[starter101]

HELLO ALL, SO I HAVE A 92 GALLON TANK THAT I AM ABSOLUTELY CRAZY OVER AND HAVE STARTED DOING A BUMCH OF THINGS TO. I HAVE A PROTEIN SKIMMER, A CANNISTER FILTER, 3 POWER HEADS, LIVE SAND AND DEAD SAND( MIXED, I KNOW THAT WASNT THE BEST THING TO DO BUT THIS IDIOT AT LFS TOLD ME ITS OK AND IT WILL SAVE ME PLENTY OF MONEY), AND ABOUT 55-60 LBS OF LIVE ROCK. I WANT AND SORT OF NEED TO ADD MORE LIVE ROCK AND WAS WONDERING a. WHAT IS GOIMNG TO HAPPEN TO WATER QUALITY, b. FISH AND CORAL LIFE, c. WHAT IS THE SAFEST WAY OF DOING THIS WITHOUT ANYTHING HAPPENING AT ALL.....THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.

[sigsauer]

If you buy LR that is in a tank at your LFS and has been in their tank long enough to cycle you can add it to your tank right away. HOWEVER, if you buy anything online and have it shipped, or buy boxed LR from your LFS you must cycle it before you add it to your tank otherwise your ammonia will shoot through the roof and kill everything. I've heard using a large clean garbage can will work for cycling... dunno. If I want to add rock I buy the pre-cycled stuff from my lfs.

[glampka]

You might want to consider dumping the canister filter. They usually become nitrate factories because people don't clean them enough.

[muttley000]

Sigsauer's idea does work for curing rock. A clean, new garbage can, a heater, conditioned saltwater, and a power head are all that is needed. Clean the rock well of dead material and do partial water changes every other day until ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate all test at zero. Should take about 3 weeks.