Mini Cycle????

[cravinmohead22]

my tank is doing great and my algae problem i was having on the glass and sand is gone. i want to take a little ride to salty critter this sunday and get more live rock. my question is how much can i add at a time now that my tank is cycled and fish and coral were added before i start a mini cycle. salty critter is almost an hour away so i dont want to make more trips than i have to with gas being up to $3.49 per gallon.

 

[RyanG]

If you buy cured live rock it shouldnt give you a mini-cycle

 

[Bifferwine]

Even cured live rock can sometimes start a minicycle. Even if you buy it cured, there will be SOME die off. Adding only a few pounds at a time probably won't have any effect, but that's not really worth the drive. Why not buy all the rock you want then keep some of it in a rubbermaid container with heater and powerhead and gradually add it to your tank? This will also ensure that any die off occurs in the rubbermaid tub and not your tank.

 

[Piggy]

I've added 10 pounds and didn't get a mini cycle. I've done this twice already. Still have about 40 more I want to add. I look it over real good smell the heck out of it and scrub off any die off I see. Was going to get 10 more pounds today but they only had the 9.99 a pound. I decided to wait until I go to That Pet Place at the end of the month. It's 6.99 a pound there.

 

[fatman]

Have the live rock put in a bag with water just like you would a fish and if they have oxygen at the store have the bags free space filled with oxygen instead of room air from the fish room air lines. Haul home in an insulated cooler like a camping ice chest. Under those conditions it should not matter how much you add to your tank. However, it would always be smart to have premixed and heated water for water changes if needed. Actually the water should always be ready regardless of whether anything is being planned that might interrupt your tanks parameters.

 

[cravinmohead22]

thank everyone for your help. i think i will go Biffs route.

 

[fatman]

thank everyone for your help. i think i will go Biffs route.

Just do not expect any thing to be alive except some bacteria and some coraline algae if it "cures" in the container. Read Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock about curing live rock if you want to keep something alive besides a little bacteria and the remnants of the coraline you started with. :twocents:

 

[reeffreak]

Saltycritter has great rocks and they are fully cured.I added 50lbs bought through the mail,it didn't smell nor started a small cycle at all.Check out the Uaniva live rock great stuff.