Tank ready to go with base rock LFS says I should add some LR...

So my tank is about ready to go, I filled it with water and salt and let it run overnight. I still need to adjust the salinity and let it overflow to my sump though.

I have 145 lbs of base rock, previously in someone's tank but now dry. The LFS (reef store) said I should get at least 10 lbs of live rock to get started otherwise it will take forever to cycle.

Other then that, I feel it would be nice to seed my tank with what the LR has to offer.

What's your thoughts on that? Add live rock or not? He's got some Fiji @9$.

Thanks

 

$9 a lb? Holy crap that is a lot. Your LFS is correct though. You want to add soem LR throughout the tank to seed the dry rock. This will help with the cycle. If you were to just add a raw peel-n-eat shrimp the cycle would take longer than adding some LR first.

 

I don't think you need any. If the base rock you have was from another tank and was only dried out then you will have a cycle from the dead bacteria on the rock. If it is perfectly clean then you can throw a piece of table shrimp in and that will get your cycle started.

Buy ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits if you have not already. In a weeks time test your ammonia. The next week test ammonia and nitrite. After those numbers return to 0 you can then slowly start stocking the tank. Lights are not needed while cycling the tank. You don't need to run your skimmer either.

 

Your tank will cycle whether or not you use LR. It will cycle a bit faster with it, but with only a few pounds of it, you will barely notice the difference. I try to stay away from LR anymore, as it usually introduces some kind of pest. For me it's usually damn bubble algae, the bane of my existence. Although it is nice to get peanut worms, mini feather dusters, or free polyps the good is sometimes negated by the bad.

 

I went to a different store, his rock is 10$/lbs and I don't think it is even imported, it looks like he just uses base rock and let it sit in his tanks.

It's hard to figure out what's best with everyone around having so many different opinions.

At the same time, I am inclined to think that coraline and the good bacteria would come more rapidly if I seed the tank with some rocks.

I asked if I could get a price on rumbles since it is not cosmetic.

 

You are correct. That's about the only reason why I would still consider it. LR rubble is what I would use.

 

the problem i have with base rock versus lr is most of the time, the base rock I have seen are flat smooth pieces. With good quality LR, it is very pourous, which gives bacteria and other good things more surface area to grow on thus helping the filtration of your tank. I have zero base rock in my tanks

 

I always would seed with a small chunk of live rock.

 

I am new here, but I started my tank 44gal tank 5 months ago with one 5 pound piece of live rock. I waited a week and added 12 more pounds of live rock and 2 fish, however I also added bio-spira at the same time. My LFS didnt sell it and said he had reservations about using additives on marine aquariums. But I am semi-impatient and had read some good reviews... my review is very good my entire tank cycled in about 4 days.... I was expecting to have to wait weeks but instead I tested everyday and watched the cycle just unfold... The only time I had any ammonia spike (and it was minimal) as I was adding rock or fish was when I added a 25lb rock that had to make a 2 hour trip home... so why couldn't you just infest your base rock with the critters in the bottle ... Just my .02

 

Completely agree. IMO, it's a myth that you need to seed with live rock. That's completely not true and IME, it doesn't help that much, if at all with the cycle time. I've found out that IMO, the length of the cycle is much more closely related to the amount of dead/organic material on the rock. The more there is initially, the more ammonia you will get and the longer it will take for the bacteria to grow and catch up. I've cycled 100% dry rock, I really don't like the term base rock as I feel it doesn't describe what it actually is, in 2 weeks. If you feel compelled to use live rock, go for it. If you want to save some money, then don't. Either way, you will end up with a cycled tank.