When to add live rock?

[subst4nce]

My stepfather recently set up a 46g tank, the LFS told him to just cycle it with fish for now and wait to add the LR since the ammonia spike would probably kill whatever is living on the rocks. Is this true?

 

Can he add the LR even though he just started cycling the tank a week ago or so? The ammonia is already very high right now.

[faub63]

My stepfather recently set up a 46g tank, the LFS told him to just cycle it with fish for now and wait to add the LR since the ammonia spike would probably kill whatever is living on the rocks. Is this true?

 

Can he add the LR even though he just started cycling the tank a week ago or so? The ammonia is already very high right now.

 

What they told you couldn't be more wrong. With out the live rock, there will be little to no bacteria in your tank to convert the ammonia into nitrites and nitrates. The ammonia will just keep building up as your fish produces waste until it eventually dies. If possible, I'd take the fish and put it in an established tank, then go to a different LFS and buy some live rock. Let it cycle completely, add a clean up crew, wait a week or two, then add the fish. Hope this helps.

[Flicker]

Totally backwords. Cycle with the live rock and then add the fish.

 

Sounds like the LFS either didn't have any live rock in stock. Or wanted get a double sale on fish when they died from ammonia.

[TheMac86]

+1 to the information and the selection of a different Lfs. Apparently your Lfs is giving you the wrong information.

[augustus007]

Now is the time.

[subst4nce]

Thanks for the help, when I cycled my Nano Cube I had the LR from day one, and didn't have any issues. I was wondering why this time we were told different.