Live rock cycle

[Cheeselady]

I'm picking up some live rock from a tank being taken down (not due to a crash) that has been held submerged in a hefty can for a few days.

How long would you guess it will be before the tank it will be in will be safe for stocking? (I'll be adding live sand at the same time the rock goes in the tank)

On a related note, there a Royal Gramma available that I would like to put in the new tank but I would have to hold it in my full 10 gallon until the new tank is ready. How bad is temp over crowding?

 

[thegrun]

Assuming the live rock was kept in a heated container with water movement you most likely will not have a cycle. The fastest way to be sure is dose the tank with pure ammonia without our fumes or surfactants (available at Ace Hardware) to a 2ppm level. The ammonia should drop to zero in 12 hours. If it does zero out then it will be safe to start adding livestock. If it doesn't drop to zero then wait until it dies drop to zero.
I would recommend starting with dry sand (washed to remove the fines) rather than "live" sand. Live sand is difficult to clean since it must be washed with saltwater and it also hAs the possibility of having enough dead organics in it to actually start a cycle. This doesn't happen often much nowadays since most companies simply add bacteria to dry sand to make live sand, but there is still a risk and dry sand is less expensive sice you don't pay for the water that live sand is shipped in.

 

[Green Chromis]

Assuming the live rock was kept in a heated container with water movement you most likely will not have a cycle. The fastest way to be sure is dose the tank with pure ammonia without our fumes or surfactants (available at Ace Hardware) to a 2ppm level. The ammonia should drop to zero in 12 hours. If it does zero out then it will be safe to start adding livestock. If it doesn't drop to zero then wait until it dies drop to zero.
I would recommend starting with dry sand (washed to remove the fines) rather than "live" sand. Live sand is difficult to clean since it must be washed with saltwater and it also hAs the possibility of having enough dead organics in it to actually start a cycle. This doesn't happen often much nowadays since most companies simply add bacteria to dry sand to make live sand, but there is still a risk and dry sand is less expensive sice you don't pay for the water that live sand is shipped in.

:fish1: Hi Grun, if you add enough ammonia to get to 2ppm, wouldn't this effect some of the fauna and flora on the rock if it is a very quality live rock. I just redid a 1000gal system for my brother in law using all new rock directly from the ocean. The dealer puts the rock in containers and cycles it for about two weeks, then delivers it to your house in water filled containers. I used all the live sand, the kind you get in bags, as the ocean is to cold for me to go out and collect the sand, an we didn't have any problems at all. I tested the system for the following couple days and their was never an ammonia, nitrite, or any other kind of spike. One other thing, I never clean live sand I collect or buy in the bags, yes the water from the bagged sand was cloudy for a few hours, but it was crystal clear the next morning . :fish1:

 

[Cheeselady]

Thanks folks, yep the rock came out of one tank and went to a new tank. I also chatted with the gentleman I got the rock from and was pretty much told the same thing - that no cycle was needed.

I went a head an used live sand since it is was I already had I certaily did make the tank cloudy but is cleared up with in 24 hours.

kept an eye on ammonia and nitrates and nothing seemed to go crazy so I did go ahead and start adding stock to the tank. I'll keep a close eye on parameters for awhile but I think everything is looking good.

 

[JUNBUG361]

Re using the live sand could cause parameter change

 

[thegrun]

Go very slowly with fish additions (no more than one per week) for at least the first month. Easy to keep corals can be added without any problems.

 

[mcgyvr]

Nothing good happens fast in this hobby..

Time to learn some patience IMO...
waiting is far better the rushing here.. even with live rock..