Setting up a new tank and I’m wondering do you have to add ammonia with real ocean live rock or can I just let it sit for a couple of days until ammonia goes to zero then I can get fish?
Do you have to add ammonia with live rock
- Thread starter ILikeFish!
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Ocean live rock comes with bacteria and life forms. Ammonia is not needed or wanted. Added bacteria is also not necessary. If the live rock is kept submerged in water during transport, then there should be no die off and no ammonia spikes.
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Where's the ammonia coming from that you're waiting to go to zero?
Unless you're absolutely certain that the live rock is just that, it would be beneficial to ensure that the tank is able to process ammonia wherever it comes from.
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No where, never cycled a tank with actual live rock so I thought it’s like cycling with dry rock and you have add some source of ammonia and wait for ammonia to get to zero.
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In your post you asked whether to add ammonia OR just let it sit until ammonia drops to zero. That's why I asked!
In my opinion, it wouldn't hurt to prove the cycle is working before adding fish, unless you are literally pulling the rock from a running system and dropping it straight into your tank. The term "live rock" seems to mean different thing to different people and it would be safer to err on the side of caution.
In my opinion, it wouldn't hurt to prove the cycle is working before adding fish, unless you are literally pulling the rock from a running system and dropping it straight into your tank. The term "live rock" seems to mean different thing to different people and it would be safer to err on the side of caution.
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Personally, adding some Dr Tims can't hurt because you may have some die off regardless.
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If it is live rock from the ocean it is completely unnecessary and a waste of money to add any bacteria or ammonia.
Bottle bac is to give dead rock a kick along and it needs ammonia to start.
Save your money.
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Not all live rock is equal.
Not all bacteria are equal.
Bottled bacteria doesn’t come close to the diversity of bacteria as well as mircro fauna & fana on diver collected live rock.
This is real live rock.
gulfliverock.com
@ILikeFish!
Is this your first marine aquarium? Is this your first aquarium?
In looking at your recent post, it seems you want to maximize fish in minimum time, which is a recepi for disaster.
Do you understand nitrification & denitrification and that nitrification bacteria consume amonnia and will double in population every 20 minutes.
From your post, it’s difficult to ascertain your experience level. How old are you? I am 75 years old and I have been Reefing for 51 years.
Please explain your vision of biological filtration for this tank, because you are heading for a disastor.
Not all bacteria are equal.
Bottled bacteria doesn’t come close to the diversity of bacteria as well as mircro fauna & fana on diver collected live rock.
This is real live rock.
Gulf Live Rock
gulfliverock.com
@ILikeFish!
Is this your first marine aquarium? Is this your first aquarium?
In looking at your recent post, it seems you want to maximize fish in minimum time, which is a recepi for disaster.
Do you understand nitrification & denitrification and that nitrification bacteria consume amonnia and will double in population every 20 minutes.
From your post, it’s difficult to ascertain your experience level. How old are you? I am 75 years old and I have been Reefing for 51 years.
Please explain your vision of biological filtration for this tank, because you are heading for a disastor.
Last edited:
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Since you may not know anything about your rock’s history since it was harvested, test it. Put the rocks in a container, a bucket or the new aquarium, with a small pump and add freshly prepared salt water with a small amount of ammonia as ammonium chloride, say <0.5 ppm. Do this in the dark. If the ammonia is not gone within 2-3 days, your rocks might be duds, discard the water and proceed to cycle the aquarium as though you had dead rock. If the ammonia disappeared quickly and there is nitrite or nitrate in the water, discard the water and set up the aquarium.
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Every one keeps saying I’m using bottled bacteria, I never said I was just asking if you have to add like fish food or some source of ammonia or something to the water to feed the bacteria on the live rock before you get fish.
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Like I said this is real live rock not dry rock, I know how cycling works and everything I’ve done this before just never with ocean live rock only dead rock and I never said I was using bottled bacteria.Not all live rock is equal.
Not all bacteria are equal.
Bottled bacteria doesn’t come close to the diversity of bacteria as well as mircro fauna & fana on diver collected live rock.
This is real live rock.
Gulf Live Rock
@ILikeFish!
Is this your first marine aquarium? Is this your first aquarium?
In looking at your recent post, it seems you want to maximize fish in minimum time, which is a recepi for disaster.
Do you understand nitrification & denitrification and that nitrification bacteria consume amonnia and will double in population every 20 minutes.
From your post, it’s difficult to ascertain your experience level. How old are you? I am 75 years old and I have been Reefing for 51 years.
Please explain your vision of biological filtration for this tank, because you are heading for a disastor.
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Tell us more about brand of your Live Rock.
I ordered TBS Live Rock, which came submarged in water and I put it immediately into DT and added all live crew.
I also added some Aussie Live Rock, which came wrapped in wet paper and was a bit smelly, so I put it in a container with saltwater and run heater, powerhead for few days until whatever was supposed to disintegrate, died and then put it into DT. Either way You do NOT need to add ammonia.
I ordered TBS Live Rock, which came submarged in water and I put it immediately into DT and added all live crew.
I also added some Aussie Live Rock, which came wrapped in wet paper and was a bit smelly, so I put it in a container with saltwater and run heater, powerhead for few days until whatever was supposed to disintegrate, died and then put it into DT. Either way You do NOT need to add ammonia.
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I know I'm just adding to the noise, but here's my take. You will always get die off when transport live rock which will produce an ammonia spike. The amount of the bacteria colony within the live rock usually is not enough to support most initial stocking. If you want strong bacterial filtration within a week to 2, dose with biospira or your choice of bacteria and ammonia, Dr Tims has a great method of cycling a tank. If you do this you can stock your tank freely without issue.
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Ocean harvested live rock shipped submerged does not need added bacteria nor ammonia.
Need to cycle a new tank?
Add ocean harvested live sand and ocean harvested live rock to a functioning aquarium, let nature do the rest. It is as simple as that.
Need to cycle a new tank?
Add ocean harvested live sand and ocean harvested live rock to a functioning aquarium, let nature do the rest. It is as simple as that.
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It's Maricultured Live Rock similar or the same as TBS rock. The best in my opinion.
You good to add fish and other stuff right away to your tank.
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I’m Ngl I’m getting kind of confused, some people say not to add any bottled bacteria to the water when getting LR because it might mess up the stability of the rock but other people are telling me it won’t hurt anything to add some and it will help, I don’t know who to trust.
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