Dry Base Rock

[sir_dudeguy]

lol, ya i always feel like that too when someone addresses me...Only reason i got that screen name is because about 5 years ago when my friend made me my email acount and thought it would be a funny joke to pull on me...anyways, i just use that for all my screen names so i dont forget any of them lol.

yeah i know now that i should have just gotten base rock instead of lace...BUT...at the time i was starting out, all the lfs's were telling me lace rock WAS base rock so ya. Had i known then, i wouldnt have used it, and from now on i'm only going to use base rock and live rock. And ya i know skimping causes problems often.

From what i've found out thru my research on the boards here and stuff...the baserock from hirocks is indeed dried fiji. I know this will not have any of the beneficial life forms that live rock would have (for example pods, bristles, etc...) However i've read that it will still take care of the cycle process (converting amonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates).

I know that theres nothing on the rocks to cause a cycle, so i'd have to get the cycle started some other way besides live rock...
I know it wont perform like true live rock does for a while, but i will be having about 20 lbs to hopefully help that along a bit.

so am is this right about base rock, or am i just bein an idiot?

 

[ADA33]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7932544#post7932544 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tangman1218
Sir Dude ( I feel as though I'm addressing a knight from the round table ),

The fact that wideFX says that his tank with 60 lbs of base rock"looks" pretty good, does not mean his system is as stable as another tank he may have with 60 lbs of LR. Not unless his base rock has in fact become LR. You see, base rock is usually, and I stress usually, fiji rock that has been left to dry and is no longer alive. The problem with this is that it does not work as part of your filtration for a period of, at minimum, 8-12 months. i

Tang

You are correct I put 60lbs base rock and 60lbs live rock in my tank at start up. It did take a while for the tank to stabalize because of the exsess calcium from the base rock. It took about 8 months. But I was adding coral very slow and once it stabalized the base rock IMO is live rock now after 2+years.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ok thanks. I'm most likely getting the 60 lb box for 60 shipped from hirocks.com, unless someone can point me to a better rock for the same price, or if they'd want to sell live rock for the same price, which i wouldnt expect because thats just too low to go.

Taking a long time isnt really a problem for me. Also, is there a way to get the calcium lower, or get rid of the excess calcium base rock gives off?

 

[ADA33]

Mabey soaking it for a couple weeks before putting it in your tank can help.

 

[run4cvr]

I ordered 60lbs from hirocks last February. The rock was a lot more dense than i expected, but the price made it worth it to me.

I gave it a good rinsing and added it to my tank the same day.

Pic after the rinse.

 

[Modena]

Ocean Art Aquariums has some nice looking pieces of lace rock. I think they are asking $2.00 a pound.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

lace rock is a buck a pound at pets inc, and 1.19 at aquarium arts...but like everyones been saying...its not realy good for a tank. I've got it and havent had any problems so far, but i'm definately not gonna do lace again.

Run---have you had any problems w/calcium levels after washing them down? And also...what problems would high calcium levels cause?

 

[run4cvr]

I had zero problems with the base rock. I had about 40 punds of established live rock in the same tank and the calcium levels never fluctuated.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ok cool. I think i'll get the stuff, and if i find that the calcium levels arent good, then i'll just wait like someone said before.

 

[dbacksrat]

So is the conclusion that the rock from hirocks is reef safe?

 

[vanmle]

I have the base rock from hirocks. Did not cause me any problems that I know of.

They are dense though so maybe not the best rock to use.

 

[dbacksrat]

What is preferred then? I'm looking for base rock that's preferably pourous and undense (if that's a word) and reef safe. Something local would be a plus.

 

[ADA33]

My calcium levels never fluctuated they were just high for 6 months. But it didn't really matter since it was a new tank and I was just taking it slow.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

is it bad to have denser rock?