base rock

YE||0W TA|\|G · 03/06/2009, 10:32 AM

All systems were go on march 1st with my tank, I started in Jan with 150-200lbs of south sea base rock instead of buying LR blowing lots of $$.. really nice looking pieces too. I had taken my LR from my 38 gallon to seed into the tank on the 1st but was wondering how long does it take for the base rock to become "live" in that sense.. I'm starting to see the base rock get brown algae diatoms growing on it.

kraze3 · 03/06/2009, 11:40 AM

Its gonna take a while. Your putting roughly 150 lbs up against maybe 50 from your old display. Might take a year and a half - 2 years to become fully established LR. The pods, worms, critters etc will spread out over the rock. Its the bacteria inside the rock that you want to spread.

CHEMCHEF · 03/06/2009, 12:14 PM

I started with all dead rock 8 mos ago and my rock is covered with coraline and my params are right on

kraze3 · 03/06/2009, 12:17 PM

Coraline doesnt mean LR, My glass is covered in coraline so are my powerheads. Its the colinization of bacteria that makes it the LR we want.

CHEMCHEF did you have any LR?

YE||0W TA|\|G · 03/06/2009, 12:20 PM

thanks for the info, I was just curious how long it would take.

darkdruid · 03/07/2009, 12:29 AM

Bacteria will colonize the base rock fast, in as little as 4 to 6 weeks as long as they have a food supply. If you put your old rock in, you're fine.

03/06/2009, 10:32 AM	#1
YE\|\|0W TA\|\\|G Registered Member $YE\|\|0W TA\|\\|G's Avatar$ Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hillsborough New Jersey Posts: 699	base rock All systems were go on march 1st with my tank, I started in Jan with 150-200lbs of south sea base rock instead of buying LR blowing lots of $$.. really nice looking pieces too. I had taken my LR from my 38 gallon to seed into the tank on the 1st but was wondering how long does it take for the base rock to become "live" in that sense.. I'm starting to see the base rock get brown algae diatoms growing on it. __________________ Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the ocean.. or our aquariums.. patience is they key to success.
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03/06/2009, 12:14 PM	#3
CHEMCHEF Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 145	I started with all dead rock 8 mos ago and my rock is covered with coraline and my params are right on __________________ Chemchef Current Tank Info: Mostly SPS/Mixed reef

03/06/2009, 12:20 PM	#5
YE\|\|0W TA\|\\|G Registered Member $YE\|\|0W TA\|\\|G's Avatar$ Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hillsborough New Jersey Posts: 699	thanks for the info, I was just curious how long it would take. __________________ Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the ocean.. or our aquariums.. patience is they key to success.
$YE\|\|0W TA\|\\|G is offline$

03/07/2009, 12:29 AM	#6
darkdruid Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 520	Bacteria will colonize the base rock fast, in as little as 4 to 6 weeks as long as they have a food supply. If you put your old rock in, you're fine. __________________ Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything. Current Tank Info: 46 gallon bowfront and 35 gallon mixed reefs, several 10 and 20 gallon frag tanks, beginning a 125 build

03/06/2009, 11:40 AM	#2
kraze3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: RI Posts: 2,373	Its gonna take a while. Your putting roughly 150 lbs up against maybe 50 from your old display. Might take a year and a half - 2 years to become fully established LR. The pods, worms, critters etc will spread out over the rock. Its the bacteria inside the rock that you want to spread.

03/06/2009, 12:17 PM	#4
kraze3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: RI Posts: 2,373	Coraline doesnt mean LR, My glass is covered in coraline so are my powerheads. Its the colinization of bacteria that makes it the LR we want. CHEMCHEF did you have any LR?