base vs. live rock

[Nabob89]

I have a 55-gallon tank setup now....and I need rock to make it a reef...I'm planning on getting 90 lbs of rock, but should I buy 45 lbs fiji LR and 45 lbs base rock, or save a little extra and buy just 90 lbs of LR? Does base rock take the appearance of LR after some time? If so, how long does this take? Thanks for any advice!
Matt

 

[kraze3]

Buying 45 lbs of base and 45 lbs of LR should be the cheaper option, maybe you jsut wrote it wrong. You can get base rock in diff colors or shades to match the LR you choose. Base rock will become LR and both will be covered in coraline.

 

[phenom5]

Does base rock take the appearance of LR after some time? If so, how long does this take?

yes, base rock will be come live rock over time. how much time it will take depends on a lot of different factors. but generally i would say 3-6 mos for it to be good LR and help with filtration.

I'm planning on getting 90 lbs of rock, but should I buy 45 lbs fiji LR and 45 lbs base rock, or save a little extra and buy just 90 lbs of LR?

i'm a little confused by this, the idea behind using BR is it's cheaper then LR...

FWIW, i can't imagine ever setting up a tank with 100% LR. good shapes are what i want in rock, and i could hold up a piece of seeded BR that's been in my tank for 2+ years, and a piece of LR that's been in my tank the same amount of time...you can't tell which started out as BR...and once your corals grow in...

BTW, i think 90lbs is way too much for a 55g unless your looking at getting some really dense rocks...

HTH :thumbsup:

 

[Nabob89]

sorry tat was a little confusing...not the best wording...I was only thinking of getting 90 lbs of rock since I plan on having a mandarin one day, and will need loads of pods to support his diet...but 90 is alot....so instead should I buy 45 lbs of Fiji live rock, and 35 lbs base rock?

 

[phenom5]

if it were me i'd go less...but if it were me i'd be shooting for more open rockwork for good flow and lots of room for SPS to grow. if anything, i would go with more BR then LR, that way if you feel like you have too much rock you won't be throwing out expensive LR...

 

[Nabob89]

ok I think I'll go with less rock...I can always order more base rock if I need it...thanks alot guys!
Matt

 

[rayjay]

If the base rock were to have the same density as quality live rock for less cost, then you would be ahead.
BUT, I seldom see that quality in base rock. It usually is much more dense and therefore not as good for the biological filtration as the quality live rock. It will also be not as good a buy because while the price per pound will be less, the extra weight for a given size piece will make it closer in price to the overall cost of a piece of quality live rock of the same physical size.
For me, having better biological filtration per unit size means I can have less physical presence of the live rock in the tank, and more room for live content like fish and inverts.

 

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6965851#post6965851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rayjay
If the base rock were to have the same density as quality live rock for less cost, then you would be ahead.
BUT, I seldom see that quality in base rock. It usually is much more dense and therefore not as good for the biological filtration as the quality live rock. It will also be not as good a buy because while the price per pound will be less, the extra weight for a given size piece will make it closer in price to the overall cost of a piece of quality live rock of the same physical size.
For me, having better biological filtration per unit size means I can have less physical presence of the live rock in the tank, and more room for live content like fish and inverts.

You're not looking in the right places for base rock!! Here's mine.

 

[WantaBeReefer]

When I started, I went half and half. Abou 4 months went by and my base rock did not look much better. I removed it. I let my live rock stablilize for a year. I re-added my base rock about a month ago and it is nearly 3/4 covered in coraline now. Not sure if it is helping ut with bio filtering yet, but at least it looks good. I would say go with as much live rock as possible to start with, add base rock later and it will color up a lot faster.

 

[Nabob89]

I have not purchased any rock yet, so I don't know big 45 lbs of rock can be....I don't want a tank packed with rock, but I want enough LR to keep a mandarin alive one day (I won't purchase it until the reef has been established for at least 6 months). My tank is 55 gallon (48 in long x 12 in wide)...how much fiji LR should I buy to keep a mandarin alive one day, but not completly pack the tank (I want room for coral growth/fish swimming). Thanks alot!
Matt

 

[Teremei]

Personally I wouldn't buy fiji for a mandarin. I personally have fiji and a mandarin. And I would get something with more holes/pores now that I think of it.

I have 2 rocks which are like that from the LFS I forgot what they called it but it has deep crevices/holes where the pods can go deep inside and make homes. Basically the more "caves" the better.

2 rocks I know of are good. reeferrock base rock. And marshall Island Live Rock. If you are going to LFS. Then you can just take your time and look at all the rocks until you see some that are like that.

Personally, 75# would be good for your 55. And not completly fill it so there will be good swimming room left over. That's a good starting point atleast.

 

[Kelley]

If you plan on a mandarin, I would also set up a fuge, these guys eat all the time, and you will soon run out of food unless you can keep it going somewhere where the fish cannot get to them to diminish the supply. Just remember, you can always get more LR, get a good amount online, then if you need more, most LFSs sell LR too, and since you won't need HUGE amounts, it won't cost too much.