Live rock or not?

[beecher]

I need to vent a little on the subject of LR. It seems that we are seeing more and more posts saying you MUST have LR. I will not deny the benefits of using LR, but I feel it is one of the biggest reasons that many people out there feel they are being "priced" out of one of the finest hobbies there is. For a 55 gal tank, you can expect to pay at minimum $300 for the right amount of LR, plus the money to upgrade your lighting to make it thrive. You can have a thriving marine aquarium without the use of "over-priced" LR. Over the last several years, technology has produced some amazing filtration systems that only makes the use of LR not only over priced, but over-rated. I was just in a post where someone suggested that you are not to have a dwarf angel in your tank unless you have LR. This is not true. You DO need algae, and that is FREE. It has gotten to the point where the separation between a FO tank and a Reef tank has become blurred. How often have we seen FOWLR? Well, in my opinion, you no longer have a FO tank when you have LR. All I ask is that we remember that there are people out here that truly do want FO tanks, and that they can enjoy this hobby with a healthy tank without the use of LR.
[ October 24, 2001: Message edited by: Beecher ]

 

[louny]

thats what i used to think until i got some.

 

[jlem]

You are currect. There are many sites on the webb that give recipes for very cheap alternatives to live rock, such as concrete/crushed oyster shell rocks that are great for tanks and great for bateria growth once introduced to a tank. Simple mushroom tanks can thrive with very little light( one 10k and one atinic 40 what bulb on a 55 gal tank. A simple salt water tank if set up to ones liking is relitively inexpensive and very beutiful, compared to most other items worth the same money.

 

[mr . salty]

Personally,I like,,,NO,,I LOVE the way a tank full of premium coraline algae covered live rock looks.And I also believe that live rock adds immensly to the stability of the bio system in my tank..I am not disagreeing that it cant be done without live rock,,,But the benefits are well proven...

 

[twoods71]

You dont NEED LR but there are benefits to having it.
Also there are very inexpensive ways to making base rock and spending little on LR to seed it.
Once you go LR you can never go back.

 

[flamehawk]

Live Rock is great and you can outfit a 55 for about 200.00(approx. 5o lbs.). I recognize that this may be a bit expensive and for those who want alternatives you can skip it for F/O tanks. Just keep in mind you will also be skipping the benefits. I agree you don't absolutely need it but it does make a beautiful and very worthwhile additon. An additional point, the margin of error in a tank can sometimes be very thin depending on stocking levels. L/R helps increase that margin of error by helping healthy bacteria stay at fish loving levels. I would also keep stocking levels very low in a tank w/o live rock.
At the end, absolutely necessary....no, absolutly preferable....yes.

 

[derrickt]

Can someone show me how to create your own rocks? What materials do you use. Reason is, I would like to form my own shape of rocks.

 

[twoods71]

DerrickT, there is a thread in the DIY section called cement rock that will help you.

 

[blutang]

I agree that live rock isn't neccessary, however, it can't hurt and I think that it makes your tank look more complete and gives the fish the adequate shelter that they need to survive. Also when you have the coraline (spelling) algae on the rock it makes your aquarium have a really nice color spectrum.
Later!

 

[madd catt]

Hobbiest for years have been keeping dwarf angels in a fish only tanl,since the 1970s.

 

[wally]

It seems to me that the reason people say you need live rock in a Fish Only tank is that it provides a good place to grow bacteria. Well bacteria will grow on anything, light porous rock like the argonite in live rock is just a very good medium for it. But then again so is limestone, lava rock, tuffa rock, concrete, bricks, flower pots, sandstone, granite, you name it. I think all you really need to watch out for is minerals or metals in the stones that may leech out.
What makes "live rock" work so well is just that the bacteria that live in/on it get exposed to a lot of moving water. What you have is just a big fluidized bed filtration system its just that the whole tank becomes the bio-filter not just a small box or tube attached to the tank.
I am in the process of starting up a new 55 gallon tank. I am getting about 50# of dead argonite rocks that was collected on dry land in the Bahamas. This is the same stuff that they use in Florida to culture live rock. It is WAY cheaper than "live rock" With shipping its only about $100. I am going to "seed" this with little pieces of rocks from existing tanks just to get a starter bacteria culture. After the tank cycles I will have all the bacteria I need growing in the rocks and will have all the benifits of "live" rock with out the cost of it or the problems with unwanted critters comming in on the rocks like fire worms, or mantis shrimp. Another good thing is that with the dead rock you can use cheap ground shipping, and since its dry and not filled with water you get more rock per pound.

 

[y2says]

I have a F/O 75g tank and I have a flame angel and Koran angel. Both are doing just fine. However, I am going to add LR tomorrow since there is guy that is selling his for $1/lb. Can't beat that. Can I just add it to my tank that's been running for 5 months now? I'm also starting a 35g hexagon at the same time. I think the live rocks do make it look more natural, but I don't think you really need it. One thing though, using lava rocks and other stuff can be just as expensive when you really think about it.

 

[wally]

Lava rock from a fish store is but get the same exact thing from a landscaping store and you have a totally different story. Its just like Southdown Sand VS Fish Store Sand. One of the things that really peaves me is how when they put aquarium or fish on the label the price goes up about 1000%