From: kncarp@nicsn1.monsanto.com (Kevin N. Carpenter)
Subject: Re: [M] Adding live rock to existing tank
Organization: Monsanto Company
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 14:51:17 GMT

ancona@wpi.WPI.EDU (James P Ancona) writes:
: I have a 20 gallon fish only marine tank that has been established for a 
: couple of years. I has a trickle filter and protein skimmer, with four 
: small fish. (A blue damsel, a Coral Beauty, a Percula Clown and a 
: red lipped blenny.)  I would like to add live rock to this tank.
: 
: I plan on buying a box of 40 lbs. or so mail order, but the question is how
: to add it to the tank withou killing the current inhabitants.  I see two 
: possibilities:
: 
: 1. Dump it all in there, monitor ammonia and nitrites and be prepared to 
: change water like crazy if the current bio filter is overwhelmed.

When I added 160lbs of rock to my 135g tank I was doing daily 25g water
changes for about a week.  If you go this route, make sure you have plenty
of ammonia test kit reagent, you will need it.  Your existing bio filter
will help, the whole process should take less than 2 weeks.  My ammonia
peaked at about 3mg/l, despite my water changes, and took about a week to
peak.  It dropped rapidly, the nitrites only took about 2 days, the nitrates
another 4 or so.  This polution level was barely tolerable, I almost lost
my flame scallop.  The fish all seemed to ride though without too much
stress.  I would recommend disposing of any large quantities of macro
algaes attached to the rock, most will die off anyway.  By large quantities,
I'm referring to anything you can grab by the handful.  I've been pleased
to see a lot of my macro algaes are "comming back" now that the rock has had
some "settling in" time.  Wash the rock twice before adding it to the tank,
once to get the major mud off, the second to provide a cleaner rinse.
: 
: 2. Put the rock in a plastic garbage pail with lots of aeration, monitor
: the ammonia and nitrites there, and change water as necessary.
: 

Actually, without fish or desirable inverts, the water changes would be
minimal with this route.  Once the ammonia peek had crested, I'd wait another
day or two and then let the rock finish cycling in the main tank.  Because
of the quantity of rock I had, I didn't have this option, but it sounds like
a good idea to me.  Water circulation is the key, consider putting a small
power head in the bucket as well.
: Option 1 would be easier, but is it a big risk? 
: 
There is definetly a risk doing this.  If you can give your tank daily
attention, it should be doable.
: Obviously option 2 is safer for the current tank inhabitants, but since the
: garbage can won't have an established biofilter, it may be tough to control
: the water quality there ( which could be tough for the inhabitants of the 
: live rock ).  If I go that route, how high is too high for ammonia & nitrites?
: 
: The books I've read (Moe & Theil) talk a lot more about setting up new tanks 
: thank about adding rock to existing ones.  I'm sure other people have done
: this.  Please let me know what your experience was. 
: 
: Thanks!
: 

Just my opinions, I'm sure others will have different ones.

: 
: -- 
: Jim Ancona                       |   I used to get disgusted,
: ancona@wpi.wpi.edu               |      Now I try to be amused...
: Opinions expressed are my own!   |         -- Elvis Costello

--
Kevin Carpenter       Internet:  kncarp@nicsn1.monsanto.com
Monsanto Company 
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
Opinions expressed are those of the author, not the company he works for. 
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria