Seeding Base Rock

Anyone done this before? I am thinking of buying only about 10 pounds "Live rock" and the other 75 pounds is going to be base.

Will this work? I have been reading that you merely need to have the tank cycle and start to create its own bacteria.

I have a 75 gallon and was going to start with 75 pounds of base 10 pounds of live and a 50/50 live sand to regular.

 

I used 120# base rock and about 2# of live rock rubble that I carefully inspected for any algae, cyano or small aptasia first, just tossed it in behind the base rock wall where it wont get seen and within a day I had a cycle started

 

So if I just get a decent looking live rock with alot of growth on it from a LFS and placed it in the tank I should be fine?

When you say you look for alge is this including the purple Corline? I have a store owner would will give me a couple of nice pieces with growth on them. ON them I see alot of Corline as well as other forms of live.

Or should I just get some that looks "white" and they say it has been cured?

 

That will work.
I started mine with 100% dry rock.
If you use some live rock it will probably speed along the cycle, but there's always the chance of having some unwelcome hitchhikers.. I did put one live rock in mid cycle to get some purple going.
Every time you buy a coral ... same thing.
I saw my first aiptasia a couple weeks ago. Luckily it was in the sand and I just scooped it up. There's probably more somewhere I just haven't seen it.

Sometimes there's welcome hitchhikers. I have some mini feather dusters and some barnacles, sponges.
I say put it in it will help get things going. My biggest fear would be a baby Mantis shrimp or pistol shrimp.. I don't want those guys sneaking in.

 

As AV8bluewater said, you can do your cycle with all base rock, you may need a piece of shrimp to supply the ammonia but you'll be fine.

 

I have started a few with all base rock and only 2 cups of live sand from a established tank to get it started.