Keeping Spare Cycled Live Rock: How does this sound to you?

What do you think about keeping "extra cycled live rock" for new hobbyists?

  • Good Idea

    Votes: 294 68.1%
  • Bad Idea

    Votes: 27 6.3%
  • Not Sure

    Votes: 103 23.8%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 8 1.9%

  • Total voters
    432

Fish man

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I keep some in my sump for a QT. I use a 10gal for quarantining new or diseased fish. I don't need it that often so I don't keep it going all the time. When I do I pull the rock out of my sump and do a quick 10 gallon water change from my DT. I use that water in the QT and have it up and running in about 15 minutes.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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Question for the team


if you set up fifty pounds of live rock in a sump, mature it a year, and then instantly give it all away (did not remove in sections to give display rocks time to build up bacteria)


will the main tank endure a mini cycle?
:)
 

ca1ore

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Anyone that says this is a bad idea basically has no clue.

Alright!

Although I can see circumstances where it might be useful, it mostly strikes me as pointless. I suppose if you have space in your sump, a few chunks of rock certainly cannot hurt. A 'pile of rocks in sump' was popular a decade or so ago, presumably to bolster the biofilter and encourage pods. Chaeto refugium does the latter better and the former is almost always unnecessary.
 

Ron Reefman

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I usually have 50 to 100 pounds of live rock in a Brute with a big pump. I change it's water with what comes out of my DT when I do a water change for it.
 

KrisReef

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I am pretty sure that my wife loves the ~30g bucket of live rock in our garage. I've been amazed to watch how easily that 'sterile' system has been impacted by hitchhikers from water exchanges when I put in old DT water. I put a light on the bucket to grow Chaeto and got limpets and other stuff. I've added nutrients a couple of times and observed the bucket's response. I'm considering sending off an ICP test from the bucket.

Someday I am going to set up a larger system or give that rock to someone to make me or my wife happier.
 

stanlalee

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I keep old liverock in a clear 15 g tub in the garage. There's an old tunze circulation pump for circulation, a heater and its filled with water change water from my tank. It gets a lil sunlight from garage windows and in the summer however hot it gets, it gets. I drop a cube of food in about every 2 months. It's still "live" because asterina stars are on the tub walls. I simply have no room for it. Started an old biocube with some of it. It's from when I had a 100g over a decade ago. It was in my 30g but as I got more knowledgeable on flow (bare bottom) and aquascaping I took about half out. There's a skimmer in the bin too but I don't run it anymore as there is no bioload. Only way it's going to get used is if I upgrade the biocube 14 to something significantly larger like a 50 or 60g cube
 

rcillig

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I'm always on the look out for people who are getting out of the hobby or got old rock they want to part with... I got a 55 I constantly cycle rock through if there is any type of corals that may live and also got a few brute cans to store good rock in that needs true cycling. Currently, this is my Living room.. about 250-300lbs waiting for me to get my newest tank ready. some new some old but it's been cycling for a bit over 3 months so good to go for sure.

1. What do you think about the idea to keep extra rock for new hobbyists?
Yes, I'm always in for helping new people out, with a bit of help more stay in the hobby. They are less likely to give up when they run into an issue if someone is willing to help out and also so many jump the gun on adding fish and frags having good rock that is ready help out tremendously imo.

2. Would you be interested in keeping extra rock for this purpose?
Yes

3. Do you keep any spare cycled rock now for any reason?
Started keeping rock about 2 yrs ago and ever since have always had rock ready to go for whatever reason.

20201108_134943.jpg
 

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