Seeding dry rock - water change?

thedoogan · 07/16/2012, 08:38 PM

I'm currently seeding 50 lbs of dry rock with a little live rock in a Brute trashcan. They have been seeding for about 2 months now. I've been feeding pure ammonia and some pellet food to keep things going. The nitrates have reached 80 ppm and my question is, should I be doing a water change on this?

Yomidr19 · 07/16/2012, 10:29 PM

I did water changes while i was seeding my rock but never did the pellet food.

Mxx · 07/16/2012, 10:43 PM

I tried pellet food but my live rocks totally ignored it, despite that it was the expensive high quality stuff even. But I threw in some frozen shrimp and they were then practically fighting over it though! Practically!...

And whether you do water changes or not depends upon how fully you've stocked the trashcan and whether you have enough live rock. I didn't have enough, so I did water changes which induced a lot of spawning until my vat was overflowing with live rock.

thedoogan · 07/16/2012, 11:32 PM

Glad to hear you're so successful at keeping rocks. I threw in some pellets for the Amphipods and other crustaceans I saw in there. My concern about the high nitrates was the rock absorbing it, leading to problems leaching it back out in the future.

rogermccray · 07/17/2012, 07:26 AM

Have you tested for phosphates? Now would be a good time to do it and if you have phosphates in the rock i would recommend water changes...

Mxx · 07/17/2012, 07:44 AM

Always a pleasure!

IMHO, I suspect that the live rock shouldn't be absorbing nitrates into the rock material itself. But the anerobic bacteria within the rock should be consuming and thereby eliminating any nitrates which do enter the live rock pores. Accordingly, some continued presence of nitrates should help build up the desired levels of denitrifying bacteria within the rock.

But you might wish to add phosphate removing media to keep that from leaching into the rock.

rogermccray · 07/17/2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mxx

Always a pleasure!

IMHO, I suspect that the live rock shouldn't be absorbing nitrates into the rock material itself. But the anerobic bacteria within the rock should be consuming and thereby eliminating any nitrates which do enter the live rock pores. Accordingly, some continued presence of nitrates should help build up the desired levels of denitrifying bacteria within the rock.

But you might wish to add phosphate removing media to keep that from leaching into the rock.

check out SeaKlear if you do have phosphates....

thedoogan · 07/17/2012, 02:50 PM

Thanks, good info.
Phosphates are currently 0.1 ppm

07/16/2012, 08:38 PM	#1
thedoogan Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 175	Seeding dry rock - water change? I'm currently seeding 50 lbs of dry rock with a little live rock in a Brute trashcan. They have been seeding for about 2 months now. I've been feeding pure ammonia and some pellet food to keep things going. The nitrates have reached 80 ppm and my question is, should I be doing a water change on this?

07/16/2012, 10:29 PM	#2
Yomidr19 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: gwinnett GA Posts: 56	I did water changes while i was seeding my rock but never did the pellet food.

07/16/2012, 10:43 PM	#3
Mxx Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: London Posts: 127	I tried pellet food but my live rocks totally ignored it, despite that it was the expensive high quality stuff even. But I threw in some frozen shrimp and they were then practically fighting over it though! Practically!... And whether you do water changes or not depends upon how fully you've stocked the trashcan and whether you have enough live rock. I didn't have enough, so I did water changes which induced a lot of spawning until my vat was overflowing with live rock.

07/16/2012, 11:32 PM	#4
thedoogan Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 175	Glad to hear you're so successful at keeping rocks. I threw in some pellets for the Amphipods and other crustaceans I saw in there. My concern about the high nitrates was the rock absorbing it, leading to problems leaching it back out in the future.

07/17/2012, 07:26 AM	#5
rogermccray Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,050	Have you tested for phosphates? Now would be a good time to do it and if you have phosphates in the rock i would recommend water changes...

07/17/2012, 07:44 AM	#6
Mxx Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: London Posts: 127	Always a pleasure! IMHO, I suspect that the live rock shouldn't be absorbing nitrates into the rock material itself. But the anerobic bacteria within the rock should be consuming and thereby eliminating any nitrates which do enter the live rock pores. Accordingly, some continued presence of nitrates should help build up the desired levels of denitrifying bacteria within the rock. But you might wish to add phosphate removing media to keep that from leaching into the rock.

07/17/2012, 02:50 PM	#8
thedoogan Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 175	Thanks, good info. Phosphates are currently 0.1 ppm