byronious
Active Member
I plan on mainly using dry rock and 1 or 2 pieces of live rock from a good LFS. They have their live rock in a big display tank. Shouldn't it be safe from unwanted critters? What about live sand?
Dry Rock Vs Live Rock?
- Thread starter TaylorLee
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Reef Keeper 18
Well-Known Member
What I did was buy dry rock from Reefrocks.net it was cheap price but quality rock. I soaked in r.o. water for two days dried it for two days then took about two weeks to soak the rock while in saltwater with nite out and then special blend which im now adding to my display too. ive had the tank up for less than a month and already successfully keeping sps corals
Jordangil
Active Member
I know people will disagree but I like dry rock alot better .
1. I know whats exactly going into my tank ..... ( I buy frags and dip the crap out of them so this is 99% true nothing major will get buy )
2. So easy to aquascape
3/ You don't have to worry about what might be creeping in your tank and worry about sticking your finger in some crevice and have a euncid bite it off lol .
I could afford live rock or dry rock , I was going to buy real reef because that stuffs sick. But my lfs is awesome and had reef saver rock all layed out on shelves for 2.49 a lb so I got to build out my scape on there counter and label it and it only cost me 140 all together and its sick .
1. I know whats exactly going into my tank ..... ( I buy frags and dip the crap out of them so this is 99% true nothing major will get buy )
2. So easy to aquascape
3/ You don't have to worry about what might be creeping in your tank and worry about sticking your finger in some crevice and have a euncid bite it off lol .
I could afford live rock or dry rock , I was going to buy real reef because that stuffs sick. But my lfs is awesome and had reef saver rock all layed out on shelves for 2.49 a lb so I got to build out my scape on there counter and label it and it only cost me 140 all together and its sick .
No it isn't safe from the unwanteds. I recently got a frag from one nicest tanks I have ever seen. I got it home and dipped it like I do with everything. A bristle worm was in the rock and there was another little critter as well as the normal pods and stuff.
Needless to say I wouldn't recommend any live rock unless it's from someone you know is really anal about the stuff. A LFS will probably tell you that they don't have any critters in their tank just to sell you the rock. I have offered to trade some of my live rock for some dry rock to get him started.
I used live sand on my first tank. Never had any issues with it. Some say it's worthless, others not. When I did my upgrade I just used Pink Aragonite. Saw no real difference to be honest.
jgraz
Valuable Member
Yes it is safe from unwanted pests. But depending how long it's been sitting the term "live" can be called into question. IMO save the money and get yourself some dry sand. I used Tropic Eden reef flakes and love it. Even after having it shipped, Lb for lb it was cheaper then any live sand I could find locally. But if you do use live, the Fiji pink from caribsea has a great look to it.
gmoney243
2500 Club Member
Live rock has more good than bad. There's a lot of good sponges and pods etc on live rock that's good.for your ecosystem. That being said I use mostly dry and every so often I get and QT some live rock to check for pests then add to tank. Usually I buy pieces that have some strange growing on it as our lfs has it on display to see and I just pick out a small piece or two depending on what I see on it. Recently I got 2 small open brain corals and a gorgonian on live rock all for like $15 plus good sponges and such.
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Timfish
Crusty Old Salt
I keep hearing about pests on live rock and over the years I have run into a couple of mantis and stone crabs and once I got a dozen krakon worms in one batch. I would never consider setting up a marine system without at least some live rock. The beneficial organisms that you cannot get anay where else FAR outwiegh the minimal risk of getting something unwanted. The mistake I think many people make is they do not "cure" it by keeping it in a separate tank and essentially quarintining it just like you should quarintine fish (and arguably anything that goes into a display tank). Kept in a tank on eggcrate a couple of inchs of the bottom and closely inspected should find most pests. One interesting expeience of a local aquarist here in Austin is a mantis shrimp cohabitating with a couple of damsels and a mithrax crab (altough it will not tolerate a Coral Banded Shrimp). One thing that annoys me is when an occurance of aptasia is blamed on live rock. If live rock has aptasia on it it was in somebody's tank first.
Bry
Well-Known Member
+1 - great point!
I used love sand and dry rock. I now wish I would have not sued live sand and just used the money elsewhere.
I have never heard of hitchhikers in live sand so use it with little to no worry.
IMO dry sand will be the way I go from now on.
I have never heard of hitchhikers in live sand so use it with little to no worry.
IMO dry sand will be the way I go from now on.
OP
OP
TaylorLee
Active Member
Dry rock. For no reason will I ever start a tank with love rock.
I got pukani rock from BRS and I love it. It is cheap compared to live rock and I have no aptasia or bristle worms or any other type of hitch hikers. As far as the time to cycle. Who cares. My cycle took just under 8 weeks. During that time I kept myself busy with other tank stuff.
As far as coloring up it really doesn't take very long and you can really appreciate it once you get the color going.
Here are some pictures. Every thread should have some!
This was maybe 3-4 weeks after my cycle was done. Late January to early February
I can't seem to find an older full tank shot. This was probably taken in May maybe early June. I am guessing based on what's in the tank.
It really doesn't take that long to get color on the rock. I didn't seed with live rock either because that defeats the purpose of using dry rock IMO.
Great tank! I think i have some quality information now that i can start purchasing my live rock! More input is welcome! There's no such thing as too much information!
. Thanks to all who has helped out!
