pdxmonkeyboy Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 so I need some live rock to seed my new frag rank set up. total water volume with sump is around 90 gallon. I stopped by Broadway pets to buy some crickets for my son's gecco and they have live rock in their sump for $2 a pound. Thing is... they are not exactly a stunning aquarium store. One step above petco in my mind. What do you think the risk of inheriting tons of unwanted hitch hikers is? Also.. how long does it really take live rock to become full loaded with bacteria? It's like 2-3 weeks for freshwater but I see marine rock times that are all over the place. Thought or suggestions?? thanks. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoolander Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 One alternative would be to buy dry rock from a member on here and accelerate the cycling process with additives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I think live rock from there would give me pause. Wish I had more confidence in the place as they are conveniently located for me and occasionally have some nice things in there but I think I would pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 (edited) There is no way to just assume whether a given system would contain unwanted pests. Truthfully, I've seen tanks that look horrible as far as aesthetics, but they have no pests and I've seen amazing tanks that have some nasty undesirables. In all honesty, your odds are about as good as getting rocks from any hobbyist. I'd trust the local shops that are sponsors here as they have a proven track record, but other than that it's always Russian roulette. And live rock that is completely seeded can take over 6 months. You can seed it with beneficial bacteria for the nitrogen cycle in a few weeks, but the denitrifying bacteria takes much longer to develop. Personally, I'd start with dry rock and not worry about it. If you're in the right frame of mind you should plan to have a system set up for many years. If that's true, what's a couple extra months? Edited March 31, 2017 by Higher Thinking 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 thanks for the info. I think I will skip it. All things being equal I think THE hardest thing about this hobby will be my overall level of patience. Siddhartha I am NOT. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanmike01 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Nuke your own dry rock and start there. At least you know what your getting. I have a ton btw. Just sayin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Yep start fresh and be done with it. You will get pest though no matter what happens.......I started all my tanks with dry rock and still get bristle worms an aptasia here and there but that's about it. I started my big tank with 40lbs of pukani. Cleaned and then sat in a garbage can for almost 4 months with a skimmer, pumps and a heater. Changed out the water once a month and also added bacteria to it after a month or so. Tossed it in my new tank with live sand and at 6 months the stuff looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 34 minutes ago, spectra said: Yep start fresh and be done with it. You will get pest though no matter what happens.......I started all my tanks with dry rock and still get bristle worms an aptasia here and there but that's about it. I started my big tank with 40lbs of pukani. Cleaned and then sat in a garbage can for almost 4 months with a skimmer, pumps and a heater. Changed out the water once a month and also added bacteria to it after a month or so. Tossed it in my new tank with live sand and at 6 months the stuff looks great. That's awesome, I need to get my build going, will be using this approach. Been dreading the new rock but always nice to hear of success stories. New tank syndrome... ugh! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 13 minutes ago, TheClark said: That's awesome, I need to get my build going, will be using this approach. Been dreading the new rock but always nice to hear of success stories. New tank syndrome... ugh! I thought you already did Pukani once? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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