adding dry rock to a cycled tank.

[fishnub]

will this cause a new cycle? i plan to only add maybe 10-20 lbs to 80 gal of total volume

[atwinparadox2]

I have heard opinions that support both options. I think if it were once live now dead dried rock then it will cause a new mini cycle, but if it were dried never live rock then you might be ok. I am interested to see what everyone else says.

[wooden_reefer]

Originally Posted by fishnub

will this cause a new cycle? i plan to only add maybe 10-20 lbs to 80 gal of total volume

If unaided, and if there is enough decayable material, there will be another mini-cycle.

Sharp cycle? Not always predictable. It depends on the population of nitrification bacteria now. If it is not quite enough but almost enough, you will have a mild cycle.

Is there is decayable on the dry rock now? It depends on if there was decayable material still left on the rock when it became dry. If it has been left in water for a few weeks and then dried, nearly all decayable would have become ammonia and will not be on the rock.

Actually, you can ALWAYS prevent mini-cycling or cycling if you plan ahead. You can always separately cycle a medium and then add to you tank, say so that the return water drips on such a mature medium. Very easy to do.

[wab]

Hi, I started on a tight budget and 10lbs lr in my 40 and just kept adding dry CLEAN rock and no crazy problems so far. Good Luck