How do I rockscape??
- Thread starter Jordan Siehr
- Start date
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http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/eco-rox-fiji-dry-rock/brs-dry-rock/
Here is a link. Dry rock is rock that was once live. It has been dried out. The only thing special about live rock is the organisms that are on the surface of the rock. There can also be pests that you don't want in your tank on live rock. I got all dry rock from bulkreefsupply (pukani rock) and have yet to have pests that I know of.
Here is a link. Dry rock is rock that was once live. It has been dried out. The only thing special about live rock is the organisms that are on the surface of the rock. There can also be pests that you don't want in your tank on live rock. I got all dry rock from bulkreefsupply (pukani rock) and have yet to have pests that I know of.
dgiglio3087
Active Member
yeah 1 day isnt very long , depending on what kind of sand you used... As for the aquascape.... if you have access to one, an angled grinder with a masonry grinding wheel can help you flatten out pieces of the rock, ive found thats the number 1 reason rock falls down is because the rocks are extremely rigid.. obviously dont put the grinder directly in water...
Jordan Siehr
Community Member
The thing I don't like about the dry rock is I don't want to have to cure the rock. And I don't want to have to wait for it to get here. Plus the stuff at my LFS has been in with their fish for awhile. I doubt theres much pests on it.
You could cure the rock in the tank while it cycles. It's what I did. Live rock (if good quality) is very beneficial for tanks. Since you are going to work with live rock, time will be limited for stacking it outside of the tank. It may be best to just play with the rock in the water and see if you like it. Just try to get the rock contacting the bottom of the tank and not just sitting on the sand.
Pumbooris
Active Member
even if you go with the live rock its still going to cause a cycle in your tank(so it will take time to finish)and by going with dry rock it will surely save you headaches down the road by not having to deal with the pests that can come on the live rock from your lfs
I wouldn't put a fish in to start a cycle or during one. I know that an ammonia source is needed but a fish is not the way to do it. If you do go dry rock it will have some dead stuff on it that should be enough to kick off a cycle.
fyrfytr
Active Member
So if I am reading ths discussion right..the "argument" was dry rock vs live rock...right? I ask because this is something that I will be struggling with here soon as I start to get ready to build my first salt tank. I would assume that this would be the same argument for live sand vs standard dry sand. I am sure there is a how to here somewhere about things, but if you are going to use dry rock and standard sand how does the tank cycle?
Jordan Siehr
Community Member
The tank would cycle because the "dry rock" is dead live rock. All you need is some form of waste. In that case the dead "pests" from the "dry rock" I ended up using live sand (that claims to instantly cycle your tank) and live rock. I have no "bad pests" and my tank was almost instantly cycled. And I did not listen about the not cycling with a fish. I thought it would not "insta cycle" and threw in a Maroon Clown. And the whole time itd had been cycled. I'm not sure what type of system you are starting and how complicated you want it to be. But live rock/live sand worked for me. I now how my "first" fish a Dwarf Flame Angel. Next will be a Dwarf Zebra Lionfish 
fyrfytr
Active Member
The type of system I am looking to start is a fish only system...corals grow too slow for a 3yr old to appreciate the growth of them. So for me it will be an artificial reef with real fish. Plan is for him to "help" with as much as he can. As it stands now he is already "reminding" me to feed his beta and my 10 gal freshwater tank daily as well as trying to be a good helper with water changes and tank cleaning when it comes to the fw tank. I want this tank for him so he can enjoy all (ok, some) of the fish he goes crazy over at the aquarium and let him pick out fish at the local fish store that he picks when we go in there for stuff for the fresh water tank. Had a hard time explaining the first time that nemo lives in the ocean and we dont have ocean water for our fish tank (poor grandma and grandpa went on vacation to myrtle beach the next week and when they got back he asked them if they brought him some ocean water home for his fish tank)
