Ratio of live to dry rock

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Cksnffr

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Aug 5, 2013
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I'll be ordering rock for my 200g FOWLR setup soon. I know I don't need all ~200 lbs of it to be live rock, but I don't know how much live and how much dry to get.

Would a tank started with all live rock cycle more quickly than a tank started with a 50/50 ratio? What about 25/75?

After cycling (ammonia/nitrites 0), would either approach create a better/larger biofilter?

To put it another way, what are the variables to look at other than cost?

Thanks!
 
authmal

authmal

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Aug 4, 2011
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As I understand it, it kind of depends on your stocking patience. If you're going to be very patient, then you can have very little live rock initially, just spread it out when you scape. That allows the rock to seed the neighboring dry rock and convert it to live. If you want to full stock right away, all live rock.
 
TL1000RSquid

TL1000RSquid

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Yep the more live generally the quicker the cycle will go.

If I were setting up a new 200g I'd probably use about 10% live. I'm patient and prefer to keep cost down to blow more on livestock :)
 
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Cksnffr

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Can you define "patient" and "quick?" Hypothetically, if it would take one month to cycle a 200-gallon tank with 200 lbs of live rock, how long might it take to cycle a 200-gallon tank with 100 lbs of live and 100 lbs of dry? With 20 lbs of live and 180 lbs of dry?
 
D

dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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Also remember that probably dry rock will weigh less than live rock for the same volume.

you're not paying for all those heavy bacteriums or hitchhikers, or even water either.


Basically don't think that they will be the same size on a pound for pound basis.
 
OrionGirl

OrionGirl

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Aug 14, 2001
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The timing issue is not about bacteria--it's about appearance, really. The bacteria colonies will establish in SW much the same as in FW--but the rock will look bare and raw until algaes and such start growing on it. That can take 6+ months--but the bacteria colonies will expand and establish to support fish and critters much sooner, based on food/temp/etc. Think of it like a house--you can move in as soon as the paint dries, but it won't look 'homey' until you hang drapes and put up artwork.
 
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Cksnffr

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OK that makes more sense. If I understand correctly, the cycle occurs because of the die-off and decomposition of critters from the live rock--so it shouldn't actually take longer for ammonia and nitrite to reach zero when you use less live rock. But when you use only 50% live rock and your ammonia and nitrate are zero, your biofilter wouldn't be as massive as it would if you had cycled 100% live rock.

I think.

Related: Can I run carbon in my sump while cycling to mitigate any critter-based stinkiness? I've heard that curing live rock has its own distinct, not-magnificent aroma.
 
greech

greech

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Difficult to say. If you're ordering live rock online, its gonna have a fair amount of die off and you will see a strong initial ammonia spike and theoretically a quicker cycle as the surviving bacteria should process the ammonia quicker than if half or more of the rock was dry.

If you start with 10% fully cured rock, meaning you go to your LFS and keep it wet on the 15 minute drive home, there won't be any die off. Additionally, if your dry rock is clean, there will be very little to no die off and you probably wouldn't see a cycle. In this case, you are simply seeding the dry rock with bacteria from the fully cured rock. You could initiate a cycle with fish food or a raw table shrimp.

Yes, you can run carbon while cycling. It won't have any appreciable impact.
 
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