Local sources for dry base rock?

RobbW

RobbW

New member
Where does anyone around here purchase dry base rock for their tanks? I can't find anything but Texas Holey Rock and Lace Rock at any of my LFS. I'm about a week or two out from upgrading my 30G to a 55G, and I'm trying to gather the rock I'll need for the scape I have in mind.

I currently have about 20-30lbs of real live rock (actual coral skeleton type rock, not just rock that has become live) in my 30G that I'm planning on transferring to the 55. I also have a large (~15lb) piece of TX Holey Rock in the 30G that has a bunch of pocillipora growing on it. I went to several LFS searching for more dry base rock, but all I could find was TX Holey Rock or Lace Rock. So, I bought about 20lbs of Lace Rock and it has been cycling in a Rubbermaid tub for a couple weeks now. I also have another medium-sized piece and one huge piece of TX Holey Rock sitting out in my garage.

I have recently been cut off from spending any more money on the new 55G. So, I'm kind of stuck using the rock I have on hand. However, I've been reading a lot of articles and posts lately warning against using Lace Rock or TX Holey Rock in reef tanks. They say since those types of rocks are terrestrial rocks, they could be loaded with any number of heavy metals, PO4, or other impurities. Now I'm really hesitant about putting these rocks in my new tank!

Are there any local sources for true coral-skeleton base rock (or whatever it's called)? Would any of them trade for TX Holey Rock or Lace Rock? Or do most of you think it would probably be okay to use the TX Holey Rock and Lace Rock in my new reef tank? I have at some point or another used all of the TX Holey Rock I have in a tank. Like I said, I have one piece in my tank now, and the other two pieces were in my tank when it used to be an African Cichlid FW tank before switching it over to SW, and for a short time thereafter in my SW tank. I only removed those pieces from my SW tank because they took up a lot of room, and I was running out of space for new corals and live rock.
 
I would if I was allowed to buy more rock, but unfortunately I'm not. I either need to trade for dry rock or be assured that it's okay to use TX Holey Rock and Lace Rock in a reef tank.
 
Anyone know what CSI base rock is? Or Honeycomb base rock? Are those acceptable types of base rock? Saw them at Beyond The Reef. The only LFS I have found so far with supposed "base" rock.
 
The CSI rock had lots of holes, nooks, and crannies in it, but felt really heavy. The Honeycomb rock wasn't quite as holey but appeared to be fossilized or skeletal coral remains and was a slightly lighter rock.
 
I agree with IlliDan, Contact Bill, WLD1783. I know you're on a "no money budget", but he sells some nice dry rock very very reasonably priced.
 
I'm local to you and I have a bunch of dry and cured live rock that I just have not gotten around to posting for sale. I'm just 4 miles west of Randall Road off of Big Timber.
 
Depending on where its from texas holey rock can cause a cycle due to trapped phosphates. In the past I've had really good luck with the stuff from the keys. Marco Rock is basically texas holey rock except he now cures it in a muratic acid solution to leach out the phosphates.

Bill
 
Jeni, I think she may have meant that she has both dry rock and cured live rock available.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions/recommendations. Wow, Bill, you have quite a reputation for your rock. I would definitely like to pick some up from you some day when I have "official" funds for my SW hobby. As it is, I need dry base rock, but I have to be sneaky about. That means picking up whatever I can during my lunch hour. If I can't get to someone's location and back within that time frame, unfortunately I won't be able to conduct business (at this time, anyway). I ended up picking up a few pieces from BTR yesterday. Two larger pieces of the "CSI base rock" and several pieces of the honeycomb rock. I rinsed them off last night and soaked them for a few hours in 5G buckets of vinegar/water. I then rinsed them off and they are now soaking in plain fresh water.

I'm actually pretty impressed with the honeycomb rock I got. The stuff doesn't look like it, but it is porous as all get out!!! One of the pieces has a concave side. I filled it up with water (like a puddle) and watched as the water slowly soaked into the rock within a few seconds and then started dripping out the other side. It was like a sponge.

I don't know if I have enough rock yet to scape my new 55G tank the way I'm envisioning. I won't know until I break down my current 30G and accumulate all the rock together. If I wind up short, then I'll try to slowly fill it out with live rock. Bill, maybe we would be able to arrange a secret rendezvous to exchange some rock! Hee, sounds like a drug deal, huh? I just gotta keep it on the down-low for awhile until our disposable income perks back up.
 
check craigslist... you can find rock on there all day long.... just becareful about what you buy...ask questions about if its ever been copper treated and look for the pests...
 
Pufferpunk said:
Doesn't "cured" mean the life has stopped dying off & it is alive & healthy? Not a term for dead rock?
Click to expand...

I like to think of rock as a place for life to grow.

Now days a lot of rock is shipped by barge and dry, at best moist. Thats a lot of death before life can grow. Huge cycle.

I like to think cured rock is rock that even dry at the start like Marco Rock is rock that stuff starts growing on it right away ie no cycle.


Bill
 
RobbW I know about the price of this stuff. I smuggled back several hundred pounds of dry back in the 90s after a hurricane hit Guam. Needless to say my crew thought I was chewing on some weed.

There are a lot of less expensive alternatives.

My sps tank is mostly honeycomb / tufa. Its a great surface area for life.


Bill
 
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