Base Rock?

[True Percula]

Hi,
I am about to buy base rock from a LFS and wondering if i can just directly add it to my 1year old 29gallon with 35 pounds of liverock...Or should i get a bucker take like 10 pounds of liverock and add the new base rock in the bucket and wait for a week for it to become okay to put in the tank...How many weeks must i leave the liverock and base rock n the bucket for the base rock to become "LIVE"?

 

[bawla47]

as long as there is no life whatsoever on the rock, itd be no problem puttin it in the tank directly.

for the rock to be fully colonised is hard to say, but id say in a month or 2 it should be fully established by then, probably will begin to start blending into you regular live rock growing corraline etc.

 

[True Percula]

So all my fishes and corals will be okay?

 

[KING OF THE REEF]

NO they wont. You will have a bunch of amonia building up in your tank. If you go to your library and check out a book called Saltwater aquariums for Dummies (no insult intended), it will explaine in full detail about live rock. that was my first salt book and it has helped me many times.

 

[True Percula]

but some are saying its okay..i guess i have to wait for more replies

 

[KING OF THE REEF]

yes but you are still going to compromise your livestock. jsut trust me. read that book cover to cover it will definately help you even if you dont take my advice.

 

[tperk9784]

I believe Bawala to be correct in that if there is no life on the rock then it should be no problem to add the rock directly to the tank.

If it is dry rock that has been sitting in an LFS personally I would soak it in some fresh saltwater for a couple days to get rid of excess dust and anything else that might have collected on it.

If the rock is from an establish tank there should also be no issue.

Your tank already has an establish "cycle" the bacteria that consume ammonia and convert it to Nitrite are already present in your tank. This in itself will help prevent any sort of ammonia spike from adding small amounts of decay to the system.

In order for any sort of ammonia buildup to occur from adding the rock, there has to be some sort of decay from somthing on the rock. if there is nothing that is dying or could die on the rock this should be a non issue. If the rock smells like it's bad then you might have issues like King of the reef is talking about.

Tim

 

[True Percula]

Thanks...so i should get a buket and soak it in the water for 3 days and than add to the tank?

 

[bawla47]

rich, just to be 100% safe if you like. put it in a bucket soaked for a few days, and test for ammonia.

if none present, your good to go.

 

[True Percula]

O okay..In my tank water right?

 

[Dactyl]

***? king of the reef. if its dead coral rock youre not going to get anythin minus some very slight leeching of some trace elements into the system. the only way he could get skyhigh ammonia levels would be if he dipped it in gravy and let it dry first before putting it in his tank.

 

[reefsahoy]

i added dead base rock to my tank full of corals and that was over 2 months ago, all's well.