Live rock - how to introduce to new tank w CUC?

[taulgrl]

I have a 75g w 20 g sump that has been running w CUC for 2 weeks. Live sand, ~50 lbs of dry live rock so far. Temp 76, SG 1.024, Ammonia .25, N+N =0 (According to LFS.. my test kit comes next week). Been feeding CUC flakes every other day.

I couldn’t afford to do all live rock but love the idea of it and ordered 20 lbs of Gulf Live Rock yesterday. So excited! It is shipping 3 day so there will def. be die off but I’d like to minimize it while also causing minimal disruption to the existing CUC critters I’ve become fond of.

what is the best way to introduce the new rock? I’ve read a ton of posts and I’m having trouble sorting through my best option!

should I rinse in RODI, sniff it for dead stuff and put right in DT (or sump instead?)
should I cure separately first (don’t have extra heater though..)?
once in tank, how do I know when a water change is needed?

thanks for your help!

 

[Idoc]

There will be some die-off when you get it, so there is going to be an ammonia boost following the addition of the new rock. You may lose several cuc members probably.

If you have a Rubbermaid tote or something, you can put the rocks in there for a couple weeks and change the water often. But this would require a heater and powerhead.

If wanting to take the chance on your main tank... then maybe get a bottle of bottled bacteria to build that population quickly and maybe a bottle of Prime to bind the ammonia. Then perform a couple really big water changes if you see ammonia rising. I'd only use the Prime of you see a big jump in ammonia, though... even after water changes and bottled bacteria use.

 

[TriggerFinger]

I’ve had rock overnighted in wet newspaper and the ammonia was really high and took 10 days to subside. A three day shipment is going to be pretty stinky. If you don’t have a separate place to cure it then it has to go in the tank but there’s a good chance your cleaners can’t handle it. On the other hand, I have brittle stars, snails, crabs, feather worms and pistol shrimps that did survive it.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I would open it. Smell it. Pick anything off i thought was dead with tweezers. Swish in a 5gal bucket of warm sw. In the tank. Anything alive in thr bucket u want to keep i would add too. If you have a sump i would place it their for a day or 2 observation.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

You will exp some "cycle" lol.
D

 

[taulgrl]

I do have a tote, extra powerhead and lots of salt RODI water. Thinking a small heater might be a good investment so I can cure the rock separately. Heater can be used later for large water changes and future QT. Thanks everyone! Appreciate the advice!!

 

[Billdogg]

I do have a tote, extra powerhead and lots of salt RODI water. Thinking a small heater might be a good investment so I can cure the rock separately. Heater can be used later for large water changes and future QT. Thanks everyone! Appreciate the advice!!

Sounds like you've got it figured out! As you now know, the heater and powerhead will be used again in the near future, so money well spent. Really, any plastic or glass container large enough to hold the rock will work just fine. Be prepared to do fairly frequent (daily?) water changes in it. I like to use water from the display to replace water in the QT and then top off the display with fresh, clean saltwater. That way, you get to do water changes in the DT that can never hurt and at the same time get whatever is in the QT acclimated to the DT parameters. Win Win!!

 

[taulgrl]

Sounds like you've got it figured out! As you now know, the heater and powerhead will be used again in the near future, so money well spent. Really, any plastic or glass container large enough to hold the rock will work just fine. Be prepared to do fairly frequent (daily?) water changes in it. I like to use water from the display to replace water in the QT and then top off the display with fresh, clean saltwater. That way, you get to do water changes in the DT that can never hurt and at the same time get whatever is in the QT acclimated to the DT parameters. Win Win!!

Oh, I like the idea of using DT water in the QT. Hadn’t read about this but totally makes sense!

 

[resortez]

Yes, to everything already mentioned. Do wear eye & hand protection when doing the sniff test, sponges will be the smelliest. If you can add a small cheap skimmer to the QT & a hang on back filter found at any pet store like a marineland with a single filter cartridge, it will benefit you in properly curing the rock & can be used in the future for QT of new fish. Do keep an eye on parameters, especially PH, ammonia & nitrites. If you really want to take it a step further, keep an iridescent light over the rock to help hitchhiking algae’s survive which can be added as macro algae in your sump for filtration. Some of those algae are pretty neat.

 

[taulgrl]

Yes, to everything already mentioned. Do wear eye & hand protection when doing the sniff test, sponges will be the smelliest. If you can add a small cheap skimmer to the QT & a hang on back filter found at any pet store like a marineland with a single filter cartridge, it will benefit you in properly curing the rock & can be used in the future for QT of new fish. Do keep an eye on parameters, especially PH, ammonia & nitrites. If you really want to take it a step further, keep an iridescent light over the rock to help hitchhiking algae’s survive which can be added as macro algae in your sump for filtration. Some of those algae are pretty neat.

I’m glad you mentioned the light. I was thinking of doing that to keep the algae’s and coralline alive

 

[taulgrl]

Another live rock question.... still struggling with some die off and very high ammonia despite daily 90% water changes. A white slimy coating covered something that I think was a sponge but, based on the smell and feel, had died. I noticed the white slime was on nearby rocks too. I removed the dead sponge and tried to “blast” off the slime during my last water change. What is this stuff??