Dry Reef Rock: What are your thoughts?

BRS
Jump to Last
Tidal Gardens
Nothing wrong with dry rock. That's what I started with. About 80% Pukani rock. I didn't cycle it either, even though I wish I had. If you have the space, save money and cycle the rock for a month or so. You can do it in a simple 42 gal brute trash can from any home improvement store.
 
Orphek OR3 reef aquarium LED bar
For me has and most likely will always be LIVE ROCK, way to many positives outweighing the few negatives IMHO. The amount and diversity of life that you get with LR makes it way more interesting and complete of an ecosystem. As stated above, it is much more likely to receive nasty pests from receiving Corals and placing them in your tanks without proper Dipping and or Quarantine. My personal observation/study of using Dry Rock has been that it will take many years if not decades to match the benefits of real Live Rock which can be many decades old. Realistically I think that you could eliminate 99% of the 'Risk Factor' of LR by closely inspecting it during the 2-4 weeks of Cycling being observant of any unwanted guests.

Cheers, Todd
 
Yeah. I should have added that I was considering adding some LR but quarantining it first.
 
I agree with those in favor of using live rock. I do understand about the cost though because you will pay more for live. I still have my original marshall island rock that I received uncured for my very first reef tank in the early 90's. I was fascinated with the life that it came with and I always think it's a good idea to have some live rock in your tank. I think it provides more biological diversity in the long run. Just my .02.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Eienna said:
Interesting. Never heard of that rock before.
I had enough with the aiptasia. I don't want ANY other pests...ever...
Click to expand...

I have dealt with live rock from all over... Marshall islands, Fiji, Fiji when Fiji was still good, pukani, and a couple others... This is the best rock I have ever seen hands down no ifs and or buts. The last piece I bought is nearly the size of a basketball and weighed in at 7.8lbs. A similar sized Fiji rock would be around twice as heavy (in my experience). I'm impressed by the amount of life that is actually on this rock. Everything from chiton, limpet, copepods, amphipods, I even have a breeding population of snails. The bacteria contained inside this rock is way over par also. I have trouble having nitrate showing up at all.

With live rock you do take a chance at three occasional bad hitchhiker. Normally these stories are far and few between, and always broadcasted. Often less announced are the great benefits to live rock. Sure using dry rock will work, and you can buy lots of critters to live inside them. Lots of these critters come inside the live rock and some most hobbyist never think of including.

uploadfromtaptalk1400101231677.jpg

The rock on the far right is the 7.8lb one I have referred to. It was added right about 3 weeks ago. The rest was bought in December, cured in a tub until march and put in the tank.
 
Pete polyp said:
I have dealt with live rock from all over... Marshall islands, Fiji, Fiji when Fiji was still good, pukani, and a couple others... This is the best rock I have ever seen hands down no ifs and or buts. The last piece I bought is nearly the size of a basketball and weighed in at 7.8lbs. A similar sized Fiji rock would be around twice as heavy (in my experience). I'm impressed by the amount of life that is actually on this rock. Everything from chiton, limpet, copepods, amphipods, I even have a breeding population of snails. The bacteria contained inside this rock is way over par also. I have trouble having nitrate showing up at all.

With live rock you do take a chance at three occasional bad hitchhiker. Normally these stories are far and few between, and always broadcasted. Often less announced are the great benefits to live rock. Sure using dry rock will work, and you can buy lots of critters to live inside them. Lots of these critters come inside the live rock and some most hobbyist never think of including.

uploadfromtaptalk1400101231677.jpg

The rock on the far right is the 7.8lb one I have referred to. It was added right about 3 weeks ago. The rest was bought in December, cured in a tub until march and put in the tank.
Click to expand...
Now I'm wishing I could afford to try putting a few in...but apparently it's nearly $200 for an order...
 
I didn't get it from that site, I just googled and found it. I purchased the rock at a lfs in little rock AR. I do know this rock comes from Walt Smith though.
 
