Help me understand the different rock (live rock, base rock, tufa rock) etc.

[krazekajin]

I have a simple question that I would like for people to weigh in on. What is the difference between:
Live Rock ( I already know this one)
Base Rock
Live rock that is dry (I already know this one)
tufa rock
lace rock
can all of these be used in a reef aqarium?
for example. If I am wanting to start a 90g reef aquarium (Mainly SPS)
I can get Live Rock for $4.99lb
dry base rock for $2.00
tufa Rock for $.39lb (toledo ohio prices)
Lace Rock for $.69lb (toledo Ohio Prices)
Lets say I want 100lbs of rock in my 90g.
Could I go with 70 or so lbs of tufa and lace and 30lbs of good live rock? Is there any problem with not using all live rock?
Is Tufa or Lace Rock harmful in the long run to an aquarium?
I just need some direction.

 

[maxalmon]

Base rock or lace rock is dead LR. You will be fine to use a combination of the base rock and LR, as they both will become "Live" over a period of time. When I set up my first reef tank, I used 50lbs of base and 50lb of live, now I have no idea which is which

 

[zeroc]

Dude you can get lace for .69lb? i need to come down there. I'm in Columbus and the cheapest I've seen is 2 bucks if you get more then 50lbs. And lace rock is usually land rock not taken from the ocean so no reef destruction and it looks good and you can chisel it to shape it. Lace rock will be fine in your tank. there's a 450 gallon tank at a place over here that just used lace rock to show you can make a bad A$$ reef without using rock from the ocean.

 

[krazekajin]

now, I know that our (Toledo) lace rock or tufa rock is mined from US. Are they fossilized coral reefs or a different type of rock. Well they do the same thing chemically?

 

[nereef]

Originally Posted by KrazeKajin
now, I know that our (Toledo) lace rock or tufa rock is mined from US. Are they fossilized coral reefs or a different type of rock. Well they do the same thing chemically?
tufa is formed when a pool of water with really high CaCO3 evaporates. this leaves behind a soft, porous limestone rock. i don't believe that it is from old coral reefs necessarily.
chemically, it is mainly CaCO3 and will dissolve in water with low pH, increasing alk and pH. just like aragonite.

 

[krazekajin]

so tufa rock will help with alk and PH just like aragonite,
does lace rock do anything chemically to a tank, or is it just an inert place for the nitrifiting bacteria to grow?

 

[krazekajin]

Originally Posted by ZeroC
Dude you can get lace for .69lb? i need to come down there. I'm in Columbus and the cheapest I've seen is 2 bucks if you get more then 50lbs. And lace rock is usually land rock not taken from the ocean so no reef destruction and it looks good and you can chisel it to shape it. Lace rock will be fine in your tank. there's a 450 gallon tank at a place over here that just used lace rock to show you can make a bad A$$ reef without using rock from the ocean.

I just called Select Stone Company which is a landscape place here in Toledo.
Current prices are:
Lace Rock $.75lb (no minimum and you hand select)
Tufa Rock (Yellow) $.20lb (no minimum and you hand select)
Tufa Rock (Gray) $.29lb (no minimum and you hand select)

 

[nereef]

Originally Posted by KrazeKajin
so tufa rock will help with alk and PH just like aragonite,
does lace rock do anything chemically to a tank, or is it just an inert place for the nitrifiting bacteria to grow?
if lace rock is actually old liverock than it will do the same things chemically. the lace rock i come across doesn't seem to be reef rubble to me though.
maxalmon, is all lace rock old liverock?

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by NEreef
maxalmon, is all lace rock old liverock?
Depends on who is selling it... I've seen Texas river rock sold as "lace" rock. Beware, it only takes one rock with the wrong minerals in it to screw up your tank. Often "base" rock is fossilized reef rock fro mthe Caribbean. It's about as dense as a brick. Provides little surface area per pound for biological filtration.
I use base rock only for the rock that is buried in the sand to place my live rock on.
On the one hand, saying all rock will eventually become live rock is true. All rock will eventually have algae and useful bacteria on it if it is in the proper environment. Using that argument, however, a filter, heater, probe, etc. eventually becomes "live rock".
Fresh live rock adds literally countless species to our aquariums. As our systems are closed, eventually this diversity depletes. The more you start off with the better.