Making dead rock live

[echinatl]

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've seen a few threads on this but I'm still not sure I'm doing things correctly. </span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have about 30 pounds of dead rock that I'm trying to make live before getting my new tank going. I have the 30 pounds of dead rock with about 5 pounds of live rock that I added. I tossed in some sand from my main tank, about half a cup, over the dead rock. I have everything in a 12 gallon tank that was filled with water from the main tank. When I do a 5 gallon water change from the main tank I use that to do a 3 gallon water change on the tank with the rock. I've been grabbing the used filter floss from the main tank and throw that in the filter, which is empty except for the filter floss. I then toss the older floss out. I have 1 power head in there. The tank is in a room that keeps the water between 80 and 82. </span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">My question is..... is what I'm doing above correct? Also, should I add small bits of food occasionally? Since there isn't any die off, will the bacteria all die because no food is entering the tank. I suppose nutrients are being added when the water change with the main tank water happens, but is that enough? Should I add anything in there like hermit crabs or snails? </span></span>

 

[stickx911]

that's one way to do it.

When I setup my 30 hex, I used all dry rock except 1 piece of live from a lfs. I then added one small piece covered in coraline from my 55 to seed my coraline (which worked well btw).

I just let it be with sand, rock, powerheads and filters and salt water of course for about 4 weeks. tested AOK, than I put a couple snails in to make sure life was well (as I do not have test kits for everything in the world), and after a week and no losses, it was time for light and fish!

I will never fill with all live rock again. I took a chance with the one piece from the LFS, if I were to do it again, I would seed with one big piece from my other tank, or buy a piece from another member to avoid those stright from the ocean hitch hikers that hauted my first setup.

 

[dakota9]

You're dead-on target!

 

[chymos45]

Only suggestion may be to point your power head directly at the one piece of LR (direct flow) and give it a scratch every once in a while, like with a little piece of rubble. What you are doing, should do the trick.

 

[stickx911]

ares;338686 wrote: btw, I forgot, coraline needs light. not a ton, but some. so if you want that, get a light. but coraline algea /= liverock. it can be "live" without it.

I didn't throw my little coraline seed in until I was ready to put a light over it, sorry I missed that part. I figure there's no reason to pay to light a cycling tank. (esp with MH)

so good point. if you go to seed for coraline, make sure you're ready to light it too.

 

[dakota9]

ares;338686 wrote: btw, I forgot, coraline needs light. not a ton, but some. so if you want that, get a light. but coraline algea /= liverock. it can be "live" without it.

To start the coraline, a reg. light bulb will surfice, along with a calcium supplement

 

[echinatl]

<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"><span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">Guys thank you for the suggestions, and confirming that what I'm doing isn't a waste of time! One question, what is the benefit of scratching the rock while the power head is blasting it?</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">I do have a light over it but it isn't very powerful so I wasn't sure if coralline would show itself, but I'll definitely throw some scrapings in there. </span></span>
</span></span>

 

[chymos45]

echinatl;338737 wrote: <span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"><span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">what is the benefit of scratching the rock while the power head is blasting it?</span></span></span></span>

Think of it like a dandelion. Yeah, the seeds will eventually scatter, but much quicker with the wind blowing.

 

[chymos45]

FWIW, I also agree with the regular light bulb posts above for getting the coraline going. Most of what I have growing in my young 185 is in the shaded areas, not what is getting the direct light from the T5's.

 

[echinatl]

Chymos45;338745 wrote: FWIW, I also agree with the regular light bulb posts above for getting the coraline going. Most of what I have growing in my young 185 is in the shaded areas, not what is getting the direct light from the T5's.

Yep you're right, good call.