salty tank
Member
What is the difference between base rock and live rock. I dont believe i have ever seen base rock.
Thanks
Thanks
Base Rock?
- Thread starter salty tank
- Start date
salty tank
Member
Oh ya and if you buy base rock will it eventually turn into live rock from being in your tank after a while.
richie1742
Member
most people build up a foundation with base rock then lay a few pieces of live on top,it save a lot of money this way,but it takes a long time for the base to turn into live tho.
good luck!
good luck!
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by fishntx
it is pretty much the same as live rock but without the life. and yes over time it will become live. it will take several months to do so. if you go with base rock it is best to put in a few pieces of live rock to help seed the base rock.
Actually there is quite a bit of difference in the two.
Normally the rock sold as"base" rock is fossilized coral remains. This rock is typically very dense, very heavy, non-porous and sold dry with no life attached.
Live rock is just the opposite; coral skeletons with a covering of life, porous, etc..
You can eventually "seed" base rock with live rock, but that doesn't then make the base rock live rock. It just makes the base rock have algae on it. Base rock lacks the neccesssary tiny cracks, holes, pores and fissures that allow for the diversity found on live rock. Base rock also lacks the surface area for bacteria that live rock offers.
The more live rock and the less base rock you use=the better
it is pretty much the same as live rock but without the life. and yes over time it will become live. it will take several months to do so. if you go with base rock it is best to put in a few pieces of live rock to help seed the base rock.
Actually there is quite a bit of difference in the two.
Normally the rock sold as"base" rock is fossilized coral remains. This rock is typically very dense, very heavy, non-porous and sold dry with no life attached.
Live rock is just the opposite; coral skeletons with a covering of life, porous, etc..
You can eventually "seed" base rock with live rock, but that doesn't then make the base rock live rock. It just makes the base rock have algae on it. Base rock lacks the neccesssary tiny cracks, holes, pores and fissures that allow for the diversity found on live rock. Base rock also lacks the surface area for bacteria that live rock offers.
The more live rock and the less base rock you use=the better
birdy
Active Member
not sure if I totally agree with the above description of baserock.
There are types of baserock that are very light and very porus, they will grow bacteria on the quickly just as quickly as it will grow on anything, baserock will perform just like bioballs as far as breaking down ammonia into nitrites and nitrates.
Where the difference is, is that LR has a part deep in the middle that will break down nitrates, also LR has tons of worms and critters that are benefical and of course coralline algae and sponges.
That is the biggest difference between LR and baserock. Baserock will still perform as a biological filter, just not quite as good as LR.
You "can" use only baserock, as long as it is the good lightweight porus kind (texas honeycomb, lace, tuffa, hi rocks).
There are types of baserock that are very light and very porus, they will grow bacteria on the quickly just as quickly as it will grow on anything, baserock will perform just like bioballs as far as breaking down ammonia into nitrites and nitrates.
Where the difference is, is that LR has a part deep in the middle that will break down nitrates, also LR has tons of worms and critters that are benefical and of course coralline algae and sponges.
That is the biggest difference between LR and baserock. Baserock will still perform as a biological filter, just not quite as good as LR.
You "can" use only baserock, as long as it is the good lightweight porus kind (texas honeycomb, lace, tuffa, hi rocks).
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by Birdy
You "can" use only baserock, as long as it is the good lightweight porus kind (texas honeycomb, lace, tuffa, hi rocks).
Are those types of base rock even calcium based? I was under the impression that they weren't.
EDIT:
"This light brown rock grows coraline algae very fast. Most tufa was formed by geothermal waters rich in minerals. This can be good or bad so use reef safe tufa."
I'd definitely avoid that one...
You "can" use only baserock, as long as it is the good lightweight porus kind (texas honeycomb, lace, tuffa, hi rocks).
Are those types of base rock even calcium based? I was under the impression that they weren't.
EDIT:
"This light brown rock grows coraline algae very fast. Most tufa was formed by geothermal waters rich in minerals. This can be good or bad so use reef safe tufa."
I'd definitely avoid that one...
richie1742
Member
yeah dude base rock come in a lot of diffrent textures and shapes not all is "very dense, very heavy, non-porous and sold dry". and theres no way it would turn live in 6 months. maby a year.
murph
Active Member
IMO buying base rock at the lfs is probably money down the drain. May as well put it toward LR. ON the other hand if you live near the coast you can find rock that is so porous that it actually is boient and has to be submerged in water for some time before it will set properly on the bottom of your tank. This would probably be a much better alternative. I have quite a bit in my tank that had to be soaked/cured for some time before I could put it in the tank.
For those that may suggest a legality question this is not actually harvested lr but simple base rock found along the shoreline, mostly calcified sponge.
For those that may suggest a legality question this is not actually harvested lr but simple base rock found along the shoreline, mostly calcified sponge.
fishntx
Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Actually there is quite a bit of difference in the two.
Normally the rock sold as"base" rock is fossilized coral remains. This rock is typically very dense, very heavy, non-porous and sold dry with no life attached.
Live rock is just the opposite; coral skeletons with a covering of life, porous, etc..
the base rock i have is very porous and light weight. i have 30lbs of live and 30lbs of base and with the base rock i got more than twice as many rocks. and acording to the place i got it it is calcium based.
Actually there is quite a bit of difference in the two.
Normally the rock sold as"base" rock is fossilized coral remains. This rock is typically very dense, very heavy, non-porous and sold dry with no life attached.
Live rock is just the opposite; coral skeletons with a covering of life, porous, etc..
the base rock i have is very porous and light weight. i have 30lbs of live and 30lbs of base and with the base rock i got more than twice as many rocks. and acording to the place i got it it is calcium based.
