a substitute for live rock?

[tiggerbengal]

My 125 has been setup since September. I've been planning on buying the liverock, but unfortunately with things going on at work & stuff, it hasn't been easy. Is there something else that I can put in the tank *for now* to provide shelter & a hiding spot, such as lace rock, or is best to just wait til I can get some rock?

 

[superman]

cant go wrong with a good thing LR.

 

[fshhub]

if possible i woudl wait, but only if i was going to get the lr, not think i will
but lace rock can and has worked for others
HTH

 

[tiggerbengal]

fshhub,
I think I will wait til I can buy the lr. I just don't like the look of my tank; it's boring, and I'm hoping you understand that I'm trying to be patient ..... it's just hard! <img src="graemlins//confused2.gif" border="0" alt="[confused2]" />

 

[fshhub]

patience is brutal, i know what you mean(especially at the cost of lr, oh man), but jwtrojan and i have pretty much said the same thing, in the end, the choice is yours, but i would only use
base rock, tufa or lace rock as a substitute(personally), leaning otwards tufa, if i could find it
HTH

 

[tiggerbengal]

jwtrojan44 ,
Thanks! What is tufa rock?
DO you have pics of your tank? I remember when I first got my saltwater fish, one of the stores that I got my fish from said lace rock is a good alternative .... SO, maybe I'll just buy a few pounds to start off with.

 

[fshhub]

tufa, actually is reef rock, and if you shop around a bit, you cna somtimes find it in landscaping shops, for about 1$ per lb
HTH

 

[tiggerbengal]

Thanks! You both have given me encouraging news! <img src="graemlins//silly.gif" border="0" alt="[silly]" /> If I could find a few pieces of either the lace or tufa, it would "spice" up my tank a heck of a lot more! And, most importantly, it will give my fish a place to hide!
A question: does tufa need to be boiled or scrubbed?

 

[tiggerbengal]

How do you get the nice coraline algae to grow on the tufa? Do you add a calcium additive to the water, and what is a good one? Oh, which brings me to a completely new question if I add calcium, will it hurt my sandsifter?

 

[tiggerbengal]

I bought some nice lacerock tonight at my lfs .. It was a $1.50/lb ...... I bought 13 lbs, but it gives my tank a nice look to it, and it looks A LOT like the live rock! So, when I am ready & have the extra $$$$, I will buy the liverock.

 

[thewolfman777]

i would wait. i was pricing some really beautiful rock the other day and it was like $50 a piece. it was very attractive rock with a lot of holes in it and would be a nice addition to a tank but when your algae builds it wont look as nice. even the cheaper rock was around the same price as the l/r, i would wait and spend you $$$ on the good stuff.