I think you made a good choice my 1st three tanks were setup with liverock and my last tank (SPS) was setup with dry rock and I have to say the initial biodiversity with liverock can never be duplicated with dry rock, also takes the dry rock forever to get coraline algae established on the rock. However I don't see the fish or coral more health in the live rock tank vs the dry rock tank. If I had to start over I would go with liverock for my SPS tank. Good luck on your new tank,
If you could start over: Live Rock or Dry?
- Thread starter joshbryer
- Start date
JasonBJones
New member
I have set up many tanks over the years and have always used live rock until my most recent one where I made all the rock.
I am incredibly happy with the current set up. I seeded the tank right off the bat with some live rock that had great coralline growth and started to see decent coverage at 3 months. There are tons of small tube worms, feather dusters and even a few small brittle stars that have hiked in on corals and from the rock seed. There is clearly not a large amphipod population like I have had in other tanks, but that doesn't bother me.
I have algae that has hitchhiked in with frags, but there is not much. I prefer using the dry and will probably do so again in the future. I really liked being able to build my rock wall exactly how I wanted it. I also really like knowing that the only way my rock will ever start leaching phosphates is if I let them become a problem.
I am incredibly happy with the current set up. I seeded the tank right off the bat with some live rock that had great coralline growth and started to see decent coverage at 3 months. There are tons of small tube worms, feather dusters and even a few small brittle stars that have hiked in on corals and from the rock seed. There is clearly not a large amphipod population like I have had in other tanks, but that doesn't bother me.
I have algae that has hitchhiked in with frags, but there is not much. I prefer using the dry and will probably do so again in the future. I really liked being able to build my rock wall exactly how I wanted it. I also really like knowing that the only way my rock will ever start leaching phosphates is if I let them become a problem.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
how's your reef aquarium doing?
biodiversity is a valid choice. Many (most?) of the reef aquariums seen nowadays are lacking.
Of course, everybody has a different idea of what they want to see in their glass box!
Chaetodonts are often used as a "canary in the coal mine" to guage the health of a reef in the wild.
Biodiversity definitely helps keep them healthy in captivity.
Last edited:
plyle02
Active member
how's your reef aquarium doing?
biodiversity is a valid choice. Many (most?) of the reef aquariums seen nowadays are lacking.
Of course, everybody has a different idea of what they want to see in their glass box!
Chaetodonts are often used as a "canary in the coal mine" to guage the health of a reef in the wild.
Biodiversity definitely helps keep them healthy in captivity.
100% agreed!
DanConnor
Active member
Nice necropost! 
Nother old fart for live rock here. Dead rock is fine for the underneath parts.
My last reef was the only one I set up with all dry rock, and what a pain to get going. It was fun to lay it all out on dry land, and definitely led to a better aquascape, but that's it. I'd be ok with dead rock if I had time to let it sit in a livestock trough with some seed rock for maybe a year though.
Nother old fart for live rock here. Dead rock is fine for the underneath parts.
My last reef was the only one I set up with all dry rock, and what a pain to get going. It was fun to lay it all out on dry land, and definitely led to a better aquascape, but that's it. I'd be ok with dead rock if I had time to let it sit in a livestock trough with some seed rock for maybe a year though.
Last edited:
Isn't amazing how things have changed in almost a decade. Almost all of the posts on the first page say dry is the way to go, yet with all of the subsequent issues with a year or two of turf algae, high phosphates and tub after tub of GFO, it is easier now than ever to convince folks that dry rock is no bargain and will cost folks more in the long run. Plus, everybody has all the pests that they could ever want after the first frag plug gets into their tank.
Thanks for the trip back in time...
Thanks for the trip back in time...
tmantaylor18
Active member
When first really got into SPS aquariums about 10 years ago I was lucky enough to start with some really nice live rock from an established aquarists breakdown. I had no idea what service I was doing myself by getting this rock. Anything SPS I added to that tank looked great and grew like crazy.
I've had my latest tank up for over 2 years now which was started with dry rock. I really enjoyed how easy it was to aquascape this rock with reef cement. I made really nice looking structures with it. To this day I don't see any kind of cool biodiversity/life on the rocks at night looking with a flashlight. I've had decent success with the rock but nothing like I had when I was a noob with the old established live rock. I'll be adding some live rock soon after I look it over in a quarantine tank.
