Adding more live rock to established tank?

[applesiders]

Can you add more live rock to an established tank? I have a 12 gallon AquaPod which has gone through it's initial cycling with 8 lbs of live rock and live sand. I have two occelaris clownfish, two blue leg hermits, three astrea snails, and three Nassarius snails. I have had my nano aquarium established a little over a year now. My initial thought is that it's too late to add more live rock, but doesn't hurt to ask. Thanks for your input!

[sidviciousw]

As long as it is cured so it doesn't screw up your system with die off I don't see why not. You could also just put in some "dead" rock and it will turn into live rock in a little while.

[itzclayyo]

As long as it is cured so it doesn't screw up your system with die off I don't see why not. You could also just put in some "dead" rock and it will turn into live rock in a little while.

 

Dead rock will definately cause another cycle, dont do it!

 

Just put the rock a seperate container or tank with alot of flow, and if you have a skimmer use that to. In about 3-5 weeks your rock can slowly be added to tank.

[glennr1978]

It really depends on the rock. I wouldn't add uncured, or base rock to your 12g. but a little cured LR probably wouldn't hurt. If possible though, it would be a good idea to keep the rock in water while transporting it to your tank. That way you will only have very minimal die off.

[The Sushi]

Can you add more live rock to an established tank?

 

Yes just make sure it is cured, If dead rock is added it may have little dead things in the rock that will dissolve and pollute your tank. But cured LR is fine to add later on. Just make sure no pests are on the rock when you pick it out at the fish store.

[sidviciousw]

OK by "dead rock" I meant like chunks of dry bleached coral off of a shelf, dry lifeless rock, why else would i say to make sure it was cured if i meant rotten old wet ones, DUH! If its dry lifeless and bleached how would that re cycle a tank???????

[The Sushi]

OK by "dead rock" I meant like chunks of dry bleached coral off of a shelf, dry lifeless rock, why else would i say to make sure it was cured if i meant rotten old wet ones, DUH! If its dry lifeless and bleached how would that re cycle a tank???????

 

I have tried that in my tank, the rocks were dried bleached soaked in fresh water for a week and dried again and still it started a cycle in my established 12 gallon aquapod and I lost 25 SPS frags and three SPS colonies. The bleach did not dissolve the little worms and bugs within the rock so they rotted and cause a cycle, My skimmer pulled out more in the following three weeks of adding the bleached rock than it had in the year it was setup (Not wet skimmate but dirty brown, I could not even see the other side of the skimmer cup through the liquid it pulled out).

 

So as I have seen and experienced dried bleached rock still has dead critters within it. That was simply what I was warning and if I could do it over I would just have added cured live rock rather than dried bleached rock.

[sidviciousw]

You are telling me that a chunk of dried out bleached mined coral that has been on a shelf or a box not near water for months or longer still has stuff on it? Its about as likely to have any thing other than dust on it as a cinderblock in Lowes (no I am NOT saying to put that in there either!) If I have picked a lingo term wrongly to describe this sorry, but d@#m I said not to put uncured stuff in the tank, if you have a different name for the s**t in net bags on shelves that has been mined from old reefs and hasn't seen life for god knows how long let me know.

 

The stuff is cheap, All I was suggesting is if the tank is established it would save money, and NOT risk introducing any unwanteds into the tank

[The Sushi]

You are telling me that a chunk of dried out bleached mined coral that has been on a shelf or a box not near water for months or longer still has stuff on it? Its about as likely to have any thing other than dust on it as a cinderblock in Lowes (no I am NOT saying to put that in there either!) If I have picked a lingo term wrongly to describe this sorry, but d@#m I said not to put uncured stuff in the tank, if you have a different name for the s**t in net bags on shelves that has been mined from old reefs and hasn't seen life for god knows how long let me know.

 

 

WOW some one woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, The rock you are talking about is mined rock not dried live rock, dried live rock is rock taken from the ocean (Or from some ones tank) and ether simply dried or it can be bleached or boiled and then dried but it can and will still contain little dead things, The mined rock from ancient dried up reefs below the ground wont have anything dead on them (Unless a fly or something crawled in it and died on the shelf of the pet shop). And I'm not to sure what the virtual swearing is about. I have used the mined rock in my 80 gal and it was fine, but I guess this was just a case of calling some thing the wrong name, No need to get upset about it Sidviciousw. And I don't think the mined rock is bleach (It may be but most likely it is not since that would make the price go up).

[sidviciousw]

Tou chee', long day, fair enough, just saw several WTF are you thinking post that totally took what I suggested into a horribly wrong suggestion, then Mined rock it is, I just said dead cause well, it is definitly dead! At least this is the most response I have ever had on here, Yeah applesiders dont put dead live rock in your tank it will totally frig it up, but mined rock is cheap and in a established system will turn into live rock, Sorry so ticked Sushi, And yes Daylight savings time did screw me up! lol

[Pickle010]

As long as it is cured so it doesn't screw up your system with die off I don't see why not. You could also just put in some "dead" rock and it will turn into live rock in a little while.

 

 

Not to be a jerk either - but I took it the same way when I first read that statement. You said "dead" rock. Don't get crazy because someone clearified your response. If you are going to give advise - give good advise that can't be mistaken for something else.

[The Sushi]

Tou chee', long day, fair enough, just saw several WTF are you thinking post that totally took what I suggested into a horribly wrong suggestion, then Mined rock it is, I just said dead cause well, it is definitly dead! At least this is the most response I have ever had on here, Yeah applesiders dont put dead live rock in your tank it will totally frig it up, but mined rock is cheap and in a established system will turn into live rock, Sorry so ticked Sushi, And yes Daylight savings time did screw me up! lol

 

 

Oh thats fine, The mined rock is way cheaper than live my LFS sells it for I think $2 a pound rather than $6.95 a pound for cured live rock. And I think the funniest think is we were arguing over rocks .

[sidviciousw]

Ok so you never been taken wrong? Give good advice I SAID DON"T PUT UNCURED ROCK IN YOUR TANK, If you read the whole thing and thought that was countering what I said someone ask if I meant dead or mined, don't just go off on the don't listen to him tyrade. I told sushi I was sorry after clarifing it is Mined not dead, then you got to go and insult the quality of what I may offer for advice!

[applesiders]

Wow, I'm at a loss for words ... Thanks for the advice!

[nematoad]

Well, I'm planning to do the same thing (kind of), and I was planning to do this, just in case, even though I will have my LR submerged the whole time from LFS to home:

 

I was going to leave it in a bucket with a PH and heater for a few days and just check parameters after 3 or 4 days. No ammonia or Nitrite readings would be a 'go' for entry into the DT.

 

HTH