I'm a big fan of worms, amphipods, copepods, sponges, etc. I started my last tank with all live rock, not from the wild, but from another tank which was breaking down; lucked out again in to some more 'donor rock' when I upgraded; but didn't have enough, so I had to get more 'dead rock' to make up the deficit. Thank goodness for a very live sump---which survived the old 52 gallon tank, and has abundant life. But I still don't have stomatellas or such. Heckuva population of limpets, and something else I'm not sure of, but honestly, it's still taking a while.
I've used 'uncured' pre-owned rock (meaning it goes straight from a living, functioning tank to my tank with no significant delay) now for ten years, in one form and another, and the most dangerous thing I ever got was caulerpa---which as far as I'm concerned is the worst, if in a tank under 200 gallons. You simply can't get rid of it once it's rooted in a rock---and nothing you can keep well under 200 gallons is going to eat it without getting large enough to start killing off your other fish. Real pita! Aiptasia are a piffle, imho, never had an appearance of those I couldn't beat inside a week or so; ditto asterinas---there's one type said to be a problem with zoas, but I don't keep zoas, so they're cool; worms of all descriptions except eunicid and hermodice carunculata; barnacles, volunteer clams, and sea squirts---poor things never last: we can't feed them. Mysis living in the rocks; amphipods; copepods; strange sponges. Never had a hitchhiker crab except a mithrax, and I gave him to the fish store.
IMHO the principle reasons for using dry rock are a) dry is cheaper and b) dry saves the living reefs from rock collectors. But if you get a chance at living rock, or if you trust your club members to accurately report any known pest you might not want, and trade rocks, cool, in my book.
I've used 'uncured' pre-owned rock (meaning it goes straight from a living, functioning tank to my tank with no significant delay) now for ten years, in one form and another, and the most dangerous thing I ever got was caulerpa---which as far as I'm concerned is the worst, if in a tank under 200 gallons. You simply can't get rid of it once it's rooted in a rock---and nothing you can keep well under 200 gallons is going to eat it without getting large enough to start killing off your other fish. Real pita! Aiptasia are a piffle, imho, never had an appearance of those I couldn't beat inside a week or so; ditto asterinas---there's one type said to be a problem with zoas, but I don't keep zoas, so they're cool; worms of all descriptions except eunicid and hermodice carunculata; barnacles, volunteer clams, and sea squirts---poor things never last: we can't feed them. Mysis living in the rocks; amphipods; copepods; strange sponges. Never had a hitchhiker crab except a mithrax, and I gave him to the fish store.
IMHO the principle reasons for using dry rock are a) dry is cheaper and b) dry saves the living reefs from rock collectors. But if you get a chance at living rock, or if you trust your club members to accurately report any known pest you might not want, and trade rocks, cool, in my book.
