After live rock goes in, what next?

[ksliech]

I’m getting some Australian live rock in a little under two weeks to kick off my brand new 60G. I expect it will need some curing so will be in by itself for a bit until the water quality is in good shape, then in goes the dry rock and sand. After that, what would you recommend goes in next? There seems to be various schools of thought on this and I’d like to hear some opinions: Hardy corals? Clean up crew? Hardy fish? I’ll have 20 lbs of true live rock in there, and once cured I don’t think it’s likely I’ll see a measurable cycle with a light billed to start. Eventually this will be a heavy SPS but mixed reef.

 

[JoJosReef]

I’m getting some Australian live rock in a little under two weeks to kick off my brand new 60G. I expect it will need some curing so will be in by itself for a bit until the water quality is in good shape, then in goes the dry rock and sand. After that, what would you recommend goes in next? There seems to be various schools of thought on this and I’d like to hear some opinions: Hardy corals? Clean up crew? Hardy fish? I’ll have 20 lbs of true live rock in there, and once cured I don’t think it’s likely I’ll see a measurable cycle with a light billed to start. Eventually this will be a heavy SPS but mixed reef.

If I were doing this tank, I'd put the dry rock in with the curing live rock right away. Maybe it binds up a bunch of phosphates from the die-off. It'll do that anyway once it's in. The microbiome will start to expand though, and I'd be happy getting those rocks cooking before the lights come on. I would mix some Fiji Mud in with the sand to get that going (not if you have an aversion to bristleworms). With 20lb Aussie live rock in a 60, you'll have a sizeable biofilter once that rock is done curing. My next move would be to fill up the tank with corals, CUC and a few fish. Easy stuff first, but manageable. Not Xenia. Birdsnest, stylos, branching montis, but in easy to move/remove areas so you can replace with other SPS once the system is revved up. Lots of LPS and soft coral options. I would start dosing AFR off the bat to get the stony corals growing and sucking up nutrients. Substantial CUC to keep the dry rock clean while they purple up, probably supplementing them with algae tabs. My goal would be to get desireable corals/nems/macros consuming nutrients before algae gets a chance.

 

[Solo McReefer]

I would have a CUC in the curing container

20 snails at least, for 20 pounds of real live rock. Probably 40

 

[ksliech]

If I were doing this tank, I'd put the dry rock in with the curing live rock right away. Maybe it binds up a bunch of phosphates from the die-off. It'll do that anyway once it's in. The microbiome will start to expand though, and I'd be happy getting those rocks cooking before the lights come on. I would mix some Fiji Mud in with the sand to get that going (not if you have an aversion to bristleworms). With 20lb Aussie live rock in a 60, you'll have a sizeable biofilter once that rock is done curing. My next move would be to fill up the tank with corals, CUC and a few fish. Easy stuff first, but manageable. Not Xenia. Birdsnest, stylos, branching montis, but in easy to move/remove areas so you can replace with other SPS once the system is revved up. Lots of LPS and soft coral options. I would start dosing AFR off the bat to get the stony corals growing and sucking up nutrients. Substantial CUC to keep the dry rock clean while they purple up, probably supplementing them with algae tabs. My goal would be to get desireable corals/nems/macros consuming nutrients before algae gets a chance.

Thanks for the tips! I was going to wait on the dry rock and sand in case there was significant die-off on the LR, as the detritus would be hard to get out of the sand and rock crevices. Interesting idea about binding phosphates - wasn't aware that kind of thing would happen. I'll see how bad it is and get the dry stuff in the ASAP!

It's killing me that the only kind of actual live sand we can get these days is the coarse stuff from TBS - I'm dying to get ahold of some real Fiji live sand, but maybe the Fiji Mud will get me some of the way there. I also plan on getting a small box from TBS with their sand and rock for biodiversity.

 

[Solo McReefer]

I too would have any dry rock I plan to use, cycling with the real live rock. As soon as possible

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Thanks for the tips! I was going to wait on the dry rock and sand in case there was significant die-off on the LR, as the detritus would be hard to get out of the sand and rock crevices. Interesting idea about binding phosphates - wasn't aware that kind of thing would happen. I'll see how bad it is and get the dry stuff in the ASAP!

It's killing me that the only kind of actual live sand we can get these days is the coarse stuff from TBS - I'm dying to get ahold of some real Fiji live sand, but maybe the Fiji Mud will get me some of the way there. I also plan on getting a small box from TBS with their sand and rock for biodiversity.

I think Ocean's Direct live sand might actually be from the ocean but im not certain

 

[ksliech]

I think Ocean's Direct live sand might actually be from the ocean but im not certain

It is, and loaded with bacteria, but I’m looking for the worms and other critters that come from real live sand scooped from the ocean and shipped overnight submerged like livestock. This was a thing 20 years ago, and you could see all the cool activity of the critters up against the glass pretty quickly (worm trails, tiny star fish). Not sure where you get that kind of sandbed life these days.

 

[JoJosReef]

It is, and loaded with bacteria, but I’m looking for the worms and other critters that come from real live sand scooped from the ocean and shipped overnight submerged like livestock. This was a thing 20 years ago, and you could see all the cool activity of the critters up against the glass pretty quickly (worm trails, tiny star fish). Not sure where you get that kind of sandbed life these days.

I used to use Fiji Mud, the Walt Smith stuff, diluted and broadcast in the return flow. Hard to find now, so I use AquaForest Life Source, which is also mud from Fiji waters. Has some magnetic particles in it, though, so I hold a neodymium magnet beneath the container I use to dilute the Life Source while I pour it in the DT. Works well. The Life Source mud for sure has bristleworm eggs in it. You'll get a nice population of creepy crawlies keeping your tank clean.

I seed the sand with this stuff in a bucket before it goes in the DT. Then I dose it on occasion to keep the biodiversity up.

 

[Solo McReefer]

Who is your supplier for the Aussie live rock, may I ask?

 

[ksliech]

Who is your supplier for the Aussie live rock, may I ask?

TankStop - @Eric Cohen was super helpful. Excited to get it! Here are some pics of what he’s got https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/australian-live-rock-new-batch-photos.1044575/

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I used to use Fiji Mud, the Walt Smith stuff, diluted and broadcast in the return flow. Hard to find now, so I use AquaForest Life Source, which is also mud from Fiji waters. Has some magnetic particles in it, though, so I hold a neodymium magnet beneath the container I use to dilute the Life Source while I pour it in the DT. Works well. The Life Source mud for sure has bristleworm eggs in it. You'll get a nice population of creepy crawlies keeping your tank clean.

I seed the sand with this stuff in a bucket before it goes in the DT. Then I dose it on occasion to keep the biodiversity up.

Im a fan of AF life source too. I dose directly to the tank with the skimmer off occasionally. Its unbelievably cloudy at first but the next morning the water is crystal clear.

 

[Solo McReefer]

Beautiful rock

Think I need some of it