dead rock / base rock?

J

jaytreason

Guest
I really can't afford to use all live rock in my tank so I decided to build half of my rock structure and base rock out of "dead" rocks and just let the algae spread to the rest of them but, my question is; where could I get these dead rocks?
Do I need certain types of rock?
I don't want to add just any rock with minerals that could hurt my tank...
I'm hoping to use lava rocks but can't find anyone who sells just plain raw chunks of lava rock.
(or any other dark colored affordable rock, if you guys could suggest some)
any advice/suggestions?
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Base rock comes in different forms Like:
Aragonite, this is usually white to tan colord rocks and are calcium cabonite based, coralline algae does well with this type of rock. Aragonite rock was formed in the ocean.
Tufa - which is cream, tan or brown. Coralline algea has been reported to grow very well on this rock, however it can contain heavy minerals which can be bad. If you use this rock you should soak it in saltwater for a few weeks and test it.
Lava - can be red, brown even black. Lave rock has been known to leach many minerals, but some people use it with succesful coralline growth. This is a must test first rock, soak it in saltwater and test for a few weeks IMO.
These are the basic three that you can find at your LFS. They should be dry and cheap, no more than a couple of dollars a pound. Some LFS do not like to sell it because it is so cheap and they do not make enough money on it.
Thomas
 
sco999

sco999

Member
Can you get base rock to have the purple colors like fiji premium lr?
also does it come in big pieces as well or just a lot of small chunks?
 
T

thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by sco999
Can you get base rock to have the purple colors like fiji premium lr?
also does it come in big pieces as well or just a lot of small chunks?
:yes: Yes, but you will have to seed it with some base rock with the purple colors, or it will not get the spores from the coralline algea.
 
J

jaytreason

Guest
Thank you guys for the information.
I've just got one more question...
I found a place that sells lava rock specifically for aquariums.
Do you think I would still have to test the rocks or would it be safe for my tank if I know it's already being sold for that purpose?
Also, how would I go about testing if the rock is safe to put in my tank before putting it in there?
(BTW, My tank is still cycling so there are no fish or inverts in it yet)
 
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