dried out base rock?

Beemo · 10/20/2006, 07:50 PM

i have some base reef rocks sitting dry in a bucket for a few days and i was wondering if they are still ok to use?
they were in my other tank for 5 months at the bottom of live rock, they are covered in corilline and very dense.
im setting up a new 12g nano tank, would it be ok to use 6 lbs of live rock from my reef tank along with 10 lbs of dried out base rock???

sir_dudeguy · 10/20/2006, 07:56 PM

ya they'll work but you have to rinse them off really good first cuz it will have lots of dead stuff on it now. And you may not want to use it since you say its really dense...the denser the rock, the less surface space there is for the bacteria, meaning there'll be less...which means that it would take more dense rock to equal a certain amount of really porous (or as i call it "holy" rock lol). Do you see what i mean tho?

zedman · 10/20/2006, 07:57 PM

Hey Beemo, depends on how fast you want to cycle the tank
your dryed out base rock will need to regrow bacteria

Zed

Beemo · 10/20/2006, 07:59 PM

im in no rush

yeah the rock is mad dense, very heavy rocks
maybe i should just buy all new live rock, i only need about 6 more pounds, figure 30 bux tops? lol
but if theres a way to get around it and use the dense base rocks....

sir_dudeguy · 10/20/2006, 08:05 PM

Personally i'd either get the more porous live rock, or more porous base rock. With the dense stuff, you'll need at least 10 pounds of it just to equal around what say 5 lbs of porous would equal...so you'd need 20lbs to equal 10 pounds (there's nowhere that says that, but i'm just using those numbers as an example so you get my point...the numbers can change tho)

Beemo · 10/20/2006, 08:22 PM

hmm...so the 6 lbs of live rock wont be enuff? considering the tank wont hold 12 gallons of water but more like 9 once the sand and rock goes in
dont corals on large pieces of large rock play any role??
ill be adding corals slowly but they all come on 3-4" of live rock

sir_dudeguy · 10/20/2006, 08:28 PM

no i'd go for more like...12 pounds of rock lol. Well in your case maybe 10 since you will be adding corals that have rock (and yes that rock does count).

But i like getting more than 1 pound per gallon...not only will it help the bioload (tho for a 12 you cant really FIT that many fish to really be too concerned with that) but imo it helps it asthetically...meaning it looks nicer and "fuller", you know?

But ya you can just start with less rock and then once you add corals it would eventually add up.

Beemo · 10/20/2006, 08:31 PM

would adding macro algae help? at the store they sell this grape bubble algae...does that do anything?

zedman · 10/20/2006, 08:32 PM

I would get knew rock like fiji, some smaller narly pieces, ya and if you are adding coral latter than your right you will be getting more rock with the coral. I would go with frags though save a reef and watch them grow.

Zed

sir_dudeguy · 10/20/2006, 08:53 PM

i'd put either chaeto or caulerpra in the system...but dont put it in the main tank...it'll take over. Get a fuge and put it in there if you want. Basically, its used to lower nitrates.

Beemo · 10/21/2006, 03:29 PM

i decided im not going to risk it and splurge for more live rock lol

10/20/2006, 07:50 PM	#1
Beemo Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PA Posts: 910	dried out base rock? i have some base reef rocks sitting dry in a bucket for a few days and i was wondering if they are still ok to use? they were in my other tank for 5 months at the bottom of live rock, they are covered in corilline and very dense. im setting up a new 12g nano tank, would it be ok to use 6 lbs of live rock from my reef tank along with 10 lbs of dried out base rock???

10/20/2006, 07:56 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	ya they'll work but you have to rinse them off really good first cuz it will have lots of dead stuff on it now. And you may not want to use it since you say its really dense...the denser the rock, the less surface space there is for the bacteria, meaning there'll be less...which means that it would take more dense rock to equal a certain amount of really porous (or as i call it "holy" rock lol). Do you see what i mean tho? __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/20/2006, 08:05 PM	#5
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	Personally i'd either get the more porous live rock, or more porous base rock. With the dense stuff, you'll need at least 10 pounds of it just to equal around what say 5 lbs of porous would equal...so you'd need 20lbs to equal 10 pounds (there's nowhere that says that, but i'm just using those numbers as an example so you get my point...the numbers can change tho) __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/20/2006, 08:28 PM	#7
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	no i'd go for more like...12 pounds of rock lol. Well in your case maybe 10 since you will be adding corals that have rock (and yes that rock does count). But i like getting more than 1 pound per gallon...not only will it help the bioload (tho for a 12 you cant really FIT that many fish to really be too concerned with that) but imo it helps it asthetically...meaning it looks nicer and "fuller", you know? But ya you can just start with less rock and then once you add corals it would eventually add up. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/20/2006, 08:53 PM	#10
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	i'd put either chaeto or caulerpra in the system...but dont put it in the main tank...it'll take over. Get a fuge and put it in there if you want. Basically, its used to lower nitrates. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/20/2006, 07:57 PM	#3
zedman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: sioux city Posts: 78	Hey Beemo, depends on how fast you want to cycle the tank your dryed out base rock will need to regrow bacteria Zed

10/20/2006, 07:59 PM	#4
Beemo Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PA Posts: 910	im in no rush yeah the rock is mad dense, very heavy rocks maybe i should just buy all new live rock, i only need about 6 more pounds, figure 30 bux tops? lol but if theres a way to get around it and use the dense base rocks....

10/20/2006, 08:22 PM	#6
Beemo Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PA Posts: 910	hmm...so the 6 lbs of live rock wont be enuff? considering the tank wont hold 12 gallons of water but more like 9 once the sand and rock goes in dont corals on large pieces of large rock play any role?? ill be adding corals slowly but they all come on 3-4" of live rock

10/20/2006, 08:31 PM	#8
Beemo Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PA Posts: 910	would adding macro algae help? at the store they sell this grape bubble algae...does that do anything?

10/20/2006, 08:32 PM	#9
zedman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: sioux city Posts: 78	I would get knew rock like fiji, some smaller narly pieces, ya and if you are adding coral latter than your right you will be getting more rock with the coral. I would go with frags though save a reef and watch them grow. Zed

10/21/2006, 03:29 PM	#11
Beemo Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PA Posts: 910	i decided im not going to risk it and splurge for more live rock lol