Rocks for environmentally friendly aquarium

[TikiBird]

Hi all! I was just posting about starting a pico reef tank, basically because I thought that's all I had room for (and they're cute of course!).

After doing some major furniture rearranging last night, though, I think I finally found a good place for the unused BioCube 29 that's I've had in my garage for nine months!! [emoji16] (Tanks are more important than furniture, right??) I think I'm going to go with the BioCube instead of the pico for my first SW tank. I think it'll hopefully be easier to learn with since it's my first foray into the salty side.

I would like all the inhabitants of the tank to be as environmentally friendly as possible. I would like captive-bred critters and corals (or I guess using frags from people would be fine too!).

My question (finally) is about rock. I found some artificial rock that is appealing to me because it doesn't come from the ocean....

Has anyone used AquaMaxx Eco rock instead of actual live rock? (http://aquamaxxaquariums.com/reef-rock/eco-rock) Or Bulk Reef Supply Reef Saver dry rock (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reef-saver-dry-aquarium-live-rock.html)?

Just wondering how it does? How long does it take to grow coralline algae? The directions mention using a bacterial supplement to start the process--what supplement would I use? Does it stink up the place as it's undergoing the natural processes in the tank to grow the algae and bacteria?

Thank you for any advice!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hmmm. Id use live rock. Years ago Walt smith was blasted in several articles about his collecting dead coral(live rock) What he did was to put up pictures of where it came from. The island is made from it, People build house foundations from it. Its used to fill pot holes. there are Huge mounds of it. Personally I think there's more environmental harm in the packaging and delivery of the rock than of the harvesting of it.(box making disposal, airplane boat truck, computer you ordered it with). Fwiw I have a piece of live rock in the tank now from New mexico. ?????? yes. a fossil. Another has "petrified"(crystallized like a gem), pieces of coral in it. Its that old. Another came up on the hook of a local fisherman from right here in San Diego.

As the Bio filter in the tank is the most important for corals. Id go with that. You cant get much smarter than nature. Look up Berlin method. Its what made this all happen.

I never forget my "rock" is not, Its bone, from an animal that may have lived a thousand years ago. The fact that that's what we need to help keep these in our homes is the miracle that blows me away every time.

But I am with you on the harvesting and wild collecting thing. It is changing and it's not the wild west(or east) any more. It changing into a sustainable (or at least half way) business.

My .02.

 

[TikiBird]

@saltyfilmfolks, that's really interesting. I might need to change the way I think about how the "rocks" are harvested. Perhaps it's not the destructive process I feared. I'm going to look into this some more! Thank you for the advice. [emoji3]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@saltyfilmfolks, that's really interesting. I might need to change the way I think about how the "rocks" are harvested. Perhaps it's not the destructive process I feared. I'm going to look into this some more! Thank you for the advice. [emoji3]

no sweat. I had the exact same questions.

 

[Brew12]

I went with this https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/florida-reef-rock-50lbs-free-shipping. It is advertised as being mined from an ancient inland reef so has minimal environmental impact. Great price too. No idea how well it works in a tank as I just started cycling mine yesterday morning.

 

[Brew12]

@saltyfilmfolks, that's really interesting. I might need to change the way I think about how the "rocks" are harvested. Perhaps it's not the destructive process I feared. I'm going to look into this some more! Thank you for the advice. [emoji3]

I agree with Saltyfilmfolks that not all reef rock is harvested in a destructive manner. In fact, I expect very little of it is as it would involve too much work. The main reason I went the way I did was to avoid as many hitchhikers as I could with my first tank. If I were more confident in my ability to deal with hitchhikers I would have gone with live rock.

 

[TikiBird]

@Brew12, that's very intriguing! I will check it out! Thanks!

And good to know you and Salty agree about the harvesting. I'm looking into it more, but I feel better about it now.

 

[TikiBird]

I just discovered aqua cultured live rock! The one I found is by ARC Reef. Look like it might be a good solution for my tank! https://arcreef.com/product/premium-live-rock/

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

You could go the ceramic route with vidarock. that's all I use.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You could go the ceramic route with vidarock. that's all I use.

What is that.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

http://cerameco.com/

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Ah, unfortunately the company I buy it from is out of stock.

http://aqua-tecture.com/?page_id=243

 

[recess62]

Tampa bay live rock is harvested froma quarry on land and then placed into the water and cultured.

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/

You can purchase this dry or full of critters. Do a search on this forum

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Tampa bay live rock is harvested froma quarry on land and then placed into the water and cultured.

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/

You can purchase this dry or full of critters. Do a search on this forum

One of these days I'm doing just a Tampa live rock tank. Just the rock and whatever comes in it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

http://cerameco.com/

Thanks. That's interesting.

 

[recess62]

What is cool about Tampa bay is that if you dive you can arrange to dive with them and harvest your own rock. I just set up a 90 and went back and forth about using it. I was too much of a wuss and did not want to take a risk on hitchhikers.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Gurgle gurgle drool.

But yea the hitchiker process is a bit complicated and would take a while.

 

[TikiBird]

What is cool about Tampa bay is that if you dive you can arrange to dive with them and harvest your own rock. I just set up a 90 and went back and forth about using it. I was too much of a wuss and did not want to take a risk on hitchhikers.

OMG that is an amazing idea! How awesome would that be?? But yes, I would be afraid to dive. I don't know how to do that. [emoji15] But I might learn for picking out my own rocks! Someday. Lol

 

[recess62]

I dive. I will go and pick it for you lol

 

[john.m.cole3]

W

Hmmm. Id use live rock. Years ago Walt smith was blasted in several articles about his collecting dead coral(live rock) What he did was to put up pictures of where it came from. The island is made from it, People build house foundations from it. Its used to fill pot holes. there are Huge mounds of it. Personally I think there's more environmental harm in the packaging and delivery of the rock than of the harvesting of it.(box making disposal, airplane boat truck, computer you ordered it with). Fwiw I have a piece of live rock in the tank now from New mexico. ?????? yes. a fossil. Another has "petrified"(crystallized like a gem), pieces of coral in it. Its that old. Another came up on the hook of a local fisherman from right here in San Diego.

As the Bio filter in the tank is the most important for corals. Id go with that. You cant get much smarter than nature. Look up Berlin method. Its what made this all happen.

I never forget my "rock" is not, Its bone, from an animal that may have lived a thousand years ago. The fact that that's what we need to help keep these in our homes is the miracle that blows me away every time.

But I am with you on the harvesting and wild collecting thing. It is changing and it's not the wild west(or east) any more. It changing into a sustainable (or at least half way) business.

My .02.

Wow! Perspective! Humbled!