Culturing live rock

PreauxPhoto · 09-20-2006, 10:49 AM

I know it has to been asked before so if someone could point me in the right direction (i.e. Link or thred).

I just dropped big buck on some great base rock to replace all the little “bought here and there” live rock I have in my tank now, but of course I’m not going to rip all my live rock out of my tank and toss the base in.

I have a 55 running with only the base in it and I would like to culture it into live rock. the tank is still cycling out and since i didnt use anything "live" in it i expect it to take a while.

since the tank is just rock and water is there and "extreme" measures that can be taken to get this to happen since there is nothing to endanger?

Any advise on the rock and speeding up the cycle?

***Rob*** · 09-20-2006, 04:38 PM

nope, all it takes is time.. just let the base rock sit in there with the LR, and in time you will have all LR.. your looking at 4-6 months before its working to capacity..

veriann · 09-21-2006, 08:23 AM

u have this tank only for LR and another for the display if i read that correctly.
just let the rock sit there stewing in its own water movement. it is important to keep water movement happening,& a skimmer attached wouldn't hurt.
add a cup or 2 of LS, and a good quality piece of LR, and maybe a container of cycle to really kick start it and sit back drinking for the next 3 weeks till u look at it again! just like your tank, when theres no detectable die back giving you testable readings its ready for addition to the display. from there the most dominant strain will work its majic and as rob said couple months down the track and your laughing!

PreauxPhoto · 09-21-2006, 07:26 PM

That's it, it has a skimmer rio 2100 PowerHead and 2 HOT filters in it and a heater. i dosed it to start, got some live sand from my display and have about 10 pounds of LR in it now. will run the full battery of tests this weekend and record them and prob put a kalk drip in just to see if i can get coraline to take hold. other than that it's in my garage so i stare at it when i go smoke then i'll go inside and stare at my 75 when i drink......................then repeat. it's a visious cycle but i love it!