Is adding new live rocks inan established tank a good idea?

[RowSonic]

I am planning on adding new live rocks today and then add corals in my tank at the same time. Is this a good idea? I know that there will be a lot of die off in the rocks and ammonia may increase in my tank for doing this? If this happens, will it be bad for the rest of my corals, the corals im adding, and mainly for my tank's health?

The reason for the addition of live rocks is because I am buying acroporas for my tank and I jsut want to add more rocks so I can build higher rock work for these corals.

Also, I am planning on keeping the live rocks in water while I take it home just to reduce the die off in it.

About the live rocks, I am moving soon and is it safe if I keep the live rocks in a cooler with no lights and heater but just with water and a pump?

I also have noticed that one of the LFS in the area i live in keeps their live rocks in salinity of about 1.015. Isn't this going to kill the bacteria and inverts in the rocks? I am actually thinking of buying the live rocks from them but this is stopping me from doing so. Also, they never cure there live rocks, they just dump it in the tank. How will you know if a live rock is not a live rock?

[MiddletonMark]

I would not add Live Rock from a LFS to my tank directly.

The can tell me it's cured - but it's my livestock. I don't risk it.

As the price of a rubbermaid, small glass tank, or other appropriate tub/container is so cheap - you'll see in my sig that I have a 35 gallon LR curing/holding vat in my basement.

That way I have rock to add to my tank if wanted ... rock that has been truly cured for 3-6+ months. I wouldn't add `brand new' rock of any real quantity to my tank [esp the one with Acropora] despite what anyone told me.

You can always get corals/frags later - and I'd always suggest having things prepared before adding something.

If you check the SPS forum, you see any number of people with new Acropora [or established] having them mysteriously die back/off. Given this is not uncommon for Acropora - I wouldn't add the rock as there could be some unknown that you're risking doing that.

Only thing I'd add is to suggest going with frags. I have over a dozen varieties of Acropora - only one from the wild. Give the fast growth, hardy nature, and amazing color [that has stayed] with the frags I have - I don't see why I'd take the wild Acropora crap shoot. IMO, it takes patience and looking - but the available captive strains can be phenomenal.

Anyway - my 2 cents. I wouldn't risk it, IMO it's not worth it.

[RowSonic]

Is it ok if I live live rocks in a cooler without lights and just a circulating pump?

[RowSonic]

Is it ok if I live live rocks in a cooler without lights and just a circulating pump?

[MiddletonMark]

If it's food-grade plastics, I guess that would work. Without light you'll lose coralline and any photosynthetics - but I'd do that over tossing rock into my tank [except if from another aquarist, and then it's a tough call IMO].

I will run NO actinics over my LR tank, seems to help keep the coralline a little.

I dunno, that's my opinion on how I'd do it. As with everything, multiple opinions are the best way to go.

[NwG]

Mark not to put you down and not to say that I like doing it but I have added SMALL chunks of so called "cured LR" to my system without a problem.. Now I am not saying the brand new smelly death coverd rock but the stuff that has been in the lfs for a week or two... I have had no problems with 10lbs or under (in a 100g or 200g tank with heavy skimming) and it seams to add a little diversity once and a while.... we have all had that same feeling "I need this rock to go here" but you don't have this rock??? It is really not a good idea but seems OK in small chunks...
Nate D

[Navyblue]

IMHO, if the LR is small enough and the tank is big enough it is not a problem as long as it smells good (not really good actually).

But my concern will be whether it will harbour any parasite, it is the 4 week quarantine that prevent me from doing so. And while quarantining, it will be fully cycled. The bleaching is another issue though.

[MiddletonMark]

Originally posted by Navyblue
But my concern will be whether it will harbour any parasite, it is the 4 week quarantine that prevent me from doing so. And while quarantining, it will be fully cycled.

Exactly. Not to say it can't be done [or that I haven't done small additions without problem] ... but it's a risk every time.

Once you add in the risk of flatworms, various problematic Nudi's, etc ... then all of a sudden IMO QT is necessary.

I dunno, I just see that a rock-curing tub is so cheap [unused powerhead + heater + a few bucks] ... that it's not worth the risk.

Not to say one can't just add LR ... but when I consider the amount invested in my display ... I tend to think a rock curing tub is a cheap investment.

Good points, though.

[RowSonic]

About live rocks die off. If a live rock has been out of water for 1 hour, will a lot of bacteria die? What are these bacteria that live in live rocks anyway? Also, I have seen liquid stuff (i forgot the name) that you can buy from fish stores that says will add 30 000
beneficial bacteria(per teaspoon) in your tank. Do these liquid bacteria or whatever is called work?

[MiddletonMark]

I'm not worried about bacteria mostly ... I'm far more worried about the sponges and all the other life that having conditions changing, air, etc will kill off. Which then release all their nasties.

In the end, IMO, Nitrogen is the least of our worries, yet the part most focused on with LR curing.

See this post/thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...75#post1828375

[RowSonic]

What about these liquid stuff you canbuy? Do they really work? The LFS says that its suppose to speed up the tanks time to mature.

[MiddletonMark]

Of course they say that, they wouldn't sell any otherwise.

If you read that link, you'll understand why that's focusing too much on the basic nitrogen cycle - when the issues are about other chemicals.