sand and live rock in which order?

[horseplay]

Please educate me. I have live rocks being cured and plan to buy some live sand. Which one do I put down first in the DT? For example, should I put in Live Sand first then salt water, wait for dust to settle then put in live rock? Or cycle the rock then put in the sand?

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

I usually put the live rock in first, trying to elevate it above the future sand level and then add the sand.

 

[MatteZ]

Egg crate, then rock, and then sand

 

[Hawkeye]

wait - the rock isn't cycled? why would you put LS in there? shouldn't you cycle the LR and once stabiliized - then add it to the display? That's a stinky affair you are proposing.

 

[jgraz]

I agree if the live rock is really dead rock then you might wanna cycle first before adding in the house it can smell kind of foul. If its dead as in never been live before like Marco or BRS then you can do that in house. Rock then sand. If your gonna cycle anyway save a few bucks and just get dry sand.

 

[horseplay]

The rocks are already cycled. I got it from spotter so the rock never left the water. I kept the rocks in a 40g breeder and there is no bad smell etc. Sure there is some die off but not a lot like shipped rock. I am think instead of cycling the rocks in the breeder tank and get all the water parameters right, then do it again in the DT I should do it in the DT directly. Hence the sand question. If there is a cycle it's going to be just a mini cycle anyway.

Going to get dry sand but I ready all the sand storm stories.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Here's what I would do is add the rock, then the sand and last the water. You can put a plate on the sand bed and pour the water on that. This will help to reduce some of the sandstorm effect.

 

[jgraz]

In your case I would do rock water sand. Dry sand makes no more of a storm the live.