squamptonbc Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Only creatures in the tank are some snails and hermit crabs. No fish, no corals. I am debating on taking the snails and crabs out and placing into a plastic critter keeper in another tank (I have some no coral friendly hermits in that tank, so don't want them to mingle hence the critter keeper.). The rock was in the wholesalers tank for 3 months (last order arrival from fiji) heated and filtered. The rock was out of water from suppliers tank to my storage bucket for 10 minutes. 26 hours in and no ammonia readings, no nitrate, and possibly under 10 Nitrate, I have the API nitrate and while its easy to read above 10, below 10 all the yellows look the same to me, As said no fish in the tank, just the snails and crabs, and trying to do it the least disruptive way possible. I am taking out 9 pounds of dry rock which has been in the tank for 3 ish months, and replacing it with 12 pounds of the ocean culture rock from Fiji. Quick switch and leave animals in, take animals out, wait a few more days with rock in the bucket and see if any levels rise? I've never done a swap of rock like this before, so trying to minimize the disruption to the tank. Link to comment
Subsea Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 How long would I wait to do what? Link to comment
cruiZe Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 So you're taking out 9lbs of rock that was dry and adding 12 lbs of new rock from LFS.. All you have is risking the snails you might be ok . You can use the critter keeper in the other tank to protect them but at least you have no fish or corals . I would keep testing after adding the rock for ammonia and nitrate for a week and see where we are At least Link to comment
squamptonbc Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 How long would I wait to do what? Adding the new rock.. Quick switch and leave animals in, take animals out, wait a few more days with rock in the bucket and see if any levels rise? Link to comment
Subsea Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 If you have any substrate, in three months, it will be colonized by nitrification bacteria. I see no problem with ammonia if you have >1/2" of substrate. Link to comment
tarunteam Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 If it's cured rock, go ahead and over a week slowly change the rock out. There should be no need to take the inverts out. Just change it out slowly and watch your params. Link to comment
metrokat Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I would not take a week to change to the live rock unless it was kept in water that was heated and circulating while you added it gradually. You can still see an ammonia spike. Keep the critters in another bucket with old tank water and the rock that you remove to put the new rock in. Link to comment
squamptonbc Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 The piece removed and added were/is one large piece so no possible way to add/remove over time, had to be all or nothing. I took out the snails I could find, seems to be one missing but maybe it died, and 4 out of 5 hermits.So far so good with no spikes in anything, nothing has changed thus far except the look.... The rock was kept in heater well circulated water at the wholesaler and had been there for 3 months, and out of water for 10 minutes then in a bucket with a heater and power head overnight before I added it to the tank. This tank may never see a fish (likely never will ) but I didn't want to overly risk the lives of the snails and crabs, Link to comment
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