can anything be used instaed of just live rock
- Thread starter rygoodm6
- Start date
fishieness
Active Member
lava rock, lime rock, any of the type of rocks at your LFS that they sell as base rock will eventualy become live. I wouldnt go diggint up stuff form your backyard though because you never know what it is made out of and what it could releas in yoru tank. The advantage of live rock is it is very very porus, making it have a much greater surface area to grow colonizing bacteria to break down waste..... This is why i dont buy huge 10 pound pieces of live rock. Because 3 10/3 pound pieces would have more surface area. it is the same thing with live rock compared to base rock. However, there is a site that sells basicaly dead rock. But it is live rock just with nothing living on it. It is sold for only a dollar a pound w/o shipping, will become live, and obviously doesnt needed to be cured. Im contemplating getting some. Of course for the first while it will be plain white, but in a mature tank will eventualy get some color.
mikeyjer
Active Member
Originally Posted by fishieness
lava rock, lime rock, any of the type of rocks at your LFS that they sell as base rock will eventualy become live. I wouldnt go diggint up stuff form your backyard though because you never know what it is made out of and what it could releas in yoru tank. The advantage of live rock is it is very very porus, making it have a much greater surface area to grow colonizing bacteria to break down waste..... This is why i dont buy huge 10 pound pieces of live rock. Because 3 10/3 pound pieces would have more surface area. it is the same thing with live rock compared to base rock. However, there is a site that sells basicaly dead rock. But it is live rock just with nothing living on it. It is sold for only a dollar a pound w/o shipping, will become live, and obviously doesnt needed to be cured. Im contemplating getting some. Of course for the first while it will be plain white, but in a mature tank will eventualy get some color.
I read somewhere that lava rocks shouldn't be used in saltwater. I just buy lace rocks to use as base rock, make sure you move the sand off the bottom and place the rock against the glass bottom then move the sand back into place. Do have a QT tank available to put your inhabitants into if you have any inhabitants cause you'll have a huge sand storm. Make sure you scrub and wash the lace rocks clean before placing them into your tank. Then you can buy cured live rock a few lbs at a time to add to your tank when you have the budget. Good Luck! :happyfish
lava rock, lime rock, any of the type of rocks at your LFS that they sell as base rock will eventualy become live. I wouldnt go diggint up stuff form your backyard though because you never know what it is made out of and what it could releas in yoru tank. The advantage of live rock is it is very very porus, making it have a much greater surface area to grow colonizing bacteria to break down waste..... This is why i dont buy huge 10 pound pieces of live rock. Because 3 10/3 pound pieces would have more surface area. it is the same thing with live rock compared to base rock. However, there is a site that sells basicaly dead rock. But it is live rock just with nothing living on it. It is sold for only a dollar a pound w/o shipping, will become live, and obviously doesnt needed to be cured. Im contemplating getting some. Of course for the first while it will be plain white, but in a mature tank will eventualy get some color.
I read somewhere that lava rocks shouldn't be used in saltwater. I just buy lace rocks to use as base rock, make sure you move the sand off the bottom and place the rock against the glass bottom then move the sand back into place. Do have a QT tank available to put your inhabitants into if you have any inhabitants cause you'll have a huge sand storm. Make sure you scrub and wash the lace rocks clean before placing them into your tank. Then you can buy cured live rock a few lbs at a time to add to your tank when you have the budget. Good Luck! :happyfish
T
thomas712
Guest
Yep its called baserock, that is how I started my 90 gallon. got about 50 pounds off that famouse auction site for just over $50.00, then added what was in my 55 gallon. I figure 50 pounds of liverock would have been 300 bucks, forget that.
Do a search on aquarium base rock.
Thomas
Do a search on aquarium base rock.
Thomas
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thomas712
Guest
Aragonite - this is very reef safe and calcium based. A good choice.
Tufa- which can be a soft rock that coralline algea can grow rather well on. This rock can have heavy minerals in it which could make it a poor choice, but many have used it with success.
Lava- A few have used this with success as well but it to can have minerals in it making it a poor choice. Lace Rock is volcanic.
I listed these as a good deal of LFS that I have been to carry these three.
If you use Tufa or Lava set up a bucket with saltwater and test it over a few weeks to see if anything bad leaches out of the rock.
Thomas
Tufa- which can be a soft rock that coralline algea can grow rather well on. This rock can have heavy minerals in it which could make it a poor choice, but many have used it with success.
Lava- A few have used this with success as well but it to can have minerals in it making it a poor choice. Lace Rock is volcanic.
I listed these as a good deal of LFS that I have been to carry these three.
If you use Tufa or Lava set up a bucket with saltwater and test it over a few weeks to see if anything bad leaches out of the rock.
Thomas