Talk to me about Rocks

[Judy@SYA]

So, as noted here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-start.211675/
I'm starting out with my first ever reef aquarium. Frankly, it's my first aquarium of any sort.

I've ordered a Biocube 29 and a matching stand. The stand has arrived, but the tank, unfortunately, is on back order and does not yet have a delivery date. Not that big of a deal though, as I've still got a ways to go before I'm ready to set it up.

I've been reading threads, talking to members and watching videos. Still not real confident on speaking the language of reef tanks, but I've got a fairly good idea about setting up the filter, adding a protein skimmer, ATO, upgrading the lights, and other things like that. It'll go bit by bit.

I've also got a pretty good idea of what I want it to be. I'd like a lovely stack of rocks with a nice sand bed, eventually to house soft corals and some LPS, a clean up crew, couple of clown fish and a goby/shrimp pair. Maybe some other fish eventually, but those are where I want to start.

Sorry so wordy!

At the moment, my biggest confusion is what types of rock to buy and how to prep it for the tank. I've seen some people talk about curing rock for six months before adding it to their tank. Well, I know this is a hobby requiring great amounts of patience, but I believe there must be less drastic (faster!) ways to get started.

Live rock or dry? Or mostly dry with a little bit of live rock to help with the first cycle and jump start growing things? I've read about man-made rocks that eventually become live rocks in a healthy system. Is that a good option to consider? Are there any particular brands or sources to recommend? Following the 1 pound per gallon guideline, I plan on using 25-30 pounds of rock.

What do I need to do to the rock BEFORE I put it in the tank? I plan on setting the rock and sand in the tank before adding water...get the configuration all happy and secure first. Then add the water, test for leaks and begin the first cycle. So while I wait for the tank to arrive, I'd like to start shopping for rock and getting it ready.

Thanks for bearing with me and especially thanks for all the friendly advice!!

 

[Chris Aldrich]

First off - welcome to the hobby, Judy! You're going to love it and seeing that you're taking your time and doing your research, you'll be primed for success.

Now in terms of rock, that's really up to you. Some folks start with all dry, while others go to the other end of the spectrum (all live), and yet other folks use a mix. You can't go wrong with all live, but what stops most folks is the cost. Fortunately since you're starting with a 29 gallon, live rock cost wouldn't be prohibitively expensive, so it's definitely an option. I personally prefer the diversity of life that good live rock adds into a system, but you don't need to use all live by any means.

The "1 pound per gallon" formula can be useful for a baseline, but some other factors such as density, objectives, etc (more info on that here: http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/how-much-live-rock-do-you-really-need-5626/) should be considered.

You'll want to get the rock situated in the aquarium (on whatever you're mounting it on, e.g. right on bottom of aquarium, eggcrate, starboard, acrylic, etc) before adding sand. This will be especially important since you're considering burrowers that may tunnel under rock placed on top of the sand and cause a collapse.

 

[ksfulk]

Really it comes down to two main camps:

• Live Rock - rock that comes out of a tank with life on it (be it bacterial, coral, sponges, anemones, etc). This rock comes either from the ocean or someone's tank. It has the benefit of having established life on it already that will kick start your new tanks cycle, as well as harboring several benefical organisms that can help your system. The flip side to this is that there may also be "pest" organisms that come in on the rock as well (majano or apistia anenomes, mantis shrimp, etc). This rock typically has the purple look to it that most people associate with a healthy reef tank. You can typically get live rock from a local fish store (LFS) or some companies like Tampa Bay Saltwater are known to provide great live rock right from the ocean.

• "Dry Rock" - This gets a little more tricky as there is a type of rock that has never seen the water and is free of ANY reminants of life, and there is rock that was once "live" but has now been removed from the ocean or someone's tank.

• • Dry Rock - rock that has never seen the water, or used to be in a tank/ocean but has since been taken out. Marco rocks are a good example or dry rock.

