Dying dry rock

[Scottsquatch]

So, I am about to set up my RODI unit so I can fill my brute and start cycling my Marco rock. The thing is, I really hate how white the rock is until it is covered in coraline algae. In several DIY rock recipies I have seen, people added pink or purple Ritt dye to the rock to give it color. Has anybody here ever tried that with Marco/Reef Saver rock before? If so, what were your results? I was thinking I would mix a strong freshwater dye solution and soak the rock in that for a week or two and then allow it to thoroughly dry. Then I would fill the brute with salwater, a pump, and a heater to cycle it. Any thoughts? Any suggestions? I'd really like to know what you guys think.

 

[skiergd011013]

I have never heard of that. I have seen the fake purple coralline rock though. I would just play it safe and let it happen naturally. Just throw a chunk of live rock in with it. Even before coralline, the rock will darken over the course of several weeks. It really wont look new for long.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have done a couple of reefs in the past and realize it darkens fairly quickly. What I was talking about is getting a purple look similar to reef rock 2.0 or whatever that stuff is. I was curious if anybody has tried it before and what the results were. I really dislike the ugly tones the rock gets before the coraline grows in. Almost as much as the bright white! LOL! I can always just wait for the coraline to grow in like on my past tanks, but I thought this might be an idea worth exploring.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Patience young grasshopper...

Right now my 2 month old reef has an ugly brown color. Started with dry pukani from BRS that was pretty much white. I've added some coraline scrapings and now I'm just waiting on it to start growing everywhere...

 

[Scottsquatch]

I have heard that it can also grow faster if you dose kalk. I guess I'll just go that route. I'm used to waiting from my other reefs in the past 20 years or so. I was just thinking out loud I guess. I know nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby.... but a guy can wish.

 

[skiergd011013]

I have heard that it can also grow faster if you dose kalk. I guess I'll just go that route. I'm used to waiting from my other reefs in the past 20 years or so. I was just thinking out loud I guess. I know nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby.... but a guy can wish.

I would strongly advise against dosing anything at all, unless it is needed and testing shows that it is needed. You could very easily throw your parameters out of whack, and the result will be no coralline. I dose nothing, and do water changes with red sea coral pro salt, which has very high trace elements, and i saw coralline in less than a month.

 

[skiergd011013]

i just received this today. i would look into it, if you want a boost. I even called the guy and he talked to me for ten mins about it. https://arcreef.com/product/coralli...MIsIn_rZzE2AIVE7XACh0JiQAOEAYYASABEgKNO_D_BwE

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I would strongly advise against dosing anything at all, unless it is needed and testing shows that it is needed. You could very easily throw your parameters out of whack, and the result will be no coralline. I dose nothing, and do water changes with red sea coral pro salt, which has very high trace elements, and i saw coralline in less than a month.

That salt is great for larger systems that can absorb the higher elements. My nano crashed because of it. Noob mistake.

 

[skiergd011013]

That salt is great for larger systems that can absorb the higher elements. My nano crashed because of it. Noob mistake.

im sorry for your loss. But I wouldnt be so quick to blame the salt. I have a 30 gallon reef, that is literally 98% softies. The tank is thriving with this salt. i have used io, iorc, coralife, and this is by far my favorite salt.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Why would you advise against kalk? If you dose it properly through your ATO, its probably one of the best and safest reef tank additives you can get. Its also a great way to maintain both alklinity and calcium in equal amounts.

 

[skiergd011013]

Just my 0.02. I have spent a lot of time chasing coralline in various tanks over several years. I have dosed many products, and used kalk. My most recent tank, i am seeing the fastest results by doing the method i mentioned. I don't claim to know everything, or that my method is the best. Im just sharing my experience of what worked best for me, and want others to be sucessful as well.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Thanks, i may try it. Have youtried the coraline in a bottle?

 

[skiergd011013]

Thanks, i may try it. Have youtried the coraline in a bottle?

yes! I received it today, and added it to the tank. I had a nice conversation with the guy there on the phone. I asked lots of questions. He guarantees it has at least 6 different species in it. He said they have tested it in about 100 new tanks, and almost always within one month the coralline "chickenpox dots" pop up. With adding so many species, he said 3 or 4 will love your tank, compete for space and aggressively take over. Seems like a killer product!

 

[Ashish Patel]

Coming from someone who started with all dry "white reef saver rock" 9 months ago I can tell you I wish I had just spend a $100 instead on caribsea shapes rock. I seeded with 40LB of established LR covered in coraline and still does not look like the picture below.

Below is what the caribsea shapes looks like right from the start. Picture is from another R2R member.

 

[Idoc]

Put a white light on that rock after the cycle... that white will be replaced with green in a couple days, lol. I long for the days when my rock was white... before the uglies started!

 

[Ashish Patel]

Nice. This was my dry rock at 5 months. Even with purple LR to seed it I honestly could not imagine it would ever turned. It only started turning after 6 months and best way to get purple is to increase your MG