Way to color rocks?

[One fish]

My lfs sells red/purple rocks but they charge 15 dollars a pound. I want to fill a 20 gallon but one small rock is 80 dollars. I would like to buy reefsaver dead rock from BRS but hate the plain white color. Is there a way to color these rocks? That is safe for fish? I have seen people recommend krylon spray paint, but after painting a rock I definitely did not want to put that in my tank. They sell purple putty at my lfs. Could I snear that all over the rocks? Anybody have any ideas?

 

[billdogg]

The only safe way is to let nature do her thing and allow coralline algae to grow on it.

and FWIW - $15/lb for live rock is WAY too much. I'd look for another LFS

 

[syngraves]

your lfs is probably selling coralline algae covered rocks. I dont recommend artifically coloring rock. try using dry base rock with one or two coralline covered rocks to seed the tank and if your water chem is in check the coralline will spread. its a slow process which is why your LFS is probably selling at such a high price.

just my 2 cents

 

[toothybugs]

If you REALLY want to purple up your rocks, do as suggested above (seeding dry rock) and give it a couple months after your cycle to stabilize, then turn off your filters and let your powerheads run while scraping at some of the coralline. It will have the effect of spreading spores and 'seeds' all over your tank. Then keep your magnesium and calcium levels up to par and you'll be good.

Be careful what you wish for, however...

 

[maazreef]

I also wouldn't suggest painting or covering the rocks with putty as you will seal the rock and defeat the purpose of the bio filtration. But 15/lb is crazy. Don't buy from them. I'd say wait for it to grow on its own. You will save yourself some headaches of bringing hitch hikers in your tank.

 

[gone fishin]

If you do not want to pay the price, which seems pretty high to me, then time and patience my friend.

 

[julie180]

I have seen what you are talking about at my lfs. I was told that the rock was "painted". Looking closely at it, I could see where it had chipped.

I don't know any more about it but would not put it in my tank.

 

[FraggledRock]

are these rocks made by LiveReef?

 

[FraggledRock]

If you do not want to pay the price, which seems pretty high to me, then time and patience my friend.

this. proper water parameters and time.

in the end the color will get covered with growth anyway, making the urchase price obsolete.

 

[steve2003]

I bought a good size one and Im hoping all goes well and it has been, I have a little purple on some of the other rocks..

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

The painted "real reef" rocks that my LFS carried are made to look like they are covered in coralline, but are actualy painted, and cycled by the company that makes them so they have no hitchhikers, good or bad. Also they arn't harvested from the ocean, so they are good for the reefs. of course if the LFS keeps them with their other live rock, than they can/ will have hitchhikers, and just be a very expencive purple rock that woun't cause any actual coralline to grow unless you have another peice of live rock in there. I bought a peice unknowingly when I first got my tank, and after I could afford more rock, I replaced it because it looked too fake. I'd say just get dry rock and a peice of live to seed it. It's fun to watch the progress of coralline growth just like it's fun to watch frags grow rather than starting with coral colonies. and it's alot cheaper as well.

 

[1MP3R1AL]

Hey one fish, are you talking about quantum reefs?

 

[Sk8r]

The natural color of all rock and objects submerged for very long in the ocean is baby poo brown. To get more, get mushrooms in red and green and purple, green star polyp, and other things most fish won't dream of eating.

 

[Mcgeezer]

Nothing good comes quickly in the saltwater hobby. Im going to be very honest so don't take this the wrong way. If you can't wait or be patient....don't bother starting a tank.

 

[One fish]

Hey one fish, are you talking about quantum reefs?

Yeah that's the place I was referring to, are you familiar? What do you think about their rocks? Beautiful but damn expensive in my opinion.

Thanks for all the advise and help everyone! Gives me a lot to look and think about. Smart folks. (Except for Mcgeezer)

 

[1MP3R1AL]

The rocks they have are dyed that color. Basically they look pretty but have no beneficial bacteria needed to start a cycle or maintain an aquarium. Do yourself a favor... Look on Craigslist for live rock, buy dry rock and cycle that way. Or when your ready for coral, most of the time coralline comes on the frag plug and that's all you need. The purple color takes time and keeping your parameters up. If your close I'll give you some.

 

[One fish]

The rocks they have are dyed that color. Basically they look pretty but have no beneficial bacteria needed to start a cycle or maintain an aquarium. Do yourself a favor... Look on Craigslist for live rock, buy dry rock and cycle that way. Or when your ready for coral, most of the time coralline comes on the frag plug and that's all you need. The purple color takes time and keeping your parameters up. If your close I'll give you some.

Wow no way. I was in there the other day and was looking at the rocks thinking they looked strange. I wonder how they dyed it? Thats why I asked the question in the first place, because their rocks do look good I would like to replicate them.

Thanks for the help! Have you bought any rocks off of craigslist here? I have seen a few adds in the past but never contacted them.. Kind of nervous I might be paying for someones junk. Do you have a link?

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

Those dyed reef rocks are dyed using some secret process that they claim takes a long time and is reef safe. I never noticed any problems caused by it, but didn't like the look when compaired to actual live rock, so I took it out. You could try finding a local forum wher eyou are and see if there is a selling section. They have one here in Houston, and people are always selling stuff for realy good prices localy, including livestock, live rock, and used equipment. Worth a look. If you're worried about what you're getting from someone, you can always ask for pictures. Of course you never know what hitchhikers you're gonna get with soeone's live rock, it's the same with any live rock you'd buy.

 

[1MP3R1AL]

I don't have a link, search craigslist. Try and find something covered in coralline, not just claiming its "live". Or I could give you a small piece.

 

[JammyBirch]

I'm with everyone else, just wait it out. I used the BRS dry rock that you're talking about and bought two small rocks with coralline on them to seed the tank. I actually like the wait because i see little spots of green, red, pink and puple all over the dry rock now...it's more fun, for me anyway, to watch all of this go down. What really has helped the process is adding 2 blue leg crabs, those guys have coralline on there shells and they are always crawling on everything, so they are spreading it...

My rock is not really baby poop brown it's not white anymore but not unattractive.

I wanted Coralline too when i first started but it ends up being a pain in the pills when it starts growing on the glass and everything else...so i'm happy to wait for it. Besides if you're looking for color add some corals they are way better anyway...