• • Dead Rock - This type of rock is benefical because you wont get any sort of "pest" organism introduced into your tank, but you also wont gain the benefits of the introduced bacteria and microorganisms as well. Dry rock that was once live can also harbor large amounts of dead or decaying organisms -which can let off large quantities or ammonia and other nutrients into your system that are undesirable. Once rock is removed from the water, dying off begins. Dont be fooled into thinking that rock keep out of the water for a "little while" will not suffer from some die off. Pukani rock from Bulk Reef Supply (and other sources) is a good example or dead rock. The rock is really great aesthetically, but requires some handling to avoid some of the issue associated with it.

Dry rock you can put into your tank and let your cycling begin with some added ammonia source, and/or a bacterial additive (like Dr. Tims All in One, or Microbacter 7). Dry rock can leech additional phosphates into the system (these are bound into the rock and are released over time) so some people still will "cook" there dry rocks remotely to avoid introducing that into the system.

Live rock can be added to your aquarium directly, assuming you have saltwater in it - dont add to a dry tank!

Dead rock can be added right to your tank, but its generally not recommended. The death and decay that comes with this rock really demands some additional preparations. Some people prefer to place this rock in a remote tub and "cook" it, to remove all of the organiz matter on the rock before introducing it into there system. There are several methods to do this - but all usually involve a chemical (muratic acid, lantham chloride, etc) and some time (anywhere from 2 -5 weeks depending on the method used)

Really, it all comes down to what you like and how much extra effort, time and money you want to throw at your tank. Ive started tanks with all live rock from the LFS, and have had good results (but apitasia problems) and Ive used pukani rock before (which was beautiful, but I had some organic die off problems for a long time). My current tank I used all dry rock, and it is doing fine, but it seems that the initial cycle is a little longer than what Ive experienced with other tanks.

My advice would be to use dry rock as your main source, and then find a small piece of live rock from someone you know or a LFS (examine for pests thoroughly first, regardless of the source) to introduce some marine micro-life into your system. Keep asking questions! Thats the easiest way to avoid making some of the more common mistakes in the hobby! We were all there once too.

 

[Judy@SYA]

Awesome words, guys...thanks!

What happens if/when dry rock releases phosphates into the system? What are the typical methods to mitigate them?

At this point, based on budget and personal circumstances, it seems like the best way for me to start is with mostly dry rock and hopefully a nice chunk or two of live rock to mix in with it. If this is the case...do I build the dry rock structure first, then add sand and water...and then add the live rock? If I do it that way, how do I secure the live rock so that there's no chance of it falling or shifting?

 

[ksfulk]

Awesome words, guys...thanks!

What happens if/when dry rock releases phosphates into the system? What are the typical methods to mitigate them?

At this point, based on budget and personal circumstances, it seems like the best way for me to start is with mostly dry rock and hopefully a nice chunk or two of live rock to mix in with it. If this is the case...do I build the dry rock structure first, then add sand and water...and then add the live rock? If I do it that way, how do I secure the live rock so that there's no chance of it falling or shifting?

Typically the phosphates in most systems are mitigated through the use of Granulated Ferric Oxide (GFO) or another phosphate removing media (PhosGuard or the equivalent). Others use macro algaes (chaetomorpha or others) to remove unwanted excess nutrients. Depending on what types of corals you are going to keep would dictate which method would be more useful to you. LPS/Softies typically allow for a greater concentration of phosphates (and other nutrients) and can thrive in "dirty" water - whereas SPS typically dont do as well and can perish with high levels of phosphate.

The live rock doesnt need to be touching the dry rock at all, so where you put it is completely upto you. Some people just stack rocks together (though with sand sifting creatures, this can be dangerous), others use plastic zip-ties to keep the rocks together, and others use some form of mortar/concrete/epoxy to hold their rocks in place. Any of those methods would work. I prefer zip ties, as they "disappear" when the rocks begin to flourish with life or are hidden from view to begin with. And they can be removed if you ever want to change up your rock work. Using zipties and a masonary drill bit, you can create a fantastic dry rock scape, then add it to your tank, then seed with a small piece of live rock!