Live Rock Verses Creek Rock

[fatmatx28]

Ok I am sure this may have been answered a million times, but I couldn't find it. I have a 150 and it's about 6 months old. I have 400 Pounds of live rock in it as of right now. I am wanting to make a large shelf in the tank and I have a rock I have been eyeing up in the creek out back. Is it possible to add this rock in a saltwater tank, is there a process you can do to make this be ok? I have thousands invested in this tank and by no means want to risk anything.

 

[mumbulog]

I am not exactly sure, but my gut feeling would be that it's a bad idea.
You don't know where that creek rock has been or what toxins it may have picked up that could pollute and crash your tank. People even say stay away from stuff from the ocean like sand and stuff unless you go way out deep in the ocean because of the toxins and pollutants.

 

[marine fanatic]

You might be able to use it if you boil it to kill off any parasites and then soak it in some saltwater in a bucket or something and then test it for things like copper.....dunno, might be ok then but then again, maybe not...too risky for a tank like yours.
You are wanting to make a shelf right? A lot of LFS carry artificial things like that...you could maybe check with them and save yourself the worry about how safe that creek rock is.

 

[tnt]

I have a lot of creek rocks in my tank as base rock. Last summer I soaked them in bleach water and scrubbed them down and rinsed, then let them bake in the sun for a week. They then sat dry in a rubbermaid tub for a month before I got my tank. I think it is a little risky, because you do not know what minerals the rock is made of. We have a few fish and inverts and everything's been ok so far. The tank has been up for several months.

 

[psusocr1]

hey im also going through the whole "shelf" thign for caves for my shark. But what i came up with is buying large pieces of base rock (4) for corners i set them up and then used marine epoxy to fasten them to a flat piece of acrylic((thick piece) it holds gret, you can then stack whatever you want on it, its safe for the water and the best part is that its trasnparent so you really cant see the acrylic in the water (kind wierd) but you end up covering most of it with all your rock anyway and it looks great!!

 

[marine fanatic]

Originally Posted by psusocr1
hey im also going through the whole "shelf" thign for caves for my shark. But what i came up with is buying large pieces of base rock (4) for corners i set them up and then used marine epoxy to fasten them to a flat piece of acrylic((thick piece) it holds gret, you can then stack whatever you want on it, its safe for the water and the best part is that its trasnparent so you really cant see the acrylic in the water (kind wierd) but you end up covering most of it with all your rock anyway and it looks great!!
Thats is a very good idea. How thick was the acrylic?? Over 1/2"?

 

[ophiura]

Personally, I wouldn't do it if these are things like granites and slates, etc...several can have mineral impurities for one, and few will be anywhere near as porous as one would like for Live rock, not that you need it for that

How about making "DIY" LR? That way you could make any size and shape you need. Lots of instructions in the DIY forum on that.

 

[brad1968]

How about makng caves and overhangs with 1/2 inch PVC support frame. I read about it in The New Marine Aquarium. Use T fittings and elbow fittings to create a simple support for your rocks. That is what I'm planning on doing this month.

 

[promisetbg]

Contact LR suppliers and tell them you are looking for a piece of Tonga Slab. I have about 4-5 of them..very hard to find. But not impossible. There are also companies that make base rock to your specifications..do a search.