Do I have to seed my dead rock with live rock?

[banzai75x]

So my tank has been up and running for about 3 months now. I started by using BRS Pukani. But I didn't add any "live" rock this whole time. Cycle has been over for awhile, so I know the good bacteria is there.

But I'm wondering about all the pods, organisms, and other funky stuff that comes on live rock. It doesn't seem like my tank has any of that. Neither does my sand.

Should I go out and buy a small 5lb rock or something and put it in? Everyone talks about all the cool critters they got, but I don't have any of that.

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

How do you like the pukani?? and i bought regular live rock and have no "critters" that I can see in my tank

 

[aquabull]

It would be a great idea to add beneficial critters, but it also increases the risks of pests. A majority of desirable varmints can be acquired through the introduction of corals and frags.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Personally, I would aquire a small piece of rock from a fellow hobbiest you know and trust who has a well established, pest free aquarium. You can always offer to give them a replacment piece of DR of about the same size. Then you get your beneficial critters showing up and minimize the risk of introducing pests.

 

[miyags]

I think your off to a good start. You don't need to add any live rock, because you just made live rock. All that other stuff will come in time, good and bad !!! when adding new corals. So make sure you dip and quarantine your corals first before adding.

 

[mcfadden]

if you want to jump start some purple coraline algae i would get a small rock with lots of purple on it and seed it onto your rocks. makes a great jump start.

 

[spsaddict]

I don't think it's coraline hes worried about. But if it is a much safer way of adding it is with snails or hermits with well encrusted shells.

 

[turfster26]

Any single piece of live rock will seed your dry rock. I just setup a 60gl Cube and took one piece of live rock from my 180gl tank and set it in there. It will had seed the dry rock with beneficial bacteria. I am more concerned about the acclimation of beneficial bacteria than anything else imho.

BTW: I use Pukaki dry rock from BRS in my 180gl two years ago and it is loaded with dead material. Eight months in my tank was on cruise control, then bam out of nowhere I had a major cyano outbreak. Took about three months of weekly water changes to get the tank back in balance and all is good. Just a word of caution and not to get you worked up. It was leach out phosphate and it can be managed, but just keep a lookout for anything that pops up and carefully (and slowly) work your way through the cycling process.

I am a big proponent of dry rock over live rock with a new system, but you do have to be careful with leaching, etc.

HTH

 

[banzai75x]

Thanks for the responses. I like the Pukani so far. I actually did the bleach/acid to this batch. The rock came out pure white. Once I turned the lights on, I had a diatom bloom but now the tank is looking decent now. So just wait and see I suppose. I think I'll just avoid any critters for now.

 

[btkrausen]

I think your off to a good start. You don't need to add any live rock, because you just made live rock. All that other stuff will come in time, good and bad !!! when adding new corals. So make sure you dip and quarantine your corals first before adding.

Thats bad advice. Putting dry rock into salt water doesn't make live rock. Pods, critters, etc don't just magically appear when the rock gets wet. In order to get those things for natural filtration, he'll need to seed with something.

 

[Raggamuffin]

OK this will make the older reef folks sceam bloody murder but I have 3 sponge "filters" in my fuge. They are PACKED with pods, mini stars, and small bristle worms (yes those worms are some of the best detrivores you can have). When anybody sets up a tank they bum a sponge for a couple weeks and tah-dah insta critters! If you want we have just a couple more days of decent weather here in South Dakota so if you can't find a friend to bum you a rock let me know and I will mail you a sponge. every one is crammed full of 5+ types of pods, stars, worms, even baby brine shrimp lol I don't know how it happened but I have a breeding colony of brines in my DSB tank.

 

[Chops30]

Thats bad advice. Putting dry rock into salt water doesn't make live rock. Pods, critters, etc don't just magically appear when the rock gets wet. In order to get those things for natural filtration, he'll need to seed with something.

I would have to disagree, I wouldn't consider it bad advice. If by Live rock one means a home for Bacteria the number one source of all natural filtration in our systems. I would agree that just because you put it in saltwater doesn't mean it becomes live rock as you do need to "feed" your bacteria ie..Deli shrimp or something similar. IMO we're confusing CUC with filtration, though CUC is part of the filtration. As this is a clean started tank bacteria is the main focus. I would also agree with other posters that those things like worms, pods, and even snails will come with the addition of corals. Though it will be a slow process that dead rock will indeed in time become mature liverock loaded with all the previously mention inverts.

 

[bct15]

As what ALL of the posts said, you will have to seed your deadrock with something to encourage beneficial bacteria and microfauna. It can be a sponge full of critters or a piece of liverock or whatever your heart desires, but just putting deadrock in saltwater is not turning it into liverock.

 

[swissgaurd]

liverock is a good way and also a cup of sand ,the sponge is another good way.some really good ideas here

vic

 

[banzai75x]

OK this will make the older reef folks sceam bloody murder but I have 3 sponge "filters" in my fuge. They are PACKED with pods, mini stars, and small bristle worms (yes those worms are some of the best detrivores you can have). When anybody sets up a tank they bum a sponge for a couple weeks and tah-dah insta critters! If you want we have just a couple more days of decent weather here in South Dakota so if you can't find a friend to bum you a rock let me know and I will mail you a sponge. every one is crammed full of 5+ types of pods, stars, worms, even baby brine shrimp lol I don't know how it happened but I have a breeding colony of brines in my DSB tank.

I might take you up on this offer, but by doing so, couldn't I also be introducing the "bad" bugs whatever those might be?


How about something like this?

ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Pods+

Would this be enough to get the system started (as far as pods/critters are concerned).

 

[Raggamuffin]

Yes you could except I don't have any I have dipped and QT'd everything it may be more expensive in the short term but the peace of mind over the long term is WELL worth it! Ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure sorta thing.

As for the reefcleaners link I give it a great recommend! I bought the same thing not long ago which gave me most my pods (except tiger pods which I had already) but you need more diversity than just pods.

 

[tjhart69]

OK this will make the older reef folks sceam bloody murder but I have 3 sponge "filters" in my fuge. They are PACKED with pods, mini stars, and small bristle worms (yes those worms are some of the best detrivores you can have). When anybody sets up a tank they bum a sponge for a couple weeks and tah-dah insta critters! If you want we have just a couple more days of decent weather here in South Dakota so if you can't find a friend to bum you a rock let me know and I will mail you a sponge. every one is crammed full of 5+ types of pods, stars, worms, even baby brine shrimp lol I don't know how it happened but I have a breeding colony of brines in my DSB tank.

Hello there fellow Sodak reefer. I am new to reefing and would be very interested in getting a sponge from you for my new 250 gallon tank. Please let me know if that is still an option as I know this post is quite old.