Changing rock advice

Deep Reef

Deep Reef

Active member
60e4a20f27ddef702748d8dd6877ab8e.jpg

The story: I've had my tank up for a couple years. After some issues and loss of corals, things appear to finally be back on track. What I'm now finding is that my rock layout doesn't allow for easy coral placement. What I'd like to do is remove all my rock and put in new stacked Marco Rock 'Prime Cuts' which are flat. This would create multiple shelves for me to place corals.

Question: will this swap of old rock for new create some sort of cycle that I should seriously worry about or possibly another issue I am not even aware of?

Thanks

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Are you changing ALL your rock? If changing most or all you will definitely get a cycle and will deal with some issues related to that. If it were me I'd probably put as much of the new rock in the sump to allow it to cure and cycle and maybe some in the display for a couple months then do your thing. Sounds like you want to overhaul it. If you just take out live rock and replace it with new dry, you are taking our your primary filter, which is the bacteria in the rock. You may still be able to get away with it, but if you want to take the cautious approach, you are best swapping cured and cycled rock with cured and cycled rock. My 2.....
 
rovster said:
Are you changing ALL your rock? If changing most or all you will definitely get a cycle and will deal with some issues related to that. If it were me I'd probably put as much of the new rock in the sump to allow it to cure and cycle and maybe some in the display for a couple months then do your thing. Sounds like you want to overhaul it. If you just take out live rock and replace it with new dry, you are taking our your primary filter, which is the bacteria in the rock. You may still be able to get away with it, but if you want to take the cautious approach, you are best swapping cured and cycled rock with cured and cycled rock. My 2.....
Click to expand...



You confirmed what I was thinking. I also thought maybe do it in 2 phases. Phase 1 - change the left half of the tank, phase 2 - the other...
 
If it's not in a rush, u can always cycle the rocks in a trashcan first with water, heater, powerhead.
 
Deep Reef said:
94a6b0aae6aefe59eaa1d29c0234167e.jpg

Thanks Diesel,
If you look at it from the side it is kinda a vertical stack with overhangs
Click to expand...

Why not just pull your live rock out that you have and rescape it? Just start with a wider base at the bottom and pyramid it with the point towards the back wall.

Bamm... no cycle.
 
itz frank said:
Why not just pull your live rock out that you have and rescape it? Just start with a wider base at the bottom and pyramid it with the point towards the back wall.

Bamm... no cycle.
Click to expand...
When I first started the tank I tried it that way but the base gets too wide and doesn't leave me space to put corals on sand for isolation. But maybe I'll give it another shot

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rovster said:
Will still get a mini cycle.....bamm....:hammer:
Click to expand...


How would you get a cycle if it's out of water for an hour?

I cycled my live rock in my tank in the garage, then moved the tank... Which took three hours and place live rock. 0 cycle.


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Deep Reef said:
When I first started the tank I tried it that way but the base gets too wide and doesn't leave me space to put corals on sand for isolation. But maybe I'll give it another shot

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Click to expand...


Just leave yourself about 5 inches in from if you can. Also, vary the rock and try and make two declining mountains.


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itz frank said:
How would you get a cycle if it's out of water for an hour?

I cycled my live rock in my tank in the garage, then moved the tank... Which took three hours and place live rock. 0 cycle.


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Click to expand...

Stir up sand, stir up trapped detritus in rocks, stir up whatever. It happens.
 
Regardless of how you do it, there is a chance of a cycle imo. But to minimize it, using your existing rock would be best, or at least, keeping as much of it as you can as "base rock."

If you do replace all rock, I would do what someone else suggested and try to do it in 2 or three phases.

Lastly, I would definitely use some live notifying bacteria after you're done. Fritz Zyme 9 is the way to go.
 
Jgoal55 said:
Regardless of how you do it, there is a chance of a cycle imo. But to minimize it, using your existing rock would be best, or at least, keeping as much of it as you can as "base rock."

If you do replace all rock, I would do what someone else suggested and try to do it in 2 or three phases.

Lastly, I would definitely use some live notifying bacteria after you're done. Fritz Zyme 9 is the way to go.
Click to expand...



Adding bacteria makes sense
 
I think I decided to pick up +/-20#'s of the Prime Cuts. Put it in my sump for a bit and then swap out the pieces that really don't work. That way it will have minimal impact.

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Good plan.

I think there is no way to get around moving the rock back to the back wall to get some growth space in the front of the tank
 
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