how much live rock is too much?

[misskeeter2766]

My live rock order arrived about 30 min ago...
I precleaned it... then started placing it in the tank.
The order was for 32 pounds. I figured i'd put half of it in. Way more than half is in there. I think it looks good (aside from the cloudy gross water now lol). I'm guessing there's a good 20 pounds of rock in there, including the tiny rocks I tossed into the back compartment.

Is that too much for my 12 gallon nano cube? I'm giving the big giant rock away, but I kept the other smaller ones. I'll take a picture of what it looks like right now and post it to my profile album if it helps.

 

[Aquarium1]

You can't really have too much live rock. As long as there is room for fish to swim, it should be fine. Once you post those pics, we'll get a better idea of what it looks like, so it would help.

 

[Aquarium1]

I saw the picture, it seems fine. However, what fish are you planning on getting for the tank after it is cycled?

 

[misskeeter2766]

I haven't made a definite decision.
I'd like a yellow watchman goby and ocellaris clownfish .... coral banded shrimp...
and Im still trying to decide on a cleanup crew...

let me know if I need to rethink any of these. Im still researching

 

[misskeeter2766]

Do I need to move these rocks around any? I pulled them in and out and moved them all around, and I can't figure out how I like them....

 

[misskeeter2766]

One more question... for now.
will the die off from the rocks be enough to cycle the tank or do I need to go get a raw shrimp?
I will never use live creatures to cycle...

 

[Aquarium1]

Is the live rock cured or uncured?

 

[misskeeter2766]

eh.. it's "pre-cured" .. it came wrapped in wet paper towels inside a plastic bag inside a box

 

[Zer0]

First off, you can never have too much live rock. You just want room for fish to swim.

Secondly, if the rock you received was uncured, then the die-off from the rocks will produce ammonia and WILL start your cycle. This is how i cycled my tank. However, just because it came wrapped in wet paper towels doesn't mean it's cured or pre-cured, whatever that is lol. That's just a way to keep the rock "live". All live rock needs is a little moisture and they can continue having living organisms in them.

Also, if you paid a great deal of money for those 32lbs, then chances are it's cured since the cured rock generally cost more than uncured. But if you paid a decent price, or regular price at 3$ or something per pound, then i'm sure it isn't cured.

Just to be exact, can you link us to the site where you got the rocks from and tell us what product you bought? This will be the only real way for us(or you) to tell if you bought cured or uncured live rock.

 

[austinsdad]

Get an ammonia and nitrite test ASAP. Then read up on curing live rock and cycling a tank (2 different readings). The optimum would be that you experience neither of those if you really have "cured" rock, but test to know where you are.

 

[misskeeter2766]

Okay... I got the rock off ebay. Here's the listing.

LIVE ROCK / LIMESTONE / CORALLINE ALGAE / 32 POUNDS - eBay (item 200442411126 end time Feb-22-10 07:30:39 PST)

and if I got a really crummy deal and this is terrible rock, then I guess I am off to my lfs to buy some rock to add to this lol.. hopefully that's not the case.

 

[misskeeter2766]

Get an ammonia and nitrite test ASAP. Then read up on curing live rock and cycling a tank (2 different readings). The optimum would be that you experience neither of those if you really have "cured" rock, but test to know where you are.

I've read up on both... I didn't think it would do any good to test today since I just added the rock a few hours ago... shouldn't I let it sit for a few days first? ...

 

[cmor1701d]

Shipped LR will have some die off. That rock looks like you will have plenty of die off for the cycle to start.
The good part is that now is the time you can keep rearranging it till you find a pattern you really like.

 

[austinsdad]

I'd test tomorrow morning. If there is die-off on that rock, you'll see it real soon. I'd hate for you to miss a few days of testing and catch it on the way back down or after it disappears. I'm a fan of seeing the entire progression and regression. In other words, watching it go up, then back down so you know the extent of the cycle.

 

[misskeeter2766]

I bought some Purple Up... when would be a good time to start adding that?

I also bought a kit of Kent reef minerals... I haven't added anything yet though.. and won't until I can find some more info.

 

[misskeeter2766]

I'd test tomorrow morning. If there is die-off on that rock, you'll see it real soon. I'd hate for you to miss a few days of testing and catch it on the way back down or after it disappears. I'm a fan of seeing the entire progression and regression. In other words, watching it go up, then back down so you know the extent of the cycle.

Tomorrow morning it is then.

I'll post the results when Im finished.

 

[misskeeter2766]

One thing I love about this rock... just the rock is pretty. It's all sparkly! lol

 

[tryin2make63]

the faster you start adding purple up the faster you get your levels up to build coraling.

purple up has alk,cal,and mag. in it but you still need to test for all of them. u might use one more than the other and have to add them individually

 

[Zer0]

Well i definitely wouldn't agree with that.. I have seen many people who swear that purpleup is just a gimmick. Corraline will sprout growth, when the tank params are right, and when your tank begins to mature. The only reason purpleup is on the market, is because people are immpatient, and want a quicker way of getting their tank to be "beautiful". Whatever they think beautfiul is.. Any salty should know by now that NOTHING happens fast in a saltwater aquarium. And if you try to speed things up, you will most likely be in for a hard crash.

Let it be known that if you continuously use purpleup, and you overdose it in your tank, it contains iodine, in which large amounts are lethal to coral. So please, for the sake of your tank, don't just start pouring the purpleup in there thinking a whole bottle will give you tons of corraline. It won't happen. Just let your tank cycle, then once it's done start adding some livestock on a controlled level, and in due time, corraline will begin to grow.

 

[tryin2make63]

thats why i said u have to use your kits to measure.... i realize the way it sounds now that i read what i wrote. they are right it is all water measurements. i personally dont use purple up. i use esv b-ionic. works great for me.