What rock to use?

[DEL 707]

I have an empty 56l tank that I want to turn into a marine tank for soft corals, maybe LPS down the line.

I havn't kept a marine tank in 20 years, back then I just chucked in a load of uncured live rock and let it cycle.
I consider myself very lucky in that I didn't have any unpleasent hitch hikers.

Now I can see that you can buy artificial rock such as Ecoreef, but I read some bad things, such as high cobalt levels.
I was talking to someone in a shop and they said that problem had been *fixed*.

A product I saw at the shop was Caribsea Life rock. How well does that do in the tank?

If I bought artificial rock and put 1 rock of cured live rock, would that help speed up the cycling process?

Would dippping live rock in a dip like coral RX kill all the good stuff? I'm paranoid about stuff like worms and killer shrimp.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Marco rocks. Although not sure about the UK distributor. Unlike the others you mentioned, They are actual ancient coral limestones, that have been removed from the land during development.

 

[slythy]

I use tropic eden rock with some live rock. Dont buy live rock and dip it, its gonna kill what you want. If I had to do it all again I would have bought way more live rock. Pests are so over hyped.

 

[TardWrangler]

I use tropic eden rock with some live rock. Dont buy live rock and dip it, its gonna kill what you want. If I had to do it all again I would have bought way more live rock. Pests are so over hyped.

Agreed. Nothing is better and the pest theory is laughable and more than likely something started by guys selling the dry rock

 

[slythy]

Agreed. Nothing is better and the pest theory is laughable and more than likely something started by guys selling the dry rock

The stuff I got from KP aquatics was amazing. I got 20# to suppement my 90lbs of tropic eden and its been great. Had some minor ghost flat worms and hydroids but a month later with 2 damsels and 2 pink streak wrasses I dont see any and I have growing SPS at month 1.

 

[lil sumpin]

Definitely cycle with some live rock. All the caribsea, marco, real reef is man made mumbo jumbo

 

[DEL 707]

Thanks for the replies.

So I've read that I should use roughly 1lb of rock to 1 gallon of water. 12 gallon tank, so round it up, I need about 6kg of rock.

I was thinking of maybe going 50/50 with live rock and macro, but now I'm not sure if I should just go all in on the live rock.

Pests are so over hyped.

If my thumb gets split by a mantis shrimp, I'm blaming you.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

If my thumb gets split by a mantis shrimp, I'm blaming you.

Pat of butter, sprinkle of Old Bay , and some heat will go a long way towards taking care of those shrimp

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Marco rock, you can envision the way you want your rock to look, and then make it with marco

 

[PharmrJohn]

Pat of butter, sprinkle of Old Bay , and some heat will go a long way towards taking care of those shrimp

I disagree. Johnny's would be better.....

 

[Ironwill723]

Real live rock if you can get it.

 

[DEL 707]

Real live rock if you can get it.

Yes, I didn't anticipate this problem.
Live rock was everywhere 20 years ago, having trouble finding a seller now.

 

[jabberwock]

There is a difference between "live rock" and "real ocean live rock". The latter being exponentially better. I am not sure what your options are for real ocean live rock in the UK. If you can find it, it is totally worth it. Hitchhikers and all...

 

[GARRIGA]

Live sand or rubble is an option I’m going to use to seed a tank with a diversity of bacteria. Not perfect but for me buying dry rock and working with that to sculpture the tank more pragmatic. Plus I’d rather not have the rock wall effect of the past. Unavoidable since each rock may not piece together with the next yet dry rock can easily be cut to form and glued to need patiently over time vs rushing to save the life attached.

Sand being the most pragmatic based on amount of bacterial load for square foot bought. Just need a reactor made for sand. Thinking fluidized bed filter. Can also liter the display with rubble visually out of the way and further introduce that which can’t be derived from a bottle or life added long rented from where it was collected.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Yes, I didn't anticipate this problem.
Live rock was everywhere 20 years ago, having trouble finding a seller now.

Tampa bay saltwater, has it, hate to see what shipping would be to you, if they will

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

You don't need live rock to effectively cycle an aquarium. many companies have products to jump start your cycle. Using these products you can avoid some very unwanted guests to your aquarium. With that being said you can design your aquascape to your wildest imagination and control what wild life and vegetation goes into your tank

 

[X-37B]

Yes, I didn't anticipate this problem.
Live rock was everywhere 20 years ago, having trouble finding a seller now.

Gulf Live Rock shipped to your door for $9 a pound.
150lbs in my ext 170.
Tanks 11 weeks old with 20+ hard corals.

 

[DEL 707]

Trying to get live rock in the UK seems to be a bit of a no go.

I've found a place that sells Dry Ocean Reef Rock for a good price.
Would this type of rock need curing if it's going into an uncycled tank?

 

[PotatoPig]

Trying to get live rock in the UK seems to be a bit of a no go.

I've found a place that sells Dry Ocean Reef Rock for a good price.
Would this type of rock need curing if it's going into an uncycled tank?

Can you post a link to the vendor?

It’s not always obvious exactly what is being sold based on the names, as quite a few vendors pick names that blur what is being sold and sound like the rock is live or from the ocean when it very much isn’t.

 

[DEL 707]

Dry Reefrock 9 – 12Cm/ 1 kg – S&R Aquatics

www.sraquatics.co.uk

This is what I was looking at.

I was talking to another place that said they sold dry reef rock, but they said it was man made.

I'm getting hugely confused with all these types of rock.