Should this be used for live rock?

jacob.morgan78

jacob.morgan78

New member
I got this from a family member who was breaking down their tank. It doesn't look like "typical" live rock to me. Should it be used? Can you tell by looking at it? It has been in their tank for a number of years.

I'm more worried about things leaching into the tank other than phosphate and nitrate... Someone suggested it might be artificial dry rock but those are legitimate indentations in the rock, some of the shells that made them are still in the rock.. Kinda like fossils but not sure...

Any danger in this other than leaching phosphate and nitrate?

I did a little research and I think it lacks the tiny holes necessary to be good live rock. It does have plenty of larger holes. I have a quite a bit of this stuff and would like to use it if it's not going to harm anything. What do you think?

5AFD197A-255A-4EFF-894C-1DC9D67D9AB0-1153-0000015ED6CE7213_zpsad0e4c93.jpg


Thanks!
 
jacob.morgan78 said:
I got this from a family member who was breaking down their tank. It doesn't look like "typical" live rock to me. Should it be used? Can you tell by looking at it? It has been in their tank for a number of years.

I'm more worried about things leaching into the tank other than phosphate and nitrate... Someone suggested it might be artificial dry rock but those are legitimate indentations in the rock, some of the shells that made them are still in the rock.. Kinda like fossils but not sure...

Any danger in this other than leaching phosphate and nitrate?

I did a little research and I think it lacks the tiny holes necessary to be good live rock. It does have plenty of larger holes. I have a quite a bit of this stuff and would like to use it if it's not going to harm anything. What do you think?

5AFD197A-255A-4EFF-894C-1DC9D67D9AB0-1153-0000015ED6CE7213_zpsad0e4c93.jpg


Thanks!
Click to expand...
not sure but looks like it is covered in algae. I would atleast clean it and circulate it in freshwater for a while. could it be texas holy rock?
 
sean357 said:
not sure but looks like it is covered in algae. I would atleast clean it and circulate it in freshwater for a while. could it be texas holy rock?
Click to expand...

It's not covered in algae, the rock itself is kind of brown in color. I question whether or not it's calcium carbontate (or what lr is usualy made of). I've been cooking it for a few months now. I looked up texas holy rock but that's not it. Thanks!
 
Fossil Limestone!!

Fossil Limestone!!

Okay, I'm having a hard time getting a lot of response to this so I spent forever looking for it online and I think I found it. I think this is fossil limestone! I'm reading that it's okay for the tank but may not be porous enough for the bacteria growth. Also may have phosphate issues.

What do you think? Any feedback?
 
I think your research as proven more useful because your actually holding and looking at the rock so you have a better idea of what it is then we do, but like you said being that its not very porous it wont be as beneficial per pound say as really porous rock.
 
Mainly has to do with surface are and the more porous the rock the more surface area there is for the beneficial bacteria to colonize.
 
looks to me like it might be diy artificial live rock made with mortar and shells but they forgot the rocksalt
 
If you like it and want to use it it should be ok... don't worry about the porosity of the rock...algae colonizes on your glass... in tubing etc...
Oh, rocks themselves don't leach phosphate and nitrate.
 
i agree with you research it appears to be limestone or maybe even dark sandstone with fossil traces in it. If you have cooked it for a while and you like it I would give it a try. Just monitor your params and be ready to pull it out. maybe drop it in a bucket of water once its.cooked and see what it does to.phos over a few days.
 
While it does look like fossil limestone, the fossil limestone we see here in texas (holy rock) is always white. If that is it's natural color i'm not sure. Maybe try and acid bath and see if the brown/green color goes away?
 
It is definitely limeston/sandstone rock. I use limestone as a base that is not seen, to support my live rock that is seen.
 
It kinda looks like lace rock, but lace rock is grey. I have a tub of lace, tufa, lava, coral fossil rock in a tubs. I use lace and tufa as my base rock then stack live rock on it.
IMO tufa rock is the best rock for porosity, Texas holey rock is the worst.
 
Did it come from a fish only tank. Or reef tank? If reef then it's most likely not saturated with copper. You can always bath the rock in muriatic acid to cleanse it of any bad stuff.
 
I know those rocks. A guy with a bunch of acres digs them up from his yard and sells them as rocks for fish tanks on ebay. He lives in arizona.

My tank is full of them.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2215387

My only issue is that I had 2 shrimp die after 2 weeks (1 cleaner and 1 peppermint). I am not sure if the rocks played a role. Everything else appears to be healthy. I will not be attempting more shrimp until I can get a water analysis for metals.

Here is a link to one of his ebay auctions:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BOX-FULL-OF...472?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cc1890d0

I believe they are igneous in nature from volcanos that erupted many thousands of years ago.

Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinder
 
Last edited:
It is a sedimentary rock which means it formed at the bottom of a pond, river or other body of water. It is composed of shell and all the detritus and sediment that settled out. You can easily see if it is limestone - acid will make calcium carbonate bubble. I would be concerned with what may be bound in it- obviously the fossilized shells are calcium carbonate but what about everything else. Soak some in either RO or salt water that is known to have 0 phosphate for about a week then test the water. If P rises, I wouldn't use it. Rock that is full of phosphate absolutely will leach it back into the water and you will fight algae for a long time. Pure limestone is white - I would be concerned about what other impurities are in that rock. Maybe test for Iron as well.

There would not be shell in igneous rock - it would have vaporized in the heat. Igneous rock is volcanic - granite, obsideon and other rocks with tiny flecks of colors. Its appearance is largely based on the rate at which the lava cooled.
 
jacob.morgan78 said:
I got this from a family member who was breaking down their tank. It doesn't look like "typical" live rock to me. Should it be used? Can you tell by looking at it? It has been in their tank for a number of years.

I'm more worried about things leaching into the tank other than phosphate and nitrate... Someone suggested it might be artificial dry rock but those are legitimate indentations in the rock, some of the shells that made them are still in the rock.. Kinda like fossils but not sure...

Any danger in this other than leaching phosphate and nitrate?

I did a little research and I think it lacks the tiny holes necessary to be good live rock. It does have plenty of larger holes. I have a quite a bit of this stuff and would like to use it if it's not going to harm anything. What do you think?

5AFD197A-255A-4EFF-894C-1DC9D67D9AB0-1153-0000015ED6CE7213_zpsad0e4c93.jpg


Thanks!
Click to expand...

Kind of looks like someone physically coated it with a sealer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
200 Gallon Mixed Reef - Rock Questions
2
Replies
20
Views
542
wvned
wvned
E
Shipping live rock and fish?
Replies
2
Views
173
Reefing102
Reefing102
E
Marco dried rock or Live rock?
2
Replies
30
Views
3K
Timfish
Timfish
S
High Phosphate leaching from rock - persist or replace?
Replies
3
Views
1K
Tony Romano
T
Niven
Am I allowed to bring live sand/live rock home from Mexico?
Replies
12
Views
263
Uncle99
Uncle99
Back
Top