I asked these questions on another forum site (I was tempted by the dark side), but didn't get any feedback (maybe it's too many questions to try to tackle), so I thought I'd ask here.
I've read a lot of information about using live rock that seems contradictory and hoped someone could explain it all to me. Here's my understanding of it with lots of questions thrown in:
1. Mail-order LR will have a lot of die-off when shipped, so it will create an ammonia spike when added to a tank. Thus, you need to cure it rather than put it in an establish tank - i.e. cycle it in another tank/tub/trashcan. Ok...but isn't LR a biofilter - why doesn't it have enough bacteria on it to filter the ammonia from the die-off? Or did the bacteria also partly die-off, being nitrogen-starved during shipping, so they need time to build-up? Also, if you leave the LR to cure too long, will you actually lose a lot of the bacteria again, because after the die-off there's not much waste being produced?
2. If you start a tank with a bunch of uncured LR, do you still need to add hardy fish or throw in a dead shrimp to cycle it, or will it cycle itself with the dieoff?
3. LR taken from an established tank can be placed right into another established tank. No need for curing as there's been no die-off?
4. I've read some places that you shouldn't put LR, at least high quality LR, in an uncycled tank, or you'll kill off much of the biodiversity during the ammonia spike. Ok, this makes sense for LR taken from an established tank, but if it's shipped LR, due to die-off it's going to go through an ammonia spike whether you put it in your uncycled tank or cure it in another tank, right?
5. Is there any way to avoid the ammonia spike in uncured LR, such as putting only a small amount in a large, established tank? Does the skimmer in your tank help pull out waste from the die-off before it breaks down, unlike curing it in a trashcan?
6. Also, does any of this apply to live sand for a DSB? Is there significant die-off when it's sitting there on the LFS shelf? Is it better to just get Southdowns dead sand, and then buy some live sand innoculant or scoop some sand from your friend's tank with a DSB?
Whew, if you're here, thanks for reading my tome of a post. I appreciate your help clearing up my confusion.
I've read a lot of information about using live rock that seems contradictory and hoped someone could explain it all to me. Here's my understanding of it with lots of questions thrown in:
1. Mail-order LR will have a lot of die-off when shipped, so it will create an ammonia spike when added to a tank. Thus, you need to cure it rather than put it in an establish tank - i.e. cycle it in another tank/tub/trashcan. Ok...but isn't LR a biofilter - why doesn't it have enough bacteria on it to filter the ammonia from the die-off? Or did the bacteria also partly die-off, being nitrogen-starved during shipping, so they need time to build-up? Also, if you leave the LR to cure too long, will you actually lose a lot of the bacteria again, because after the die-off there's not much waste being produced?
2. If you start a tank with a bunch of uncured LR, do you still need to add hardy fish or throw in a dead shrimp to cycle it, or will it cycle itself with the dieoff?
3. LR taken from an established tank can be placed right into another established tank. No need for curing as there's been no die-off?
4. I've read some places that you shouldn't put LR, at least high quality LR, in an uncycled tank, or you'll kill off much of the biodiversity during the ammonia spike. Ok, this makes sense for LR taken from an established tank, but if it's shipped LR, due to die-off it's going to go through an ammonia spike whether you put it in your uncycled tank or cure it in another tank, right?
5. Is there any way to avoid the ammonia spike in uncured LR, such as putting only a small amount in a large, established tank? Does the skimmer in your tank help pull out waste from the die-off before it breaks down, unlike curing it in a trashcan?
6. Also, does any of this apply to live sand for a DSB? Is there significant die-off when it's sitting there on the LFS shelf? Is it better to just get Southdowns dead sand, and then buy some live sand innoculant or scoop some sand from your friend's tank with a DSB?
Whew, if you're here, thanks for reading my tome of a post. I appreciate your help clearing up my confusion.