Dead Rock for Frag Bases

[Kebabian]

I want to frag a toadstool leather that I have. Is it safe to use fragments from some rock that has been dried out for about 8 months? Basically, I downsized from a 50 gallon to a IM 16 gallon Nuvo earlier in the year. Can I use some 2 inch pieces of the old rock as frag bases for the toadstool leather?

 

[billdogg]

yes. IMHO, they will make the perfect pieces for that use. I have been known to take a perfectly good piece of rock and chisel it into chunks for that very purpose.

 

[pyithar]

+1. i always use the pieces of dry rocks as the frag bases.

 

[johnike]

I agree with them.^^^

 

[Kebabian]

Thanks. I was concerned about phosphates leeching into the tank from the old rock.... Should I be?

 

[johnike]

Nah, not in that small of a piece.
Looks much better than frags plus as well.

 

[Mark9]

All I use is small rubble rock.
Don't like the look of frag plugs.

 

[tmz]

I use it but keep mine in the sump. I think the curing and the biofilm that develops prenents leaching. Some uncured dry rock may leach PO4 helping algae to grow on it.

 

[Teenreefer15]

yeah, very good for that purpose. Just chisel it into good pieces for you

 

[Ron1966]

I use it but keep mine in the sump. I think the curing and the biofilm that develops prenents leaching. Some uncured dry rock may leach PO4 helping algae to grow on it.

I do keep small rubble in the sump for this.

 

[KSU_WILDCAT]

I just use some rock rubble from BRS. Take it out of the bag, rinse, attach frag, put in tank.

 

[Vucious]

I like attaching frags to rock better than frag plugs. It looks more natural. No problems with that yet.

 

[Sk8r]

The amount of phosphate that could leach from a frag mount is tiny. If you put the whole rock in, you'd get some hair algae, because it roots where the phosphate is, but as it dissipates through the tank, few other things are going to develop it, and as it runs out, it will die off.