Cycling Aquarium with Live Rock

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Justin_Toronto

Aquarium Advice Activist
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Sep 8, 2008
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Mananged to get some non-cured LR for free (around 35lb), but my aquarium isn't completely set up yet. The salt water is in there, but the specific gravity is a bit high, the power heads are already in the aquarium and circulating.

1) Can I drop the live rock in the aquarium before the water gets up to temperature?

2) If the salinity is too high, can I still put the LR in the water, and adjust the salinity the following day? (when the RO water will be filtered.)
 
What's too high on the salinity? I'm thinking the rock is better off there than drying out. There may some life on the rock that needs to be in the water. Is your tap water kinda OK? Since you're just cycling now, I'd really consider adding tap water to adjust the salinity now.
 
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Unless you SG is way off the charts you will be fine putting the rock in the tank now. As Austinsdad said it is better in the water rather then out.
 
Yeah, it's not ridiculously high, just out of range. I don't recall the exact number right now, but it's out of the "red" zone (which on my hydrometer is the recommended zone)
 
One suggestion is order a refractometer they are far more accurate then the hydrometer. Check on ebay or on Marinedepot.com I picked one up for $40.

If your SG is between 1.019-1.026 you should be just fine for now. When you get to the point that you are going to be adding live stock you need to make sure that it is stable, whether you have it on the low end or high end.
 
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