Will base-rock become "live"

sgreth

sgreth

New Member
So, I picked up the smallest order of base rock I could find for my 16G tank, which was 20lbs :(
I feel like I'll be disposing/storing 1/2 of that if I get some LR to suppliment. I'm curious if I get some live sand, and when I put my cleanup crew in there, will the rock start growing coraline and other organisms which are found on LR? I'm not having much luck trying to find a place that will sell me 5 - 10 lbs of LR :(
Thanks!
~Rob
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Go ahead and use your base rock, but seed it with some live rock as well so that you get those critters that come with it. Most live sand may not have those critters, just bacteria.
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
Use the base rock, and get one or two nice peices of LR. They dont' have to be big, only a pound or so would work. If you can get 4 or 5 small peices that have coralline on them, and spread them throughout the base rock, the coralline will seed the other rocks with time and they all will become live in a few months.
 
sgreth

sgreth

New Member
Any suggestions on where to only get a pound of LR?
Should I check the big auction site?
Thanks!
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by SGreth
So, I picked up the smallest order of base rock I could find for my 16G tank, which was 20lbs :(
I feel like I'll be disposing/storing 1/2 of that if I get some LR to suppliment. I'm curious if I get some live sand, and when I put my cleanup crew in there, will the rock start growing coraline and other organisms which are found on LR? I'm not having much luck trying to find a place that will sell me 5 - 10 lbs of LR :(
Thanks!
~Rob
most LFS sell LR by the lb .so in a store should not be that hard to get 5-10 lbs but you may find the rock may end up up as one larger rock or a few smaller rocks.try to keep your base rock pourous remeber the heavier the rock is the less pourous it will be.i just rescently started adding purple up to my tank i have heard very things about it from others in the hobby so I decided to try it myself.it basicly feeds your coraline aglae to promote its growth. good luck
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I would check your local fish stores. A pound isn't very much rock. Around here live rock goes anywhere from $5 - 8 per pound.
 
sgreth

sgreth

New Member
Originally Posted by mrdc
I would check your local fish stores. A pound isn't very much rock. Around here live rock goes anywhere from $5 - 8 per pound.
NOTE: I'm in New England...and the only local fish stores we have close are the big chains :( I'll call and ask if they have LR, but I won't hold my breath.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Originally Posted by unleashed
most LFS sell LR by the lb .so in a store should not be that hard to get 5-10 lbs but you may find the rock may end up up as one larger rock or a few smaller rocks.try to keep your base rock pourous remeber the heavier the rock is the less pourous it will be.i just rescently started adding purple up to my tank i have heard very things about it from others in the hobby so I decided to try it myself.it basicly feeds your coraline aglae to promote its growth. good luck

I have purple up too but held off on using it because it contains iodine. Do you think the iodine quantity is small enough not to hurt anything? Also, what can the product do to your current calium, alk and ph levels? I think the directions state to monitor those things but I didn't know what to expect.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Originally Posted by SGreth
NOTE: I'm in New England...and the only local fish stores we have close are the big chains :( I'll call and ask if they have LR, but I won't hold my breath.

If that's the case, the internet will be your best friend
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by mrdc
I have purple up too but held off on using it because it contains iodine. Do you think the iodine quantity is small enough not to hurt anything? Also, what can the product do to your current calium, alk and ph levels? I think the directions state to monitor those things but I didn't know what to expect.
iodine is something your corals and inverts need to begin with it is made with very low levels of it so as long as you follow the directions it should be very effective without harming anything in your tank.as i understood the calcum in purple up was accually a calium booster .I do test my cal and alk levels to make sure they or not too high or low.i normally dosed my tank with cal so now that im using the purple up as i test i will know if I still need to dose it now or not.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks. I'm still in the process of getting my calcium in the right zone. Was 200 and now is 360 (alk is 8 dkh and ph is 8.3). Hopefully, some time next week everything will be in check.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by mrdc
Thanks. I'm still in the process of getting my calcium in the right zone. Was 200 and now is 360 (alk is 8 dkh and ph is 8.3). Hopefully, some time next week everything will be in check.
360 is a good range you have the play in that range 350- 450 good levels your alk is also in a good measures. ph also you should have no problems using the purple up if feel like you should.
 
sgreth

sgreth

New Member
Cool, I ordered 5 lbs of LR...I'll pick up some purple up too. Since I'll have to start measuring my alk levels, do any of you reccoment any particular kit?
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by mrdc
Have you noticed any results?
just dosed for the first time yest so nothing yet lol.but i have other friends that have usd it with good results thats why im trying it.I use salifert test kits myself i find them easy to use and have had good luck with them so far i have yet to pick up the iodine test kit yet when my lfs has them i forget to get them and when i remember they are sold out lol.i test mag cal alk along with the normal testing of ph amonia nitrite nitrates.this is for reef only i dont test alk and cal in my agressive i just do basic with that one.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Originally Posted by unleashed
just dosed for the first time yest so nothing yet lol.but i have other friends that have usd it with good results thats why im trying it.I use salifert test kits myself i find them easy to use and have had good luck with them so far i have yet to pick up the iodine test kit yet when my lfs has them i forget to get them and when i remember they are sold out lol.i test mag cal alk along with the normal testing of ph amonia nitrite nitrates.this is for reef only i dont test alk and cal in my agressive i just do basic with that one.

My only concern are the rocks buried underkneath the bigger rocks in the middle and back of the tank. It seems the rocks that face more outside get better current and are changing colors where the other rocks aren't I am wondering if it has anything to do with water flow. I have been trying to open up the rock work by removing some rocks (which hasn't been very easy). The ones I removed look like I just put them in the tank (white as white can be). I did use some of the smaller rocks to wedge in a condy anemone towards the top of the tank. Those rocks turned colors quickly. That's why I think it may be a water flow problem. Could have something to do with not getting any light too.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
coraline algae needs light just like any other type of algae so for the rocks below they will not get the same affect as the rest of the rock exposed to light.thats why its still white.if you place LR into a sump with no lighting no algae will grow and any that was on the rock before hand will evenually die off
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks. I will be opening it up more and maybe the halides will help penetrate some place currently being missed.
 
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