Tidal Gardens
Yeah, its more than twice the rock too! Would be great if you had someone nearby and halfed it.
 
Aiptasia aren't too difficult to deal with. Reduce your nutrients and they disappear, or get some peppermint shrimp or a Copperband Butterfly.
 
only way i will stat a tank now. to many times I have run into pest like red flat worms, aptasia or unwanted algae that spreads. This tank used 95% dry rock and 1 small piece of LR to seed it and everything is fine in the tank, no pest, no unwanted algae like bubble or anything. You will get plenty of bacteria diversity with adding fish and corals to the tank.
 
Jonreefer said:
only way i will stat a tank now. to many times I have run into pest like red flat worms, aptasia or unwanted algae that spreads. This tank used 95% dry rock and 1 small piece of LR to seed it and everything is fine in the tank, no pest, no unwanted algae like bubble or anything. You will get plenty of bacteria diversity with adding fish and corals to the tank.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. My new tank was 95% dry rock with a couple pieces of LR for seeding purposes. If aptasia was so easy to get rid of, people wouldn't be posting about it all the time. Same for bubble algae, etc. I want control over what goes into my system, and LR has too many unknowns coming in with it.
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Pete polyp said:
What hitchhikers are you referring to?
Click to expand...

Aiptasia, bubble algae, flat worms, bristle worms, limpets, etc...I know the last 2 aren't such a huge deal...but I do get a little grossed out thinking about how large bristle worms can get.

My experience with liverock might also be jaded because I've had all these issues as a result of being new to the SW hobby and using Liverock when I was initially setting up my current tank...Back then I didn't know about dips, didn't know much about any SW pests or anything.
 
Last edited:
Towner said:
Started my tank with Dry rock.... 90% anyway. It's going on three years old and the tank is doing fantastic. No Hitchhikers, The rock grows its own nitrifying bacteria after a couple of months, it will color up and grow just as much stuff as live rock eventually. So far no signs of causing problems in my tank!
Click to expand...

Nice tank!

Go Skins!

:)

I've used Marco Rocks , as well as Real Reef Rocks and I would recommend either for a new tank. Best to cycle the rock for a month or so, but I didn't the first time but after a while the bacteria colonized and the algaes and what not started coloring up the rock. I have read that the dry rock will leach some phosphates but the first time I used it I didn't notice a problem.
 
Deltec
Paintguru said:
Totally agree. My new tank was 95% dry rock with a couple pieces of LR for seeding purposes. If aptasia was so easy to get rid of, people wouldn't be posting about it all the time. Same for bubble algae, etc. I want control over what goes into my system, and LR has too many unknowns coming in with it.
Click to expand...

Anything can become hard to get rid of if you let it get to an infestation. If you used any live rock to seed the dry rock then in time it all became the same as the live rock. Of course I have had an aptasia or six in my tank. Every single one came from a frag, not the live rock. All live rock is not created equal either. Buying "standard" live rock instead of buying "ultra premium" to save a few bucks can really come back to bite you.

There's nothing at all wrong with using all dry rock if that's what you chose to do. But what people don't understand is that it will take more time to establish compared to live rock. I have been through so many threads of people using dry rock and 3 months later they have nutrient issues. Oh course they only have themselves to blame (usually) by moving too fast and letting the biosystem establish. I'm sure I would be guilty of the exact same thing if I were to use dry rock, because I stock fast and really never quit buying stuff.
 
Unless you have deep wallets then i say dry. I think it makes for easier aquascaping - not that I do much more than throw the rocks and hope they look good. just need patience. we dont have great sources for live rock where I live either. I got a couple pieces to seed my dry rock but they look so different - like they dont belong. I may pull them into another tank im planning.
 
BRS

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
See comments…

New Posts

Top Shelf Aquatics
Chewy.com
Dinkins Aquatic Gardens
Deltec
Nutramar Foods
Tidal Gardens
World Wide Corals
TCK Corals
New Posts
Back
Top