What's a disadvantage/advantage of using dry rock?

[RussC]

I have the option to build my aquascape with either dry rock or live rock. I realize the benefits of coralline algae with the live rock. I also love the pukani rock with all the crevices and it's interlocking ability. O feel like I can create a better looking aquascape with pukani rock. But I'm skeptical of not using live rock. Can i seed pukani rock with some pieces of live rock?

 

[Jon0807]

Pukani is a great rock. I would definitely use that over live rock. Dry rock is essentially live rock that has been dried. You will have to cure it to make sure all the left over stuff has fallen off and died. There's a ton of how to's. I myself wouldn't use live rock cause it tends to carry a lot of pests. Some good some bad. But I'd rather not have anything bad if I can help it. Coraline will come in time

 

[LuizW13]

Dry rock is pest free, which for me is way more important than getting a head start on bacteria population.

 

[Arnallop3]

A lot of people like to use dry rock to avoid getting any unwanted hitchhikers. I bought some marco rocks 25lb for 60$ free shipping . They are very porous and at a good price. Personally I liked it more than pukani because of how much lighter it is. More rock for your buck

 

[hossa81]

A lot of people like to use dry rock to avoid getting any unwanted hitchhikers. I bought some marco rocks 25lb for 60$ free shipping . They are very porous and at a good price. Personally I liked it more than pukani because of how much lighter it is. More rock for your buck

Marco rocks is my go to, very easy to work with and looks great once established. I would always recommend buying all dry rock and then adding a couple pounds of seed rock, live rock from your lfs, just because of pricing. If you go with Marcos buy a mix of regular rock and premium cut to get a good range of pieces.

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[Sk8r]

Dry rock if placed directly into the tank without conditioning can bring you phosphate (algae-food) and go on delivering it for more than a year---depending on the rock. Some has a major load of it, some doesn't. This means you're going to be wedded to a GFO reactor for some rock, and there's no visual way to tell how bad it will be. Conditioning rock is a matter of tubbing it for a lengthy time, (see the sticky) and if you put your piece of live rock in during that process, its bacteria and non-photosynthetic life will go ahead and spread through the rock. Using unconditioned dry rock from some sources can give you huge algae problems.

 

[RussC]

Dry rock if placed directly into the tank without conditioning can bring you phosphate (algae-food) and go on delivering it for more than a year---depending on the rock. Some has a major load of it, some doesn't. This means you're going to be wedded to a GFO reactor for some rock, and there's no visual way to tell how bad it will be. Conditioning rock is a matter of tubbing it for a lengthy time, (see the sticky) and if you put your piece of live rock in during that process, its bacteria and non-photosynthetic life will go ahead and spread through the rock. Using unconditioned dry rock from some sources can give you huge algae problems.

You bring up a point I was unaware of and the reason I post questions like this in the first place. Conditioning? When you say tubbing it, you mean running it in conditioned water in a tub like you see in the LFS? Is phosphate found on all unconditioned, dry rock?

 

[Arnallop3]

Most dry rock will leach out phosphate but if you keep rocks in some water before placing in tank you can avoid those nasty phosphates that feed all these algaes.

 

[RussC]

Saltwater? How long?

 

[Sk8r]

It's in the sticky thread at the top of this forum.

 

[RussC]

It's in the sticky thread at the top of this forum.

Not familiar with what you mean when you say "sticky thread." What is that?

 

[Reefpuck]

Not familiar with what you mean when you say "sticky thread." What is that?

There are threads at the top of each forum page, that stay on the top with helpful information (hence..."sticky"). Go back to the New to the Hobby page showing all the different threads...and look at the ones on top. Can't miss them.

 

[JTL]

Over the years I have tried lots of live rock and some dry rock. Both of which caused me some problems like hitchhikers and unwanted algae. This time I decided to try BRS Reef Saver Rock. I bought 70 lbs and that was plenty. I put it in a brute container with saltwater and some bacteria in a bottle, I used the IO brand. I also threw in a dead shrimp. I also put in a small power head. I didn't check anything, which was a mistake because it may have cycled and I didn't know it. I tested the water after the 4 weeks and there was a little phosphate and no ammonia. I moved the rock to my DT which I had just set up, added another bottle of bacteria, and some ammonia. I let it cycle which only took a few days, probably it was just doing a new cycle but I had to be sure. I have had zero phosphates and very low if any nitrates. I did add some live rock that I got from someone who was tearing down a tank, it looked very clean but I may have introduced some HA and a bristle worm or two so maybe I negated the advantage of dry rock. Another thing the Reef Saver rock is not really dry rock in the normal sense because it has never been wet, well not for a few thousand years. It is mined on shore from what were old sea beds as I understand it.

 

[BlackburnD]

This is an interesting topic, and I have been wondering about it myself lately. I like the idea of not using live rock mostly for the environmental factors. Certainly I like the idea of not having bad hitch-hikers, but it also gives no chance to get some good ones. Really not sure which direction I will go with it.

 

[Sk8r]

I used rock from another tank for my 52 gallon setup, and had 52 different sorts of hitchhikers, and the only bad one was a handful of aiptasia that five pep shrimp took care of it a week. the other hitchhikers were several varieties of good worms, several corals, about five different sponges, stomatella snails, strombus grazers, and copepods and amphipods, besides other things. I'll always go for rock with a biology if I can get it.

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

I'm with sk8r on this one. I roll the dice and put nasty wet live rock in my tank. Makes for a nice cycle as well as adding cool things straight from the ocean. I have been VERY lucky in terms of hitch hikers. My latest was a stomatella snail. Usually it's bristle worms, sponges, and pods. Like I said, I get lucky. :thumbsup:

 

[LuizW13]

I started mine with Dry pukani rock, last time i checked, maybe less than a week ago, my phosphate was around .128(Hanna phosphorous). This is with 5/6 lbs in 17 gallons of water. So far no algae bloom (just cycled this past weekend). I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Haunt]

For those that are dodging live rock because of the pests, I hope you do QT everything else there after...

 

[michael.lemke]

I've started a couple tanks with dry rock. It's just slower than live rock from the ocean. I have NEVER had problems with phosphate due to the rock.the rock just takes a year or so to really become live with all the qualities that ocean rock poses.


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[Punchanello]

It probably should be mentioned that there is a difference between "dry rock" that was formerly live rock and still has lots of dead stuff in it, something like Marco Rock that is processed dry rock with little or no dead stuff and "manufactured rock" like Life Rock.

As a noob, this wasn't explained to me very well and caused me a bit of confusion as well.