Backyard Collection

[clown boy]

Hello!
I live in the North San Antonio area where there is lots and lots of rock, especially limestone (As those of you who live around here know, just beneath the topsoil is a layer of limestone 3 miles deep!).
I have collected some really oceanic looking pourous limestone rock. I was wondering if I could use them in my tank. Do I have to cure it? If so, how?

 

[clown boy]

bump

 

[nereef]

lace rock and tufa are so cheap. why wouldn't you just use that and not risk the fact that there might be harmful metals in the backyard rock.

 

[glowplug]

i wouldnt use limestone, could leach stuff into your water, but I dont know for sure,,,,,bump

 

[clown boy]

Originally Posted by NEreef
lace rock and tufa are so cheap. why wouldn't you just use that and not risk the fact that there might be harmful metals in the backyard rock.
I have never heard of lace rock and tufa. :notsure:

 

[clown boy]

What is lace rock and tufa? :notsure: Where can I get it?

 

[psyparrot]

At most LFS, tufa is the white rock covered in pores, and I'm not familiar with lace rock

 

[maeistero]

kansas limestone SUCKS!!! it's leached in so much pollution over the last few centuries that are bad. put some flow onto it and it dissolves into your water.

 

[clown boy]

Thank you all.

 

[ophiura]

Texas holey rock is COMMONLY sold in this area and COMMONLY used as base rock. I see no particular issues, other than certainly soaking (not taking from obviously fertilized areas). I would personally not use baserock other than limestone. I believe tufa is calcareous as well.
However, it is VERY dense and no where near as porous as live rock and so may not have quite the same benefits over time. Consider looking for cheap live rock from local reef clubs...there are many in Texas, and this would be much much better, IMO

 

[clown boy]

Thanks, ophiura!

Do I have to boil it or something to remove bad bacteria and organisms?

 

[clown boy]

Hickory Dickory Dock
The thread flew up to the top.
Just a creative version of "bump". Pretty good, huh?

 

[puffer32]

I got some tx holey rock at the nearby quarry, 2 cents per lbs. Its nice and holey and now looks like my LR, you just can't beat the price. Here is a pic of just a small area in my tank, can you tell the difference in my rock? About half of whats in the pic is holey rock.

 

[clown boy]

Wow!
Do I have to cure it somehow?

 

[puffer32]

Nope, just make sure it is really clean

 

[ophiura]

People often use it as base rock and then "face" it with LR. In time, it will become "live" though as mentioned may not be quite AS effective as real live rock due to porosity.

 

[clown boy]

Thank you all.