Live Rock

Starting my first tank and had a question about live rock. I plan on buying around 20lbs of dry rock and seeding it with live rock. I will also be using the live rock to cycle my tank. My question is, how much live rock (minimum) will I need in order to cycle the tank (29 gallon)?

 

usually about 10% of all rock should be liverock when starting a tank. It'll take about 6 months to seed but it'll be worth it. For a 29g tank I would just add a 5lbs rock, that should do fine.

 

Thanks for the advice. Actually had a hard time searching for an answer to this one.

 

Will the live rock have enough die-off if I pick it up from my lfs (right down the street) or should I let it sit out for a while? I was under the impression that the die-off during shipping was ideal for the cycling process.

 

You can cycle it with a raw shrimp or pure ammonia.

 

Thanks. I'll probably go the shrimp route. Do I take him out as soon as I see the ammonia spike?

 

Yes, and the 5lbs of liverock will help out as well.

 

are you suggesting 5 lbs. of live rock or total? That is not very much rock....I don't think there is an exact formula for determining how much rock someone should have. Some of it depends on your methods of filtration and how much rock you like in terms of the aesthetics of the tank. Just my .02.

 

You can't have to much live rock. The more the better. You can buy a great bacteria additive and skip the raw shrimp. My tanks have cycled very quickly using live sand, live rock and a reputable bacteria additive. Also make sure to use fresh RO when making your salt water. Theres not an exact science for how much live rock you need but don't skimp out on it. Its one of the most important pieces for a healthy tank IMO.

 

Thanks again for all the advice. I was planning on seeding with live rock and using the shrimp because it's most cost effective and seems to get the same job done. Patience I have, infinite funds, not so much.
As for water, I'll be picking it up from my lfs for awhile. I figured 3 gallons a week for water changes and another 5-6(RO) for top-offs. Plan on a decent RO system in the next year or so.
Maybe I'll go with 15lbs of dry rock and 10lbs of live rock. I was thinking about buying the dry rock from reefcleaners.org, anybody here reccomend them?