Best for new tank

[saixiong08]

Starting a new tank. What’s better love rock, or dried rock?

 

[XNavyDiver]

If I could turn back the clock, I would have gone with live rock. (Hey, I'm a poet, and didn't know it.)

 

[rtparty]

Depends on the quality of the live rock. Is it true live rock full of coraline, sponges and other organisms or is it just dead rock that is being cured currently?

 

[Jason mack]

Maybe this Will help !!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I've personallly had a good experience with both. My first tank was entirely live rock and I had a few aiptasia at first and some sort of nudis pop up, but other than that it was good for the tank. My current tank is 100% dry BRS reefsaver rock and it took a bit longer (maybe 2 weeks longer) to cycle, mature, etc. but I haven't had any unwanted pests as a result of the rock and I think it looks better than the liverock I could find locally.

 

[jeff howard]

dry rock correctly cured. you have to cure it because it will often leach stuff into the water. I started with actual ocean reef rock, so I think we have a good base. Now we use BRS reefsaver rock. it is the only way to know there aren't any pests coming in.

 

[saixiong08]

Can I start the cycle without the dry rock in the tank by using the shrimp method? Or does the rock have to be in the tank as well?

 

[XNavyDiver]

Can I start the cycle without the dry rock in the tank by using the shrimp method? Or does the rock have to be in the tank as well?

You need to have the rock in the tank to cycle it. The rock is where all that nitrifying bacteria will populate to make your biological filter.

 

[saixiong08]

You need to have the rock in the tank to cycle it. The rock is where all that nitrifying bacteria will populate to make your biological filter.

Thanks

 

[Jason mack]

Can I start the cycle without the dry rock in the tank by using the shrimp method? Or does the rock have to be in the tank as well?

Well you Will need rock in there thats Where all the bacteria Will colonise as Well as Your sand or other filter material if Your using that ..

 

[mtraylor]

Get you some good live rock and cure it.

 

[Jason mack]

Get you some good live rock and cure it.

You dont cure live rock !!! Only dry rock !!!!

 

[Bob Lauson]

The shortest route to a functioning aquarium is live rock. I tried it both ways and live rock is a better choice

 

[ReefEco]

Live rock will definitely still need some curing, as there will always be some die off. Note that the dried live rock, the popular Pukani or Fiji, is just live rock that is dried out prior to shipping, or on the boat to the US. Both live rock from reefs, and any dried rock that is not the mined Reef Saver or Marco rock is ripped directly from reef structure, and perhaps one of the most destructive practices to reefs - avoid it if you can. There are many man made alternatives from Walt Smith and Tampa Bay Saltwater, for instance, if you want the "live" aspect - they let the rock sit in the ocean and it gets all sort of stuff growing on it. Less porous then Pukani or Fiji, but with all the biological media out there, that is less of a concern. I think the best combination of pest avoidance and critters is to use the Reef Saver type rock, and seed it with either a small amount of the man made cultured rock, or get something like the cultured critter kits from IPSF.com - they even sell coralline algae plates to seed your tank. Or just seed with some pod kits from places like Algae Barn, and coralline will probably come in on snail shells and coral mounts. This route takes a little longer, but you have more control over what you add (pest free), and aren't ripping out parts of the reef with live rock...

 

[rcpalmer1]

I have done it both ways. If I was starting from scratch I would without a doubt start with dry rock from Marco rock. I have a tank that started with their rock ten years ago and it is still that most stable I have had and I didn't have all the die off like other dry rock and no pest like live rock. A cycle only take a few weeks for something you are going to have for years. Why chance having problems that you may be fighting for longer than the cycle would have taken. If you want to speed up thing you can use live sand or they even sell cycle in a bottle.

 

[flsalty]

This is a highly debatable topic, but I have to throw in with the live rock only crowd. I believe the threat of pests is smaller than the gain from biodiversity.

 

[mtraylor]

You dont cure live rock !!! Only dry rock !!!!

LOL. I cured my live rock, and my aquarium is thriving. Here is some help for you if you need a good read.

Enjoy.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=209

 

[Jason mack]

Ok think this is just a miss interpretation between America and Europe .. most likely on my part .. here your using cured as meaning cycled or cycling rock .. which I totally agree with .. please accept my apologies !!

 

[mtraylor]

No worries. We are all here to help each other. No apology needed.

Happy Reefing.

 

[ReefEco]

Agree this is debatable, but hopefully not much longer. On balance, taking into account the destruction of reefs with wild live rock collection, I really think the argument for live rock collection is getting less viable. There are many ways to duplicate the biodiversity that accompanies wild collected live rock, and those methodologies are getting better and cheaper every day. Hopefully we can make the transition to not taking any rock from reefs, similar to more and more aquacultured corals and fish being available every day. With live rock collection from reefs - it is kind of like the difference between trimming your grass, and ripping up the sod completely. Kind of silly when you think about it.