I've read a lot of information about how live rock that seems contradictory and hoped someone could explain it all. Here's my understanding of it with lots of questions thrown in.
Mail-order live rock will have a lot of die-off when shipped, so it will create an ammonia spike when added to a tank. Thus, you need to cure it - i.e. cycle it in another tank/tub/trashcan. Ok...but isn't live rock a biofilter - why doesn't it have enough bacteria on it to filter the ammonia from the die-off? Or did the bacteria also partly die-off, being nitrogen-starved during shipping? Also, if you leave the rock to cure too long, will you actually lose a lot of the bacteria again, because after the die-off there's not much waste being produced?
Live rock taken from an established tank can be placed right into another established tank. No need for curing as there's been no die-off?
I've read also you shouldn't put live rock in an uncycled tank, or you'll kill off much of the biodiversity during the ammonia spike. Ok, this makes sense for live rock taken from an established tank, but if it's shipped rock, due to die-off it's going to go through an ammonia spike whether you put it in your uncycled tank or cure it in another tank.
Is there any way to avoid the ammonia spike in uncured rock, such as putting only a small amount in a large, established tank? Does the skimmer in your tank help pull out waste from the die-off before it breaks down, unlike curing it in a trashcan?
Also, does any of this apply to live sand for a DSB? Is there significant die-off when it's sitting there on the LFS shelf? Is it better to just get Southdowns dead sand, and then buy some live sand innoculants or scoop some sand from your friend's tank with a DSB?
Mail-order live rock will have a lot of die-off when shipped, so it will create an ammonia spike when added to a tank. Thus, you need to cure it - i.e. cycle it in another tank/tub/trashcan. Ok...but isn't live rock a biofilter - why doesn't it have enough bacteria on it to filter the ammonia from the die-off? Or did the bacteria also partly die-off, being nitrogen-starved during shipping? Also, if you leave the rock to cure too long, will you actually lose a lot of the bacteria again, because after the die-off there's not much waste being produced?
Live rock taken from an established tank can be placed right into another established tank. No need for curing as there's been no die-off?
I've read also you shouldn't put live rock in an uncycled tank, or you'll kill off much of the biodiversity during the ammonia spike. Ok, this makes sense for live rock taken from an established tank, but if it's shipped rock, due to die-off it's going to go through an ammonia spike whether you put it in your uncycled tank or cure it in another tank.
Is there any way to avoid the ammonia spike in uncured rock, such as putting only a small amount in a large, established tank? Does the skimmer in your tank help pull out waste from the die-off before it breaks down, unlike curing it in a trashcan?
Also, does any of this apply to live sand for a DSB? Is there significant die-off when it's sitting there on the LFS shelf? Is it better to just get Southdowns dead sand, and then buy some live sand innoculants or scoop some sand from your friend's tank with a DSB?
