphyle maybe a better question I can ask is: With enough time will a dry rock system seeded with a previous older small system have good enough biome or does it need live rock to get there? Even if it takes a year or more.

Eventually, it will get there!

 

[Reefing102]

I agree with @Euphylliaphyle. The dry rock will eventually become live from the existing biome. One thing you may see, at least based on my experience, is the dry rock will go through all the ugly stages while there will be limited (though still present) effects of ugly stages on the live.

 

[skey44]

I think the hardest part for me of mined rock is the time it takes to reach nutrient equilibrium. I added half seeded live rock and half mined rock to my frag system and 6 months in I’m finally getting consistent phophate numbers without constant bottoming out. My display was all seeded live rock and it has always maintained a good phophate equilibrium. I think the rock acting as a phophate sink for months is the most challenging part of dry rock starts.

 

[ReeferTCG]

Yeah im leaning to you can eventually get to great SPS tank with dry rock. And seeding it with my previous rock will help with the initial cycle.

 

[exnisstech]

Thanks for the feedback so far! @Euphylliaphyle maybe a better question I can ask is: With enough time will a dry rock system seeded with a previous older small system have good enough biome or does it need live rock to get there? Even if it takes a year or more.

Totally possible to do dry rock displays and live rock in the sump. Two examples below. I didn't weigh any rock so I have no idea how much of each I used. I put as much live rock as I could fit in the sumps then made the scapes out of all dry rock. I had no ugly phase on both, tangs could have helped with that. I like to get some coral in a soon as the tank is stable enough.
Reefer 300.

Aprox 30 months later

WB 330.7