How large is the impact of swapping live rock with dry rock?

[foxngn]

Hi All,

I should be doing a tank swap soon, but my main large rockscape doesn't seems to fit my new shallow tank.
The existing tank consist of a large rockscape together with some pieces of medium & small size live rock. But if I intend to change the large live rockscape to a totally new dry rock, how large would the impact on to my livestock in my tank? If the impact is huge, my second option would be to break the large rockscape, but my risk would be I'm
afraid during the break, it would break out more rock then I'm expected.

Any advise? As I do not wish to mix another new batch of salt to the new tank. I intend to move everything over to save some time & budget.

Thanks

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Hi All,

I should be doing a tank swap soon, but my main large rockscape doesn't seems to fit my new shallow tank.
The existing tank consist of a large rockscape together with some pieces of medium & small size live rock. But if I intend to change the large live rockscape to a totally new dry rock, how large would the impact on to my livestock in my tank? If the impact is huge, my second option would be to break the large rockscape, but my risk would be I'm
afraid during the break, it would break out more rock then I'm expected.

Any advise? As I do not wish to mix another new batch of salt to the new tank. I intend to move everything over to save some time & budget.

Thanks

Moving the rocks from an existing tank into a new one is the easiest way to be sure you have enough nitrifying bacteria to handle the tank's bioload (in other words, to cycle the new tank). Assuming you plan to move current livestock from one tank to the other, then replacing established rock with new, dry rock will likely result in a "new cycle" and you'll risk ammonia toxicity until the nitrifying bacteria can populate the new rock. This can be partially mitigated by adding bottled bacteria to the new tank but this is no guarantee that the biofilter will be sufficient. Another problem with dry rock is that it's basically empty real estate for algae, etc, and it will go through the "uglies" just like when a new tank is set up.

If your new system has a sump, I suggest putting as much of the established rock in there if you don't want it in the display.

As for breaking up the big rocks, I'm not sure what you mean by "I'm afraid during the break, it would break out more rock then I'm expected."

 

[ColoredRock]

^^^

Also, with your current system up I would get as much as my new rock into your current system's sump to seed it before doing the transfer.... I have pulled rock out of my sump that's been in there for months that only had access to ambient light, put it in the display and had no uglies grow on it.

 

[foxngn]

The new tank is a backsump tank, so I don't have a proper sump. The existing tank got a proper sump system, but I don't think it able to fit in all new rock inside. Say how long i should left new rock in sump in case I want to do seeding?

On another note in-regards of the breaking rock, here's a more clear picture, I intend to chisel out the 3 point which I circle in the picture.
My worry is when I chisel it, it would lead a crack reaching the bottom part of the rock.

 

[CubsFan]

Break the rock. If you mess up you can come up with a new scape that will make you happy. I downsized a tank years ago and switched to mostly dry rock and just took my live rock with corals on them. About 80/20 dry/live rock. The tank maybe started a new cycle. The uglies went on forever and the corals suffered and I lost most sps.

 

[Idech]

Just break the rock with a chisel and hammer.

 

[Mikeltee]

Check out the skip cycle thread. I'm about to try a 10% live rock to 90% dry rock with coral on day 1.

 

[foxngn]

I think I'm gonna just let this sit on fate, lets see how I break the rocks. I'm going to seed some of the medium dry rock.
Say the existing tank have abt 2inches sandbed, but the new tank gonna be bare bottom, the bacteria that seating inside sandbed won't be such crucial if I lost the bacteria from sand right?

 

[Reef.]

I just swapped my tank, was going to keep the sand and the rock, when it came to it I decided to just start again with new rock and sand, I had been cycling my new rock for maybe 6 weeks tho and I also used bioballs from the old tank and also a bottle of fritz turbo start 900.

In general rock these days is not very porous so I don’t think you would be loosing too much by not using it, as long as you make it up it other ways.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

In general rock these days is not very porous

It is if you use the right kind, lol!

The CaribSea "Life Rock" is basically just concrete though.
Marco rock and other natural rock sold for the hobby is quite porous.

 

[jda]

If you have time, get the new rock and put it in the sump for a while. Dinos and diatoms can still take over real estate on barren rock faster than other things can. The rock can get some film bacteria in the sump that can help this.

Avoid man made rock. It is concrete sometimes with purple epoxy on it.

 

[Lavey29]

Overall, you will be much happier with less issues if you can seed the new tank with some of your existing rock full of good bacteria otherwise you are starting from point 0 and all the new tank problems that come with it.

 

[Reef.]

It is if you use the right kind, lol!

The CaribSea "Life Rock" is basically just concrete though.
Marco rock and other natural rock sold for the hobby is quite porous.

And RRR, I broke a piece of that open and yes its just basically concrete, I agree Marco rock (it’s sold under a few different names) is much much better.