I've had my latest tank up for over 2 years now which was started with dry rock. I really enjoyed how easy it was to aquascape this rock with reef cement. I made really nice looking structures with it. To this day I don't see any kind of cool biodiversity/life on the rocks at night looking with a flashlight. I've had decent success with the rock but nothing like I had when I was a noob with the old established live rock. I'll be adding some live rock soon after I look it over in a quarantine tank.
Razorback reef
New member
The costs of Air Freight is through the roof. Last time I checked it was like $5/kilo.
The solution to make live rock more affordable is to ship tons of it over on ships which sits in the boxes for weeks. The wholesalers quickly recure it and people think they are getting live. Hard to find good quality live rock anymore, but it is superior to using dry rock because of the detritivores which help to maintain water quality and zooplankton which feeds the corals.
The solution to make live rock more affordable is to ship tons of it over on ships which sits in the boxes for weeks. The wholesalers quickly recure it and people think they are getting live. Hard to find good quality live rock anymore, but it is superior to using dry rock because of the detritivores which help to maintain water quality and zooplankton which feeds the corals.
shih87
New member
You bet!!!
I replace my refugium live rock ( main tank is dead rock always) 30% every 3Q. It help to keep tank stay in honeymoon period with great bacteria variety.
I began buying cycled rock from my LFS. It’s already colored up with coralline algea and no visible critters or algea on it. It costs a lot more, but it’s ready to go and a bargain compared to the other things we spend our money on. $150 worth of cycled rock and no cycling needed made perfect sense to me.
Piper27
I love bengals
If I could start over and get real actual live rock I wouldn't second guess myself.
I think a lot of people start with dry because they don't want pest algae and such issues, but later find out it's nearly impossible to keep it all out of the tank without a quarantine system. Plus other issues like dino happen much more often and much worse in tanks started with dry rock.
I also try and add new rocks to my tank every year and take out the nastiest ones, but I use dry rock for this, just cheaper even though you don't get the bacteria.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
I think a lot of people start with dry because they don't want pest algae and such issues, but later find out it's nearly impossible to keep it all out of the tank without a quarantine system. Plus other issues like dino happen much more often and much worse in tanks started with dry rock.
I also try and add new rocks to my tank every year and take out the nastiest ones, but I use dry rock for this, just cheaper even though you don't get the bacteria.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Dry Rock. Like Marco Rocks/Reef Cleaners Rock. I tried dry pukani and while it looks great, just didn't work for me. The first go round was all kinds of nutrients being leached out causing dino's, hair, cyano, never ending cycle.
This time, I went with reefcleaners, because 3 years ago, I set up my Biocube with Marco Rocks. It's covered in coralline, and I really don't do anything to the tank but change 10g of water every 2 weeks.
I'm also in no rush. I started my barebottom cycle on 10/7, and as of yesterday, we cannot process 1ppm ammonia in 24 hours...yet. We will, in time. I wanted no pests, no vermetid snails, nothing. When the time comes, I'll add in my pods, and let them get established. I'll add in my Cerith/Nerite and Trochus snails when there's a need. Probably by March or so, I'll add my Acropora that I have alive sitting in the 40 breeder.
There's no rush, and by taking my time, that dry rock, will become very live and very colorful.
This time, I went with reefcleaners, because 3 years ago, I set up my Biocube with Marco Rocks. It's covered in coralline, and I really don't do anything to the tank but change 10g of water every 2 weeks.
I'm also in no rush. I started my barebottom cycle on 10/7, and as of yesterday, we cannot process 1ppm ammonia in 24 hours...yet. We will, in time. I wanted no pests, no vermetid snails, nothing. When the time comes, I'll add in my pods, and let them get established. I'll add in my Cerith/Nerite and Trochus snails when there's a need. Probably by March or so, I'll add my Acropora that I have alive sitting in the 40 breeder.
There's no rush, and by taking my time, that dry rock, will become very live and very colorful.
navvet8992
New member
Live rock no question. I've done tanks with dry and live and will never go dry again. Biodiversity is huge in reef tanks and you just can't get that starting with dry rock.
