Adding new LR rock to established tank....

[Seepu]

First... Im a SW noob, we have 2 other 75g FW tanks, one Mbuna tank, and one Central American Cichlid tank.

However.....

I got a new 90g reef tank for Christmas, and it has been up and running 1 week. We are getting ready to add LR, but are completely overwhelmed by the cost of LR at our LFS. We are looking at $700.00 ++ for just 135 lbs of LR. We just shelled out 2k for the bare bones reef startup ( no skimmer, no heater, no PH, and one 20lb bag of sand)

When I sleep, I dream of beautiful fish swimming gracefully in my new tank, little critters skittering about the rocks.... when my husband sleeps, he has nightmares of dollar signs crashing and burning....

My question is this: Can I add more LR later ( a few months or so ), after curing the new stuff in a sperate container, of course, and will this greatly affect my tank's cycle? Can keep just a cleaner crew, and some <<cough>> cheaper, reef compatible, fish till I get all my rock in? And finally after all my rock is in, then really set to getting my livestock the way I'd like?


/boggle

 

[Scottm]

If the rock is all the way cured you can add it to your main tank without a problem. Also with a tank your size you should look at getting base rock to be seeded and then get some really nice live rock pieces to seed the tank. I used base rock and then the rocks that my corals came on to seed it. This works very well and the base rock is indistiguishable from the regular live stuff after a few months and alot cheaper.

 

[Seepu]

Once the base rock is seeded, then it's LIVE? Or is it still base rock, that has stuff growing on it?

Sorry for the probably obvious question.. just want to get it all straight.

( its easier to get hubby to spend money if he thinks I know what Im talking about! )

 

[tecwzrd]

Once the base rock is seeded, then it's LIVE? Or is it still base rock, that has stuff growing on it?

LR is basically just base rock with “stuff” growing on it. After about 4 to 6 months all your rock will be “live”

A great place to get base rock is from http://www.hirocks.com/ you can get 60 lbs worth shipped to your door for $92.00. That’s about $1.5 a lb shipped I’ve been very happy with mine.

For a 90 gal I’d get 60 of base and 30 of live to start off with and add additional cured LR as you can. Should run you around $250 for both.

Also $5.5 a lb for LR from your lfs is about the same price you would pay anywhere. You could fine LR for $2-3 per lb online but they usually kill you in shipping costs

 

[Seepu]

Thanks for the info. I have 60 lbs of base rock coming, and found a lfs that has 48 lb boxes of live fiji rock for 159.00....


soooo.. I can't wait till it gets here.

Thanks again for the advice =)

 

[DeathWarp]

Its xmas; search around for deals. My LFS just had a deal for $2.30 a lbs. for fiji live rock. Carelessly I stocked up lol but had to give some to a buddy because i had "too much" (merry xmas to him). Good Luck with the tank. Remeber; men can be easily persuaded with beer/sex or something edible

 

[Seepu]

Remeber; men can be easily persuaded with beer/sex or something edible

Theres a difference?



Well... the LR got here before the base rock... /sigh

So we have the bottom of the tank filled with LR, and will take it all out and start over when the base rock gets here... Hubby is really hibie-gibie-fied.. he wants gloves up to his shoulders... ( I cant reach the bottom of the tank 8O )

 

[AMANIQU77]

My LFS told me that their fiji is live too. Then I went home quickly and placed them in a 5G bucket with powerhead and airstones and topped with water from the display. The tank's been running for a year and a half. Then my Ammonia read 30ppms in the bucket. Wow. Good thing I didn't immediately place the rocks in the display.

In terms of your hubbie, just tell him that the water we usually put in the tank is cleaner than the water we put in our mouth so it's OK.

 

[Seepu]

Were both used to FW tanks... anything that shows up in the tank that we didnt buy is outta there! SW is a TOTALLY different story... now.. im HOPING for freebies =)

It's still gonna be a while before we get used to all the crawlies =)