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Yeah, you knew I'd get to this point eventually...
It's time for me to get serious about rocking my aquarium...
Oops. Wrong kind of "live rock!"
"Wait, Fellman, you have to HAVE the tank first, right?"
Well, not necessarily. Hear me out.
I would like to make sure that the rock I use is at least "cultured" a bit with some life before I dump it (okay, "place it"- dumping sounds so uncivilized) into my tank when it's time, and this means I'd want to keep it submerged in a nice SW environment first. Fortunately, I know this place where there's like 16,000 gallons of saltwater in which to do this, and I'm there like every day...
SO, it's not too soon to think about this!
Since I last was "personally wet", there have been a number of options available for rock for reef tanks.
Obviously, there is still live rock. We can go back and forth arguing the ecological pros and cons, and the potential to introduce pests...All are valid points. The plus side is that it's, well- "live" from day one, and natural...which obviously is the "down side" as well..And the "cycling" is always a consideration for many people...
Mother nature still makes some bad-a_ _ rock!
There's quarried rock, like my fave Marco Rock, which has many attractive advantages, among them the fact that it's completely devoid of life forms, "fits" together super nicely, and is very cost-effective. Of course, the downside is that it IS completely devoid of life and will take some "down time" to recruit life forms. This stuff is so porous and "workable" that any perceived "downside" of having to be patient can be overcome by it's aesthetics.
I heart Marco Rock.
Then, of course, there is Real Reef, which in years past scared the heck out of me because of its composition...and it's a much, much better product now, with great aesthetics and light weight. They even make a branch rock that's pretty stunning. And of course, it's pretty much ready to go. I've seen some great tanks down with this stuff...The "now" aspect is tempting. Who's had it long term? Thoughts?
Jake and I used Real Reef Branch in a show tank recently and LOVED it!
Then I see the great rock from Walt Smith (v2.0. v2.1 is the "dry" version). It's lightweight, attractive, and has a very different aesthetic than either of the two aforementioned brands. And the fact that it's made on site in Fiji with local labor is pretty cool.
Walt Smith does it again..and again...and again!
It basically falls into a couple of camps- natural live/dried or artificial.
I've done tanks with both over the years, with good results from each.
And of course, this is the part where we open up the discussion to your input!
Let's see pics of your tanks with different types of rocks, here your experiences with them, etc. A lot of reefers will benefit. Now, this is NOT about bashing one brand or another. It's about sharing your experiences and thoughts on the rock you used. If you're stoked on the rock, cool. If you have regrets on your choice, we'd want to hear them, too.
There are better alternatives than ever before, and the quality, value, and merits of each are really significant. Thank goodness we live in a time where we have so many good alternatives. The ecological and sustainability aspects of manmade rocks cannot be discounted. There are so many advantages that it's almost a non-talking-point. I think that, to me, it boils down to value, aesthetics, quality, and longer-term viability (i.e., is there any long-term chemical or biological downside to using any of the inert versions?).
So, how are you "rockin' your tanks?
Stay Wet- because I'm about to be!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
It's time for me to get serious about rocking my aquarium...
Oops. Wrong kind of "live rock!"
"Wait, Fellman, you have to HAVE the tank first, right?"
Well, not necessarily. Hear me out.
I would like to make sure that the rock I use is at least "cultured" a bit with some life before I dump it (okay, "place it"- dumping sounds so uncivilized) into my tank when it's time, and this means I'd want to keep it submerged in a nice SW environment first. Fortunately, I know this place where there's like 16,000 gallons of saltwater in which to do this, and I'm there like every day...
SO, it's not too soon to think about this!
Since I last was "personally wet", there have been a number of options available for rock for reef tanks.
Obviously, there is still live rock. We can go back and forth arguing the ecological pros and cons, and the potential to introduce pests...All are valid points. The plus side is that it's, well- "live" from day one, and natural...which obviously is the "down side" as well..And the "cycling" is always a consideration for many people...
Mother nature still makes some bad-a_ _ rock!
There's quarried rock, like my fave Marco Rock, which has many attractive advantages, among them the fact that it's completely devoid of life forms, "fits" together super nicely, and is very cost-effective. Of course, the downside is that it IS completely devoid of life and will take some "down time" to recruit life forms. This stuff is so porous and "workable" that any perceived "downside" of having to be patient can be overcome by it's aesthetics.
I heart Marco Rock.
Then, of course, there is Real Reef, which in years past scared the heck out of me because of its composition...and it's a much, much better product now, with great aesthetics and light weight. They even make a branch rock that's pretty stunning. And of course, it's pretty much ready to go. I've seen some great tanks down with this stuff...The "now" aspect is tempting. Who's had it long term? Thoughts?
Jake and I used Real Reef Branch in a show tank recently and LOVED it!
Then I see the great rock from Walt Smith (v2.0. v2.1 is the "dry" version). It's lightweight, attractive, and has a very different aesthetic than either of the two aforementioned brands. And the fact that it's made on site in Fiji with local labor is pretty cool.
Walt Smith does it again..and again...and again!
It basically falls into a couple of camps- natural live/dried or artificial.
I've done tanks with both over the years, with good results from each.
And of course, this is the part where we open up the discussion to your input!
Let's see pics of your tanks with different types of rocks, here your experiences with them, etc. A lot of reefers will benefit. Now, this is NOT about bashing one brand or another. It's about sharing your experiences and thoughts on the rock you used. If you're stoked on the rock, cool. If you have regrets on your choice, we'd want to hear them, too.
There are better alternatives than ever before, and the quality, value, and merits of each are really significant. Thank goodness we live in a time where we have so many good alternatives. The ecological and sustainability aspects of manmade rocks cannot be discounted. There are so many advantages that it's almost a non-talking-point. I think that, to me, it boils down to value, aesthetics, quality, and longer-term viability (i.e., is there any long-term chemical or biological downside to using any of the inert versions?).
So, how are you "rockin' your tanks?
Stay Wet- because I'm about to be!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
