here's one for ya

I have a 10 gallon nano setup and am wanting to remove a nice piece of BRS rock that is in there and replace it with more. The new piece is something I pieced together with epoxy and is more rock than the one in there now. I have one other huge piece in there that will remain. I am kind of worried if I just remove and replace that I will lose some biological filtration, and being only a couple of months old, and being so small, that it could cause issues.

I have placed the new rock into my established 90 gallon, and am wanting it to become "live". My question is, how long before bacteria really gets on it???

 

Wow, that is an excellent question. I guess I would wonder what kind of flow is going over your rock in that you put in the 90 to get established?

 

A nice moderate flow

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It will only take 2 - 3 weeks for the new rock to become populated with bacteria. However, I would be more concerned with the 90g once you take the rock back out. Your biological filter grows and shrinks exponentially based on your bioload vs surface area on which to live.

 

The bacteria will be on it pretty much instantly. Also they need to colonize it so give it at least a week. You can give it more time if you want other organisms to settle on it.

 

This is true. Maybe you should undo (oh no) the epoxy and do it slow a piece at a time

 

I am going to replace the rock that is in the 10 gallon now with the one in the 90, once it is ready. The size difference might be 2 lbs. at the most with close to the same amount of surface area. So I don't think there will be any disturbance from the switch.

 

get a rubbermaid tub or bucket, or something. Throw in a cup of sand from the 90, the new rock and a small circulation pump. Add some food now and then and in 3-4 week you have cycled rock..