Change of rock - Devils advocate

tinman

Well-known member
So im planning on swapping rock in my tank. the new rock is a lot of tonga + little of fiji ..
right now i have it curing in a bucket of rodi water and my thought process is like this.

1. wait till it stops leaching phos and nitrate.
2. bag all the corals and float it in a different tank ( yes a second tank i have running )
3. take out about 50% of the old rock and put the new ured but not cycled Rock in.
4. Make up for the remaining water ( or just chnage water about 30-40% water change)
5. add a bottle of Dr.tims one and only just in case.
6. acclimate back all the corals and glue in place on the new rock.

My thinking is like some of the old rock that's left in the tank and the Siporax media i have in the sump should actually take care of the Ammonia or anything and in a short time the new rock becomes live with out having to go thru cycle process.


be my devils advocate .tell me where i am being too optimistic ?
 

goatous

New member
I think by removing half the rock from one tank to move to another tank will reduce the bioload capacity of the first tank. If you are moving half the fish to the second tank, you should be good.

I think the big question is whether you will have an ammonia spike in either tank, which I doubt, as long as you had enough rock to begin with. Put in an ammonia monitor to be safe.

I would also take half the water in your established tank and put it in the new tank because plenty of microbes live there and if you have a sand bed, split it too. Let us know because how this goes, I'm very interested because that is how I would set up a second tank.

I don't know if this is an option; after you're done cooking your new rock, put it in the sump of your established tank to colonize the rock with microbes for a couple weeks.

Good luck!
 

tinman

Well-known member
I think by removing half the rock from one tank to move to another tank will reduce the bioload capacity of the first tank. If you are moving half the fish to the second tank, you should be good.

I think the big question is whether you will have an ammonia spike in either tank, which I doubt, as long as you had enough rock to begin with. Put in an ammonia monitor to be safe.

I would also take half the water in your established tank and put it in the new tank because plenty of microbes live there and if you have a sand bed, split it too. Let us know because how this goes, I'm very interested because that is how I would set up a second tank.

I don't know if this is an option; after you're done cooking your new rock, put it in the sump of your established tank to colonize the rock with microbes for a couple weeks.

Good luck!
Thank you :)

there is no second tank for live stock .. only gonna use it to float stuff in bags ..

i have about 3 times needed live rock as per calculations and if siporax claims are right .. .and also dr tims should take care of any ammonia thats generated.
 

Paulip

New member
I am intrigued by Dr. Tim's. I believe my tank has a bacterial imbalance.

Have you had positive experiences? Or more placebo for the hobbyist? In any case, I think I need it.
 

tinman

Well-known member
I am intrigued by Dr. Tim's. I believe my tank has a bacterial imbalance.

Have you had positive experiences? Or more placebo for the hobbyist? In any case, I think I need it.
didnt understand your wording :)
you mean you used it and thing have a bacterial imbalance because of it ? or you think you have a bacterial imbalance and would like to use it to sort it out ?
 

gonebad395

Active member
Sounds great but I would hold off in putting the coral back in just to make sure you don't have a small cycle would want to risk it. But that's just me
 

Paulip

New member
I meant: Have you had positive experiences?

I think I need it for my tank, too. I haven't used it, yet.

- - - Updated - - -

I meant: Have you had positive experiences with that product?

I think I need it for my tank, too. I haven't used it, yet.
 

tinman

Well-known member
I meant: Have you had positive experiences?

I think I need it for my tank, too. I haven't used it, yet.

- - - Updated - - -

I meant: Have you had positive experiences with that product?

I think I need it for my tank, too. I haven't used it, yet.
Yes i used it before :) dosed double and i dont remember the results ;)

It should be somewhere in my thread ill look


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

wrasse

Member
So im planning on swapping rock in my tank. the new rock is a lot of tonga + little of fiji ..
right now i have it curing in a bucket of rodi water and my thought process is like this.

1. wait till it stops leaching phos and nitrate.
2. bag all the corals and float it in a different tank ( yes a second tank i have running )
3. take out about 50% of the old rock and put the new ured but not cycled Rock in.
4. Make up for the remaining water ( or just chnage water about 30-40% water change)
5. add a bottle of Dr.tims one and only just in case.
6. acclimate back all the corals and glue in place on the new rock.

My thinking is like some of the old rock that's left in the tank and the Siporax media i have in the sump should actually take care of the Ammonia or anything and in a short time the new rock becomes live with out having to go thru cycle process.


be my devils advocate .tell me where i am being too optimistic ?
What's your goal? I mean do you just want new rock? Are you having problems with the old rock? Are you in a rush to switch?
Are your corals and fish having issues in your current tank?
If it's just for looks run the rock in the spare tank you were going to float your coral in cycle the rock and just change out rock once the "newer" rock is cycled.
Or maybe just a add 10% new rock a week or every two weeks so your display can handle the new. Meaning if you have 100 pounds in tank add 10 pounds a week or ever other week.

Bag and float corals then put back into a possible unstable environment may be dicey.
 
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tinman

Well-known member
Well one of the very awesome buddies from on here [MENTION=1455]Sawdonkey[/MENTION] is holding all my high ends. so now its a matter of just time before i actually swap the rock wait for a few days before everything settles down.
Thank you Gunner, you have no idea how much i appreciate your holding the corals.
 

Sawdonkey

Premium member
Well one of the very awesome buddies from on here [MENTION=1455]Sawdonkey[/MENTION] is holding all my high ends. so now its a matter of just time before i actually swap the rock wait for a few days before everything settles down.
Thank you Gunner, you have no idea how much i appreciate your holding the corals.
Something weird has happened to your high end corals in my tank. Somehow, all of the branches got broken off and mounted themselves to my rockwork. Super strange.
 

tinman

Well-known member
Something weird has happened to your high end corals in my tank. Somehow, all of the branches got broken off and mounted themselves to my rockwork. Super strange.
haha must be Gary who was looking at them like "yay snacks" when i bought them over ..
 

xj_matt

Premium member
I am think of doing the same thing, I am having a lot of problems in my tank and I now have 100%clean water going in to the tank so I am wondering if my rocks have the toxins in them witch will not allow me to keep sps. I am thinking about c hanging all my rock to real reef rock I am bashing my head off the walls with this tank and don't know what to do
 

tinman

Well-known member
I am think of doing the same thing, I am having a lot of problems in my tank and I now have 100%clean water going in to the tank so I am wondering if my rocks have the toxins in them witch will not allow me to keep sps. I am thinking about c hanging all my rock to real reef rock I am bashing my head off the walls with this tank and don't know what to do
Real reef rock is man made and not from ocean right ??

In that case just cycle them in a bucket and do a 100% water change and swap

Sps takes an established tank and its a foolish thing for me to do when i ditched my old rock abd changed scape


And well now im doing it again .. we will see


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

xj_matt

Premium member
Real reef rock is man made and not from ocean right ??

In that case just cycle them in a bucket and do a 100% water change and swap

Sps takes an established tank and its a foolish thing for me to do when i ditched my old rock abd changed scape


And well now im doing it again .. we will see


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes it's man mad rock. I just Wanna be able to keep my sps again this sick worth all the issues I am jabbering with this tank
 
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