adding cured live rock to early tank

[slickace17]

I have a 75 gallon tank with one piece of live rock with mushrooms and other small organisms on it I just ordered 50 pounds of cured live rock how do I need to add this to my tank my tank has only been up for about 2 months and I have a clown fish two damsels and a flame hawkfish

 

[wcarterh]

QT (quarantine tank) the fish and the mushroom. Add all rock at once and perform normal cycling with raw shrimp from store and/or ammonia.

You will get a huge cycle with this and either severely stress or kill the fish. Even adding small amounts will cause mini-cycles at ammonia levels dangerous/deadly to fish and corals.

 

[gone fishin]

I think I would be inclined to put the rock in a tub with a power head and verify that it is cycled. Once your sure it is good to go then you can place the rock in your tank. Just my 2 cents.

 

[airtime23]

Do the "sniff test". Take out each individual piece and smell it all over. If it has any bad smell, that would indicate die off. If it has die off, I would "re-cure" it before adding it to the display tank. If there's no smell, you should be good to go.

 

[slickace17]

I don't have the materials for a quarantine tank so can I add a piece at a time days at a time while rinsing and soaking the others

 

[slickace17]

It doesn't have any smell and is relatively clean its Carib sea primo reef rock BTW

 

[slickace17]

I did the sniff test and there is no smell and they are Carib sea primo reef rock I have rinsed them good can i add like ,3 a day or so?

 

[wcarterh]

I've never tried that, so I can't say.

 

[airtime23]

I did the sniff test and there is no smell and they are Carib sea primo reef rock I have rinsed them good can i add like ,3 a day or so?

I thought that was dried rock and not live.

Do you have a link?

 

[slickace17]

It is ... made a mistake reading the box

 

[formsix]

If you're adding slowly, keep checking ammonia as well. If you get any readings, do a water change. This means also keeping a good amount of mixed and heated salt water on hand, ready to go. With the fish in the tank, you don't want to take a chance of any ammonia that might harm them. Go slow especially in the beginning, as the bacteria that will process any die off will increase exponentially once those first new pieces of rock begin to get colonized.

Should be just fine though as long as you go slow.

 

[billnPS]

Do you have a friend with an established tank that can rehome your fish while you place all the rock in at once & let tank min-cycle or whatever it will do? You're running the risk of killing your fish with this slow adding of a few rocks at a time. Not to mention extra time waiting while water chemistries level off after each addition.

 

[coralsnaked]

Use "the bucket method". Really any container except metal will work I like the Igloo ice chest. Place rock salt water and a small powerhead in and start cycle with any protein source IE Shrimp and wait out the six to eight weeks it takes to cure and cycle that DRY rock you bought. Only right way my friend or you will have headaches in that tank that will make you:headwalls: But this will make the transition smooth as a good :beer:

 

[slickace17]

thank all you guys for your help and recommendations but I placed pieces in at a time and then at one point I put all of the rock in I check my water parameters and everything is looking good will keep you posted on updates

 

[slickace17]

And my flame hawk fish loves all the new perching spots!