Let's talk rock!!

[19jonesy86]

I'm unsure as to what rock I should and can be using, I see a lot of threads with people using dry rock for their scapes, what about live rock, I read somewhere that a general rule of thumb is 1kg of live rock per 10ltrs!?

Would I get away with a bit of live rock in my refugium and just have dry rock in DT? what's the best way to do it?

 

[brandon429]

Here's my list

Reasons we use live rock:
For me it's instant cycling. Not observing anyone's rule of time other than biology I prefer the wet and go aspect of live rock a lfs has cured for me. All pico reefing is built on wet and go tanking so someone's rule needs updating lol we have about five thousand ready examples. It brings in hitchhikers and isn't very eco friendly

They just set up a hundred instant reefs at MACNA

Reasons not to use live rock are for pure control of what goes in the tank and for sustainability.

All frags need to be sourced from non live rock tanks to support that mode or the tank becomes live rock in five years after one contamination, it's a high standard to claim.

Porosity varies in live rock
True Tonga filters better than base rock cycled....but true live rock has massive demand for ammonia and a little goes a long ways. Some of the bare bottom tanks sustain fish and corals off very little live rock.

 

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Live rock puts you at risk of adopting numerous pests you don't want in your tank. it's not worth it, imo. rock per gallon of water is an unnecessary old school method. you want enough surface area for beneficial bacteria, but that can easily be obtain with far less rock than most people know. using live rock also won't guarantee that you won't have a cycle.