Your choice, artificial rock ?

427HISS · Oct 22, 2014

With all the artificial reef rock that is available today, which brand is your choice and,....why ?

Injected with bacteria or not ?
Rock colonized in the ocean or prepped in artificial seawater ?
Dry vs wet ?
Artificial coraline or not ?
Prices ?
Did your brand come with any unwanted hitchhiker's ?
How well did your brand cycle and how long ?
Praises or regrets ?
Pros and cons ?

Add to this list-

Walt Smith
Real Reef
CaribSea
MarcoRocks
Instant Reef
Aquatic Creations

Also, if you have photo's, please post them.

revhtree · Oct 22, 2014

That's tough for me because I like dry or wet, real or artificial. Whatever looks best and it most cost effective for me is what I will go with. Awesome to have so many options now a days! I personally am using Marorocks currently!

ritter6788 · Oct 22, 2014

Dry pukani for me.

mike007 · Oct 22, 2014

I just purchased some real reef rock and I am quite Impressed with It.

427HISS · Oct 22, 2014

Wry are you impressed, the pretty colors, bio-activity, ease of scapping ?

Details guys !

JOKER · Oct 22, 2014

I just purchased some of the shelf rock from brs and am very pleased with it. Plan to order some pukani and Fiji to finish up the build also from brs. I prefer dry because you choose what goes into tank and it will be alive soon enough. Used the reef rocks but they are very heavy as the reef saver and other mined rock are and not a lot of character like the Fiji and pukani have. I will post up pics of the shelf rock I got later.

JOKER · Oct 23, 2014

Ok so here is around 54lbs of the shelf rock. The one largest rock had the base.
It is around 24 lbs alone

hart24601 · Oct 23, 2014

Been happy with vidarock. I just ordered a new piece for my upgrade.

427HISS · Oct 23, 2014

For the first time, I set up my wife's 29g using the fish-less cycle of Dr. Tim's nano bacteria system, and it worked great.
With the dry rock, what are you using to cycle your tank ?

Also, with your choice of the dry brands, has there been any release of phosphate's ?

mike007 · Oct 23, 2014

427HISS said:
Wry are you impressed, the pretty colors, bio-activity, ease of scapping ?

Details guys !

Looks just like live rock with bacteria and no unwanted pests. New tank has cycled very quick. This rock is awesome plus I am saving the reef.

427HISS · Oct 23, 2014

I believe about saving true reef rock !

What did you use to cycle the tank, the rock it's self, fish or bottled bacteria ?

Rob Top1 · Oct 23, 2014

This idea of saving a reef is, as I understand it, misguided. Please correct me if I am wrong but the aquarium trade takes a very very small amount of the total when it comes to rock. The bulk tonnage is used in construction, mainly roadways. Additionally isn't coming straight from the reef, rather what has worked its way into the shallow shoreline. Imagine trying to surface from the reef with a 20+ lbs rock that you will get pennies on the pound. Not happening.
And the dry rock is just that dry oceanic rock. If "saving a reef" is your motivation than its the artificial rock for you. If you are willing to pay such a premium for painted rock that will ultimately get covered with real algaes more power to you. Just do it for a reason other than reef preservation because, again as I understand it, our pulling of rock is not the problem. Do it becsuse you want to support a growing segment of the industry or the shapes are near dead on for that good old Tonga shelf rock.

hart24601 · Oct 24, 2014

I like ceramic rock not because I feel I'm saving anything, but I like that it won't bind phosphate - it's inert. If made right it has a higher surface area from porosity and can be made in interesting shapes.

427HISS · Oct 27, 2014

Where did you buy the ceramic rock and can you post some photo's ?

hart24601 · Oct 27, 2014

I got mine from vidarock, and have another on its way. Here is the rock (1pc) in my 65. I think it's around 15" wide, 24" long and 18" high.

It has become pretty encrusted with coral. I think there is an older photo:

The new one I ordered as I am expanding the tank to a 120. The bonsai one in the 1st 3 pic, not the arch.

hart24601 · Oct 27, 2014

In the photo when the large centerpiece was new there are a couple regular chunks of live rock in there. Figure you can tell the difference, but just to be 100%.

Noob · Oct 27, 2014

i am not a fan of the BRS pukani b/c it leaches phosphates. i had a huge problem w/ it when i started my tank. also, i think it's too soft.

427HISS · Oct 27, 2014

I just looked at "Aquarium Specialties" that are the dealer for Ceramic Rock from "Aquaroche". They have photo's and videos on their website and on YouTube.
I have to say, it's very interesting concept. Although when first set up in a aquarium, the rock scaping looks man made, but once your corals grow over all the hard lines, it will soften the edges, looking more natural. It also lends more flat areas for coral placement and good water flow.

Aquaroche website-
Videos | Aquaroche

Aquarium Specialty website-
Ceramic Rock and Live Rock

Several videos on YouTube-
http://m.youtube.com/results?q=Ceramic Rock from Aquaroche.&sm=3

427HISS · Oct 27, 2014

Noob- I've wondered if there's issue. Will it deplete once you cycled the rock, similar process to live rock ?
How high were your level's and how long before they lowered ?