Base rock into live rock

[inwha]

Just a simple question, title says it all, I recently started a new tank and stocked it with about 20 lbs of base rock and another 25 lbs of live rock.

It is a FOWLR tank and is a 55g tank and is still cycling.

How long does it generally take to turn base rock into live rock and should i position rock in any way to boost the process, such as should live rock be placed directly on base rock or just being in same tank enough to help?

Im just asking because the more research ive done i almost wish i would have stocked with nothing but live rock.

Im also using a HOB bio wheel filter and 1 powerhead rated for a 50-70 gallon tank.

Thanks!

[poakley723]

It will be just fine. my dry rock with about 25% llive rock took about 6 weeks. Could have been faster but I wasn't really monitoring the process. I know it was cured cause my 180 did not cycle when I put all the rock in it. I put it in 3 and 1/2 weeks ago and never saw ammonia spike.

Should take around 6 weeks.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Placement of the rock doesn't matter. The live rock will seed the base rock over time, generally in just a month or two, being fully seeded at around 6 month's time.

When you begin stocking, do so slowly so that the beneficial bacteria can adjust to the bioload.

[michaelr]

ive heard base rock on bottom and live rock on top of it but sugar is right it wont make a gigantic difference either wat

[inwha]

sounds like im ok then

poakley - im not seeing big changes in my water testing either, i purchased the salt water from my LFS and with the Live rock my levels have all pretty much stayed where they need to be. Im going to leave it alone for 3-4 more weeks to just be safe but im wondering if my tank has cycled or didnt need to be cycled due to the LR and saltwater, its been up about 2 weeks right now

[Michigan Mike]

Sounds good. Going slow will save you headache... More time to learn and let things settle too. +1

[poakley723]

The cycle will depend on decay of organics on you rocks. Generally your tank will have to cycle. Are you ghost feeding your tank or anything?

When you brought the LR home how was it packaged? I am not a marine biologist or anything but from what i understand the benificial bacteria on LR can die prety quick whe it is out of the water.

[MaxxedMan]

ive heard base rock on bottom and live rock on top of it

That's ussually because you buy cheap ugly base rock and expensive pretty live rock, and want the pretty stuff on top and not buried in your sand, and since its in the sand, no one cares if your base rock is ugly. it's called base rock because you get it to put on the bottom.

What you have is live rock and dead rock. If you put your live rock on the bottom, it will be your base rock and still live rock :) And your rocks on top will not be base rocks just because they are dead.

Put your rocks in however they look the best to your aquascape, go buy shape, not whether its live rock or dead rock. Your dead rock will be live rock long before it looks as pretty as established live rock with coraline and what not. Live rock doesn't mean pretty and pink as much as full of bacteria and life, which depends on bioload and what is breeding in the tank to move in.

[sporto0]

Rocks can't die, therefore there is no such thing as "dead rock", it's just rock, it becomes live (or with life) if it is porous enough for pods & worms to inhabit the rock, other things like plants, corals, tube worms, bacteria, etc. also may attach themselves to the outside of the rock as well. Any rock used to form the "base" of your scape could be considered base rock, but it's just a descriptive.

[SushiGirl]

The cycle will depend on decay of organics on you rocks. Generally your tank will have to cycle. Are you ghost feeding your tank or anything?

^^That

[kool-cat]

Just make sure you didnt dose any chemicals in your FOWLR tank, such as copper. That might still be on the rock and affect corals??