Aquarium rock

[Saltybumfuzzle]

As you might know, I am setting up a 10g reef tank (it will be my first saltwater, but I've had a bunch of freshwater tanks haha) I have had this dry rock for a while, I had gotten it for an African cichlid tank but I don't have it anymore and I was just wondering if it'd be okay to use for my reef to save some money, it's definitely enough but I was just curious to know if there was anyway you guys might know to tell if it's safe to put in there. Some of it does have some green algae on the tops, and if you guys don't think it's a good idea is there anything I might be able to do to it to make it okay for my tank?
Thanks for any advice you might have

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

As you might know, I am setting up a 10g reef tank (it will be my first saltwater, but I've had a bunch of freshwater tanks haha) I have had this dry rock for a while, I had gotten it for an African cichlid tank but I don't have it anymore and I was just wondering if it'd be okay to use for my reef to save some money, it's definitely enough but I was just curious to know if there was anyway you guys might know to tell if it's safe to put in there. Some of it does have some green algae on the tops, and if you guys don't think it's a good idea is there anything I might be able to do to it to make it okay for my tank?
Thanks for any advice you might have

Here's a photo I forgot to add haha

 

[mcarroll]

It's probably not porous at all despite the outward appearance, so while it won't likely hurt anything to use it, it will not function very much like live rock in its filtration capacity. (Denitrification removes nitrates from the water. You want this feature in your tank!!)

Maybe start with it, but slowly replace pieces with cured live rock as you can afford it?

That said, you should only need about 8 pounds of actual live rock in there...perhaps even less. That should be less than $80 - maybe a lot less if you're patient and find someone with used rock. And you could always start with half and work your way up to 8 pounds!

 

[Untamedrose]

Generally its a no no....the lava rock used in FW tanks ....can leach heavy metals into SW as it dissolves it more. BUT the chemistry of lava rock to lava rock changes and some..ok you can find a few folks have done ok with it.

In a 10 gal start up I wouldnt recommend nor the 10 gal TBH. The cost difference between a 10 gal and a 30 is maybe a 100 bucks and.....30 is a better starter and offers a whole lot more species.

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

It's probably not porous at all despite the outward appearance, so while it won't likely hurt anything to use it, it will not function very much like live rock in its filtration capacity. (Denitrification removes nitrates from the water. You want this feature in your tank!!)

Maybe start with it, but slowly replace pieces with cured live rock as you can afford it?

That said, you should only need about 8 pounds of actual live rock in there...perhaps even less. That should be less than $80 - maybe a lot less if you're patient and find someone with used rock. And you could always start with half and work your way up to 8 pounds!

Yeahh I was thinking of starting with that possibly and then finding someone that has some live rock that id be able to buy you're right about it not being very porous I just looked at them and I can't believe I forgot to look closer at them before haha

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Generally its a no no....the lava rock used in FW tanks ....can leach heavy metals into SW as it dissolves it more. BUT the chemistry of lava rock to lava rock changes and some..ok you can find a few folks have done ok with it.

In a 10 gal start up I wouldnt recommend nor the 10 gal TBH. The cost difference between a 10 gal and a 30 is maybe a 100 bucks and.....30 is a better starter and offers a whole lot more species.

Ohh I didn't know that about the lava rock I won't use that one although I probably won't use any of them because they aren't as I'd thought haha. But I don't really have the space for anything really bigger than the 10g but I'm kinda using this just to get an idea on a reef tank, and eventually I'll probably turn the 55g I have into a saltwater if I can afford it one day