Uncured live rock in established tank

[seanm001]

I've got many successful years of running fresh water tanks under my belt and I've decided to try my hand at salt water.

I bought a 54-gallon established tank complete set-up. The owner removed all fish, inverts, corals and any other visible living organisms, leaving me about 100 pounds of base rock and 10 pounds of sand (all of which remained fully submerged for the trip home).

I've got three questions:

1. I think 10 pounds of sand in a 54-gallon tank is too little. I know I can't add dead sand on top of the existing live sand but, if I buy bagged live sand (like Arag-Alive), can I just add that on top of the existing live sand? Should I try to sweep the existing live sand to one side and add the new live sand on the other side, allowing them to mix naturally over time? Should I put the bagged live sand in a bucket and add it maybe a pound a day?

2. Say I wanted to get some newer, more interesting, more biodiverse live rock. Can I buy uncured live rock and cure it in the tank? Would that curing / cycling process decimate the beneficial bacteria, pods, and other microcritters still left in the tank? Or would curing the rock in the tank result in a greater survival rate for the hitchhikers on the new uncured rock since the tank is already established and cycled? Remember, there are no fish, cuc or other inverts, or corals in the tank to worry about. Or should I stick only with well-cured and cleaned live rock?

3. The set-up is currently running a sump with bio-balls. Would you recommend keeping the sump / bio-balls configuration or would you convert the sump to a refugium?

As I mentioned, I've got years of experience checking parameters, doing water changes, and all the work associated with proper aquatic husbandry. I'm not afraid of doing daily water changes or anything else necessary to make the transition of this tank to its new home a good one.

Thanks,
Sean

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

[welcome]

I think there is some risk involved, and it depends on the nature of the rock, but I've added a substantial amount of new live rock into the sump of an existing large system to cure it, and everything was fine.

[AJ69]

1-You could add the sand the same day just watch for any sandstorms.
2-remove the bio balls(old technology) from the sump,add some rubble rocks to it and any macro algae that you could get.
3-add the uncured lr now before you add any corals/fish/inverts so you can cycle it,you will get an ammonia spike when you transfer a tank,so imo do a wc after a wk of having add the uncured lr.
good luck

[Neptune420]

Since you don't have any livestock, i would use uncured. Use carbon and a good skimmer 24/7 and lots of circulation. You could just mix dry aragonite sand with your live sand it won't hurt. After a few weeks of curing, do a 50% water change, then monitor until perameters are good.

[seanm001]

Great, I really appreciate the advice and quick responses!

Thanks,
Sean