Setting Live Rock and Live Sand

[Bearfan]

Live rock on the glass and then sand, or live sand and the rock on top? I've seen it both ways, and read it both ways.

Also, do you add the sand after the water to eliminate air bubbles? If you added the water after, science would show a lot of trapped air, which is bad.

[reefrunner69]

Live rock on the glass and then sand, or live sand and the rock on top? I've seen it both ways, and read it both ways.

Mine is pretty much on the glas, maybe a cm of sand beneath the bottom pieces and the glass. The rock work will be more stable and it is actually better to place the LR on the glass and then add the sand around it, but if your doing a DSB some people find it difficult to bury LR under 4-6" of sand. Not hard for me cause I don't use a DSB, lol.

[reefrunner69]

Oh yeah, I add the sand (pre-wetted) after the water

[Bearfan]

I'm going with a DSB, would this cause too much die off on the LR if I buried it?

[reefrunner69]

It depends on what was on the rock that was buried. Personally I would probably use a calcium based base rock for the pieces that got buried, something like lace rock or the base rock from www.hirocks.com

[Bearfan]

Related question. Now, typically in FW I don't do water changes during the cycle period, but what about the critters on the LR? Will the ammonia spike kill them off?

[reefrunner69]

Will the ammonia spike kill them off?

Yes.

Curing Liverock? I didn't even know it was sick.

[Bearfan]

So basically, whenever I get the LR and LS from www.liverocks.com I should place it in the aquarium and do large water changes every other day? Man, this SW stuff makes my FW look like childs play. I was just thinking, if I do 50% water changes every other day for 3 weeks:

75 Gal * 50% = 37.5 Gal per change

10 Water Changes * 37.5 Gal per change = 375 gal

This is almost 2 buckets of IO also.

Wow, that'll be pricy.

[reefrunner69]

Your probably going to net closer to 50-60g of water after the sand and rock are in, it will most likely take about a week to two weeks to cure the rock using this method

It's not as bad as all that, it's just a bit more tempermental to start.

[stoneydee]

If he's got enough LR and LS, (assuming the live rock is cured), is he going to get an ammonia spike? Won't that set-up be a silent cycle?

[reefrunner69]

assuming the live rock is cured

He is in Illinois, the LR is in FL, there will be die off from the shipping process.

If totally cured LR is used that does not spend more than an hour or so out of water, the ammonia spike should be negligible.

[Bearfan]

So I will actually be cycling very little, just monitor the ammonia and do water changes to keep it in check to prevent critter die off, as well as remove as much die off as possible.

Do I need to do a fishless cycle then with raw shrimp, or will the rock and sand be enough?

[captivereefs]

Hey when you fill the tank put a piece of foil down covering the bottom of the tank; fold the corners up about 2" all around. Then put a plate on the foil and pour the water over the plate. The tank will fill up very clear and you won't have that southdowqn storm every one gets. Just a trick I use in my maintanence business to get a clear tank right away for the customer!

[jks1]

anytime you add LR in any amount, esp if it arrives via the mail, you will get a "recycle". The size and severity of it will depend on the amount of LR introduced and the quality of the LR when it gets to you

[jks1]

great trick captive!

[captivereefs]

Thanks!

[flamron]

I purchased 30 lbs of base rock from hirocks. They have some great rock! Fast shipping too.

[Bearfan]

I just purchased 100# of LR from www.liverocks.com to be at the airport on Thursday. I will post some pix.

[reefrunner69]

I just purchased 100# of LR from www.liverocks.com to be at the airport on Thursday. I will post some pix.

I would avoid doing water changes with this LR.. Your ammonia spike will be very very minimal.. You should not see it go higher than .25 and nitrites houldnt rise above .5 IMO and experience all the critters will be fine.. I placed 100lbs of the same in my tank and it cycled in less that 1 week.. The packing job that they do is supreme and everything creatures and all should all be alive when they get to you.. your LR is out of the water for no more than 16hrs but is also packed in wet absorbant paper towels to keet the LR wet.. Place it in and monitor it for a week.. I would IME say that as long as your levels drop within the week like they should you would be able to add a fish or 2 within 2 weeks of adding the LR to your tank.. My tank was setup for 1 week prior to me adding 2 clowns.. About a week after that I added a Bubble coral.. So far NOTHING in my tank has died except a elegance coral... My levels all have never even been detected since about 2 days after placing the LR in my tank.. My nitrates stayed at 5ppm for about 2 months and they have been at 0 since as well.. My tank has a variety of SPS, Softies, shrooms, LPS and an Anemone all thriving.. All this was just my experience though.. BTW you will LOVE the LR it was awesome and well worth the cash..

HTH,
James