David Abbott
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I've got a 150 gal. DT. Just starting out. I can't seem to find any info about using river rock in a salt water tank instead of live rock etc. Maybe you guys in the #reefsquad can help me thanks
River rock
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Peace River
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River rock is not usually used in a saltwater tank because it is not porous and does not have as much surface area as traditional "live rock" which is important for biological filtration.
Ron Reefman
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Good question and @Peace River is right on the money.
You could use river rock, but you'll need to find another way to house the proper bacteria, like having live rock in the sump or refugium. But it will look very unnatural with river rock.
You could use river rock, but you'll need to find another way to house the proper bacteria, like having live rock in the sump or refugium. But it will look very unnatural with river rock.
I have no experience with using river rock in a reef tank. I do have experience with river rock in fresh water planted tanks. I personally wouldn’t use it in a reef tank simply because of all the different minerals that make up that rock. I suppose you could try testing it by placing it in a bucket for a few days and seeing if it’s leeching anything.
Ebslinger
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This is a complicated answer, but I will try to keep it short. Two main reasons. 1) it's make up. Most river rock is igneous. We want Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) formations as it will help to buffer the pH if it ever drops to low. 2) as stated, river rock by it's very nature is smooth. After all it has been polished by friction. Not the best place for those nooks and crannies.
Now river rock will likely make it's way to the ocean and live there happily... so, it's up to you to decide.
Now river rock will likely make it's way to the ocean and live there happily... so, it's up to you to decide.
PatW
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Well I remember my father wanting a masonry job done with “field stone”. In southern Ohio, that meant limestone. But we had just moved to Canada and locally, stone found in fields was granite so they did the job with granite.
I don’t think that river rock means any specific kind of rock.
For reef aquariums, you want rock that is from a coral source. It should be from a reef or a fossil reef. It will not give you issues with toxic metals and should be porous. And there are all sorts of reputable suppliers whose price per pound is reasonable.
I don’t think that river rock means any specific kind of rock.
For reef aquariums, you want rock that is from a coral source. It should be from a reef or a fossil reef. It will not give you issues with toxic metals and should be porous. And there are all sorts of reputable suppliers whose price per pound is reasonable.
David Abbott
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Can you give me the names of some of these companies please. Thanks David
Peace River
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The shipping on reef rock (real or artificial) would probably not make sense to ship from the US where the suppliers that I am familiar with are located. Do you have a local fish store (LFS) that sells saltwater fish and supplies? I am not sure how far that you are from Panama City, Panama but I have to believe that there are LFSs there that would have dry rock or "live rock" that would be appropriate for a saltwater aquarium. Good luck!
David Abbott
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I live about 5 hours from Panama cty. And yes there are a few stores there. Panama has a 7% vat tax on all imported items plus the freight to get it here. Everybody pays this tax, private companies, citizens. I bought a overflow from Exotic marine systems for $180 and it cost me $35 dollars to get it here plus the 10 hr drive and a hotel room for the night. So the total cost of the overflow was over $300. So that experience forced me to get a service that will deliver right to my door here. Without knowing of any other places to buy the rock I guess I'll have to rely on BRS which is quite expensive. Thanks for your reply
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Other than BRS, there are several others that offer dry reef rock such as Carib Sea. If you search for "manufactured reef rock" then you should find several more providers. Tampa Bay Saltwater is a great source for live rock but I do not know what their policy or limitations are for shipping internationally. Good luck!
David Abbott
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Thanks
