Live rock vs dry rock?

[tmccaffery]

I just ordered the 30lbs from reefcleaners; thanks everyone for your help in my decision. When I get this rock should I wash it off with ro/di water?

 

[Bruce51]

I have 50 pounds of marco rock(dry), and another 35 pounds of Fiji dry rock bought off of craigslist. I looked at TBS, but the shipping was just too much. The marco rock was extremely clean on arrival, but i did acid wash it and the Fiji. DT is 40 Breeder with a 40 breeder sump, I estimate 65 gallons of total water volume. When I ordered the marco rocks I asked for softball size to soccer size rocks and that's exactly what I got.

 

[AlSimmons]

I just ordered the 30lbs from reefcleaners; thanks everyone for your help in my decision. When I get this rock should I wash it off with ro/di water?

Is it live rock or dry rock? If it's dry I would just give it a good rinse under the faucet and then add it to the tank. It's not like your going to avoid an algae bloom if you use RO/DI water instead.

 

[Fraq]

I personally like haitian live rock that my LFS carries, the dry rock is nice too, but if you need it quickly, it would likely not work out for you. The Brs rock and haitian rock look totally different, so as long as you like the look and have patience go dry, otherwise go live rock route.

 

[Valentini89]

I just bought rock for my 150 tall and bought both live and dry. A good amount of both, all from a LFS. I like being able to pick out each piece. Plus I know I don't get any aiptasia. (Yes I did see some live rock there that had some on it) I bought several types, as well as many of the live pieces being coralline encrusted and I also purchased 3 really nice, really large multi branch Tonga branches. I'm very happy with the way the scape came out. (I let one of the guys that set the tank up just do his thing). I also used live sand.

 

[Dmorty217]

Contact Richard at TBS, best rock you will ever get. The other stuff that they claim is live rock is anything but.

 

[AlSimmons]

Contact Richard at TBS, best rock you will ever get. The other stuff that they claim is live rock is anything but.

Can you define that a little please? What exactly are we talking about, color, sponges, worms etc? (at first glance) If you pay the price and after 6 months 50% if not 60% is covered up by frags isn't it just the same as that live rock at the LFS? (the stuff that didn't LOOK as good with LIFE) Maybe you get some hitchhikers maybe you don't... Sponsor rap?

 

[Chicagoreef2016]

Say you visit a local from your reef club that is selling some corals he/she is over or bored with, or taking their tank down. For example, they want to sell you a nice big 20 head duncan or hammer coral colony for pennies on the dollar. You think, "SWEET!! A huge coral I dont have to wait years to grow, and for only $20!" and you toss it in your tank. What you may not have seen is a tiny pinhead sized aiptasia nestled into whatever piece of rock or skeleton the coral is attatched to. You add it to your tank. It's oriented in such a way you cannot see it directly. After a couple weeks its dime sized. You see it. You panic and post pictures on here asking how to get rid of it. Unfortunately now it is mature, and it has likely released dozens and dozens of gametes in the water that have settled into rock pores all over the tank. That fresh, clean, virgin rock that has real estate galore. Weeks go by and now you see them popping up everywhere. So you're a couple months in. With stubborn dry rock that doesn't have all the GOOD parts of live rock, and now you have an aiptasia problem.

I know some people will say "pests arent that big of a deal" but to some of us they are. My tank is an SPS dominant that is very very healthy and my acros grow well and look good, but I have several hundred discosoma mushrooms, hydroid colonies, and aiptasia anemones that are far beyond my control at this point. I will never be able to eradicate them and I have to go in constantly with kalk paste and clippers and smother/cut out pests that sting my desirable corals. It's life on the reef, but it makes for ALOT of extra work. On my next tank, like I said, I will use only dry rock, seeded with alot of bacteria, I'll use lanthanum chloride liberally to prevent excessive phosphate uptake of the rocks, and to deal with any potential phosphate leeching from the rocks, and I will only be stocking acropora purchased from reputable aquaculture sites (battlecorals, jason fox, wwc, and the like). I realize you can never be 100% safe from pests, but if you can avoid buying from too many locals or bargain bins at the lfs, you'll greatly reduce your chances of problems.

I got my aiptasia from a WWC frag. But as you point out if you are buying frags from many different sources, the odds are high that you will have some type of pest.

 

[Bpb]

Good to know! I'll likely pass on WWC then


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[thinhn1]

Get artificial dry rock. The dead dry live rock will have tons of organics and it will take months to fully cure which is a very stinky and annoying process.

 

[tthouston]

I just ordered the 30lbs from reefcleaners; thanks everyone for your help in my decision. When I get this rock should I wash it off with ro/di water?

Even that is Dry rocks, you still need to bleach them and put them under the Sun a week before cure. First, you will reduce the phosphate release from the rock. Second, Pets or else FREE....IMO

 

[mcgyvr]

Even that is Dry rocks, you still need to bleach them and put them under the Sun a week before cure. First, you will reduce the phosphate release from the rock. Second, Pets or else FREE....IMO

My experience is that the rock from them is already clean/pest/phosphate free..
There is no need to bleach it at all.. Nor does it need to cure..
Most of the typical "Florida Quarry Rock" is like that.. Its already blasted clean and hasn't seen "ocean life" in a LONG time because it was mined from the middle of the state

 

[j.falk]

Even that is Dry rocks, you still need to bleach them and put them under the Sun a week before cure. First, you will reduce the phosphate release from the rock. Second, Pets or else FREE....IMO

All it needs is rinsed and it's ready to use. I use it in all of my tanks.

From their website:

Exceptional base rock. Add a small live rock to your tank, or a scraping of coralline to seed the tank and this rock will take off. You may be able to find cheaper rock, but you won't be able to find base rock of this quality for less. The rock comes covered with holes and crevices for your fish to swim through and hideout in. Its interesting shapes make it easy to stack and create stable aquascapes. It has been professionally cleaned and dried after a long soak in a deep water well to prevent leaching of phosphates. This rock is free of organics except the dust that may settle on it during transport. Because of this it can be added to an established tank without causing a cycle.

 

[ReefDisciple]

Haitian LR

Haitian LR

I personally like haitian live rock that my LFS carries, the dry rock is nice too, but if you need it quickly, it would likely not work out for you. The Brs rock and haitian rock look totally different, so as long as you like the look and have patience go dry, otherwise go live rock route.

Hey Fraq--wondering if you live in Dallas. I just ordered 120 lbs of the Haitian LR from DNA--they've been curing it for me until my tank and stand are ready. Beautiful rock!

 

[Fraq]

Hey Fraq--wondering if you live in Dallas. I just ordered 120 lbs of the Haitian LR from DNA--they've been curing it for me until my tank and stand are ready. Beautiful rock!

Hi, I'm in Central Florida. I'm actually cooking some live rock myself as I upgraded to the redsea reefer 750 XXL and need to fill it up with extra rock.

 

[robertifly]

1+++ Reef cleaners rock is fantastic! I put 100lbs in my short 90 gal plus one old rock that I just couldn't leave out ( it has two types of clams on it) I love the rock and it is porous, very happy with it and the price.