Adding Live Rock to an Established Tank

Patrick Cox · 03/03/2018, 03:46 PM

Hello,
I have a predominately SPS tank that I have been running for two years. It was started with Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Rock and it seems to be pretty stable right now with improving growth and color.

I am thinking about adding a few more pieces or live rock to get more room for corals higher up in the tank. What are the risks associated with this? I certainly don't want to stress my tank and risk losing any of my favorite colonies.

Picture...

Thanks!
Pat

RCS82 · 03/03/2018, 05:01 PM

By live rock do you mean dry base rock or real, established, wet live rock?

Patrick Cox · 03/03/2018, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCS82

By live rock do you mean dry base rock or real, established, wet live rock?

I was thinking about more Tampa Bay Live rock but I could do Dry if that would be a better decision.

jda · 03/03/2018, 06:38 PM

Cure it first and then you will be good to go.

Patrick Cox · 03/03/2018, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

Cure it first and then you will be good to go.

Thanks. Should I add more live rock or dry? Some of the live rock does have sponges and things that may die off.

jda · 03/03/2018, 07:25 PM

True, but the dry could have all kinds of bound terrestrial phosphate.

If you are worried about the sponges and/or phosphates, then get some rock from the Pacific and cure it. They wash all of that stuff off and the cure gets the rest. Just boat rock will do... it is cheap and will ship UPS most of the time.

Patrick Cox · 03/04/2018, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

True, but the dry could have all kinds of bound terrestrial phosphate.

If you are worried about the sponges and/or phosphates, then get some rock from the Pacific and cure it. They wash all of that stuff off and the cure gets the rest. Just boat rock will do... it is cheap and will ship UPS most of the time.

When you say "cure" it, do you mean soak it in heated saltwater with no light for a period of time? How do I know when the rock is cured?

Thanks,
Pat

RCS82 · 03/04/2018, 08:17 AM

I think people have different definitions when it comes to curing. If it's dry rock like pukani and you just want to rid it of dry decayed material and hopefully get some phosphates out of it then soaking in RO water and changing it out periodically will work. If your curing rock and seeding it with nitrifying bacteria so that it's cycled then heated saltwater would probably work the best.

jda · 03/04/2018, 09:29 AM

Curing live rock is waiting for the stuff that died in shipping to be off the rock and gone. You know that this is done when the ammonia is at zero. This takes a few weeks,

RCS82 · 03/04/2018, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

Curing live rock is waiting for the stuff that died in shipping to be off the rock and gone. You know that this is done when the ammonia is at zero. This takes a few weeks,

I agree

03/03/2018, 03:46 PM	#1
Patrick Cox Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 1,697	Adding Live Rock to an Established Tank Hello, I have a predominately SPS tank that I have been running for two years. It was started with Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Rock and it seems to be pretty stable right now with improving growth and color. I am thinking about adding a few more pieces or live rock to get more room for corals higher up in the tank. What are the risks associated with this? I certainly don't want to stress my tank and risk losing any of my favorite colonies. Picture... Thanks! Pat __________________ 100G Fairly New Aspiring SPS/Mixed Reef - 48" x 24" x 20"

03/03/2018, 05:01 PM	#2
RCS82 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Sherwood Park, AB, Canada Posts: 273	By live rock do you mean dry base rock or real, established, wet live rock? __________________ After about a 16 year break from fish keeping, Wow, how things have changed. Current Tank Info: 90g, mixed reef, I hope haha

03/04/2018, 08:17 AM	#8
RCS82 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Sherwood Park, AB, Canada Posts: 273	I think people have different definitions when it comes to curing. If it's dry rock like pukani and you just want to rid it of dry decayed material and hopefully get some phosphates out of it then soaking in RO water and changing it out periodically will work. If your curing rock and seeding it with nitrifying bacteria so that it's cycled then heated saltwater would probably work the best. __________________ After about a 16 year break from fish keeping, Wow, how things have changed. Current Tank Info: 90g, mixed reef, I hope haha

03/03/2018, 06:38 PM	#4
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Cure it first and then you will be good to go.

03/03/2018, 07:25 PM	#6
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	True, but the dry could have all kinds of bound terrestrial phosphate. If you are worried about the sponges and/or phosphates, then get some rock from the Pacific and cure it. They wash all of that stuff off and the cure gets the rest. Just boat rock will do... it is cheap and will ship UPS most of the time.

03/04/2018, 09:29 AM	#9
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Curing live rock is waiting for the stuff that died in shipping to be off the rock and gone. You know that this is done when the ammonia is at zero. This takes a few weeks,