Adding dry rock to established reef.

zheka757 · 08/23/2021, 12:47 PM

A had about 100lb of pukany rock in my sump, I recently removed it since it was all covered in aptasia, I ordered seachem matrix pabels to replace in the sump due to nitrate phosphate out of control. My question is it ok to dump 5 gallon bucket of them into my sump and let them go through cycle.. or is it to much at once? It's 500 gallon total valume. I have a lot of sps colonies in my display tank now, don't want anything to go wrong.

zheka757 · 08/24/2021, 05:36 PM

wow, 116 views but no response, tough crowd reef central has become....
anyways from researching same questions on google, i found that its peaty normal to add more dry rock to already established systems. as long as rocks never being in water before, there should not be any spikes in amonia/nitrate cause there is no die off going on new rock. just what i got from google search.
pretty sad to see this website going down heel as far as being active. compare to when i joint.

Sk8r · 08/25/2021, 01:50 PM

I'd put it back little at a time. I often reintroduce an old rock, usually by putting it in the sump to settle in.

We're working on the site. One critical member has been absent now back, so hopefully things will improve.

Sugar Magnolia · 08/25/2021, 05:27 PM

I agree with CJ, just add a few pieces every couple of weeks and monitor your params, it really shouldn't be a problem to do it this way.

zheka757 · 08/25/2021, 06:48 PM

thank you for the reply, but as of now, i have dumped the whole bucket of this "seachem matrix bio media", and it instantly gave me a problem because about 50+ of those pebbles are floating and its going strait past the baffles in the sump right into my return pump. i had to get creative to stop them from going past baffles using foam mats.
but honestly it shouldn't be a problem, right? as far as spiking nutrients in a tank. clean dry rock that came from land cannot have a source of nutrient for ammonia!? ether way ill keep an eye on it.

Sk8r · 08/28/2021, 08:33 AM

Wow, that's a pita!
Foam mats are a good save.
If there's nothing biological on it, no, it shouldn't, unless for some reason it comes with ammonia. One really good item to have at all times is a product called Prime: it can make tapwater safe to use---doesn't knock out ALL the unwanted chemicals in tapwater that can throw your water balance off, but will remove those that are a hazard to life and fishes.
A second one is Polyfilter. These resin-impregnated pads will suck up things like metals and other contaminants (say your niece dropped your tv remote into the tank and you didn't find it for hours) and get them out of your water. Also the color it turns tells you what it sucked up.
If the foam gets clogged, some blue/white mesh filter from your local pet store should be fine enough to serve as a prefilter for your foam.
Best of luck---sorry we were slow getting to your question. We're usually faster.

zheka757 · 08/28/2021, 09:57 AM

no hard feelings CJ! This is the the site that got me from asking why my nitrites are high in my tank to (couple years later) how do i keep acro's happpy. But I do miss higher traffic on this site I log on here 3-4 times a week, but looking at same threads over and over again.

08/23/2021, 12:47 PM	#1
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	Adding dry rock to established reef. A had about 100lb of pukany rock in my sump, I recently removed it since it was all covered in aptasia, I ordered seachem matrix pabels to replace in the sump due to nitrate phosphate out of control. My question is it ok to dump 5 gallon bucket of them into my sump and let them go through cycle.. or is it to much at once? It's 500 gallon total valume. I have a lot of sps colonies in my display tank now, don't want anything to go wrong.

08/24/2021, 05:36 PM	#2
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	wow, 116 views but no response, tough crowd reef central has become.... anyways from researching same questions on google, i found that its peaty normal to add more dry rock to already established systems. as long as rocks never being in water before, there should not be any spikes in amonia/nitrate cause there is no die off going on new rock. just what i got from google search. pretty sad to see this website going down heel as far as being active. compare to when i joint. Last edited by zheka757; 08/24/2021 at 05:43 PM.

08/25/2021, 01:50 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I'd put it back little at a time. I often reintroduce an old rock, usually by putting it in the sump to settle in. We're working on the site. One critical member has been absent now back, so hopefully things will improve. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/25/2021, 05:27 PM	#4
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	I agree with CJ, just add a few pieces every couple of weeks and monitor your params, it really shouldn't be a problem to do it this way. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

08/28/2021, 08:33 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Wow, that's a pita! Foam mats are a good save. If there's nothing biological on it, no, it shouldn't, unless for some reason it comes with ammonia. One really good item to have at all times is a product called Prime: it can make tapwater safe to use---doesn't knock out ALL the unwanted chemicals in tapwater that can throw your water balance off, but will remove those that are a hazard to life and fishes. A second one is Polyfilter. These resin-impregnated pads will suck up things like metals and other contaminants (say your niece dropped your tv remote into the tank and you didn't find it for hours) and get them out of your water. Also the color it turns tells you what it sucked up. If the foam gets clogged, some blue/white mesh filter from your local pet store should be fine enough to serve as a prefilter for your foam. Best of luck---sorry we were slow getting to your question. We're usually faster. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/25/2021, 06:48 PM	#5
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	thank you for the reply, but as of now, i have dumped the whole bucket of this "seachem matrix bio media", and it instantly gave me a problem because about 50+ of those pebbles are floating and its going strait past the baffles in the sump right into my return pump. i had to get creative to stop them from going past baffles using foam mats. but honestly it shouldn't be a problem, right? as far as spiking nutrients in a tank. clean dry rock that came from land cannot have a source of nutrient for ammonia!? ether way ill keep an eye on it.

08/28/2021, 09:57 AM	#7
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	no hard feelings CJ! This is the the site that got me from asking why my nitrites are high in my tank to (couple years later) how do i keep acro's happpy. But I do miss higher traffic on this site I log on here 3-4 times a week, but looking at same threads over and over again.