Your experience with "Real Reef Rock"

[JAcropora]

So I have recently set up a new display, within this new display is a rock scape made from "Real Reef Rock"

The scape is curing in a vat with live rock from Indo & Cuba that's about 5 and 2 tank years old respectively and has been in the Vat under halides for around 2 months

After watching ReefBum's video on his Caribsea Reef Rock and him having constant issues with it due to its porosity it's made me question if the "Real Reef Rock" will hold up to the task of being an SPS-dominated system in the long run regardless of the biome seed due to the fact its pretty solid stuff and not particularly porous either

so I'm reaching out to the wider reef folk for your experience with "real reef rock"/pictures of your systems if you have happened to use it! I do have the option to use Cuban real live rock if required so looking for yal's experiences

 

[gbroadbridge]

Do you mean Caribsea Life Rock?

I used that in all my tanks and it's fine. Porosity is fine for purpose which is biological filtration and remineralisation.

It's all my filtration - no additional bio bricks or anything like that.

 

[jabberwock]

Define "Real Reef Rock" please.

 

[SliceGolfer]

Assuming OP is referring to this product

Real Reef DRY Rock - 20LB BOX (Free Ground Shipping) - Smaller Pieces Only | Premium Aquatics

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[JAcropora]

Define "Real Reef Rock" please.

The product is called literally that "Real Reef Rock" made by Real Reef Rock

 

[gbroadbridge]

The product is called literally that "Real Reef Rock" made by Real Reef Rock

Thats interesting.

What are we going to call real real reef rock from now on

 

[Solo McReefer]

Live rock from the ocean

Companies with names like Reel Reef Rock or Life Rock, should be investigated for fraud

 

[simple]

the product has absolutly zero porosity. Its just white cement in my opinion(the inside). The plates have some shells etc incorporated but also zero porosity. Should be good to go if this is your concern.
What I dont like about it is the weight. Since it is most likely cement it is really heavy.

 

[Doctorgori]

the product has absolutly zero porosity. Its just white cement in my opinion(the inside). The plates have some shells etc incorporated but also zero porosity

This fact is missed by many consumers unfamiliar with ole skool Marshall Island and Fiji stuff…that magic in the rock wasn’t just the increased porosity but the real benefit was due to the heavy lifting by. boring worms, feather dusters and the like.

Basically there is no “inner” habitat for “macroscopic” “micro fauna” …stuff under 2cm but over 1mm
Cement just isn’t “hole-y” enuff … nothing can bore into it and that painted habitat isn’t exactly recruitment friendly for algae displacing organisms …that’s one reason why tanks with manufactured rock has a longer maturation time

 

[Gumbies R Us]

So I have recently set up a new display, within this new display is a rock scape made from "Real Reef Rock"

The scape is curing in a vat with live rock from Indo & Cuba that's about 5 and 2 tank years old respectively and has been in the Vat under halides for around 2 months

After watching ReefBum's video on his Caribsea Reef Rock and him having constant issues with it due to its porosity it's made me question if the "Real Reef Rock" will hold up to the task of being an SPS-dominated system in the long run regardless of the biome seed due to the fact its pretty solid stuff and not particularly porous either

so I'm reaching out to the wider reef folk for your experience with "real reef rock"/pictures of your systems if you have happened to use it! I do have the option to use Cuban real live rock if required so looking for yal's experiences

I have Caribsea "Life Rock" In my 20g. For dry rock, it has worked well in my tank!

 

[jabberwock]

The product is called literally that "Real Reef Rock" made by Real Reef Rock

Maybe they should call it Reel Reef Rock. The name reels you in...

 

[rtparty]

The majority of my rock was Real Reef Rock. Did it work? You decide. Would I ever use it again? Not a chance. All the purple comes off and looks horrible and for some reason, mine hated growing coralline. I don’t like coralline on my glass and pumps but I love it on the rock for many reasons.

 

[areefer01]

The majority of my rock was Real Reef Rock. Did it work? You decide. Would I ever use it again? Not a chance. All the purple comes off and looks horrible and for some reason, mine hated growing coralline. I don’t like coralline on my glass and pumps but I love it on the rock for many reasons.

One cannot ignore the hobbyists passion and skill. Great job.

I've not used this particular dry but have used both Pukani and CaribSea (arch and branch type). The CaribSea is nice to work with as it relates to aquascape. However I felt the lack of porosity (porous surface area) in the rock to prohibit micro fauna and biology to take hold. Once the color fades or removed say by an urchin it looked like a shaped piece of poured cement.

Not knocking the product by any means just that it is too smooth in my opinion on the surface. Unless the coral covers or spreads it doesn't look that great in time. Just my limited use experience compared to both oceanic live rock (KP Aquatics), Fiji back when we could source it years ago (best stuff ever), and dry Pukani with time.

 

[rtparty]

One cannot ignore the hobbyists passion and skill. Great job.

I've not used this particular dry but have used both Pukani and CaribSea (arch and branch type). The CaribSea is nice to work with as it relates to aquascape. However I felt the lack of porosity (porous surface area) in the rock to prohibit micro fauna and biology to take hold. Once the color fades or removed say by an urchin it looked like a shaped piece of poured cement.

Not knocking the product by any means just that it is too smooth in my opinion on the surface. Unless the coral covers or spreads it doesn't look that great in time. Just my limited use experience compared to both oceanic live rock (KP Aquatics), Fiji back when we could source it years ago (best stuff ever), and dry Pukani with time.

Jake Adams was adamant that porous rock was a major issue long term for many tanks. Very interesting to hear his reasoning and what he wanted instead.

My “non porous” cement rock had no shortage of micro fauna and bugs IMO. If it did, it certainly didn’t manifest itself in any way I could see or measure.

I had planned to switch all my rock out to CaribSea before the tear down. Still have that rock curing in a bin for like 8-9 months now lol

 

[visioned]

using some in a 50g cube... but i don't think i'll use it again.

if i went straight dry rock, i'd do macro. even then, i'd buy some live rock at the very minimum to be placed in sump or to incorporate some pieces into the display scape as a base.

 

[OrionN]

It is just decoration, no filtration function. You just need to get your filtration function elsewhere. Sand or bio media

 

[JAcropora]

It is just decoration, no filtration function. You just need to get your filtration function elsewhere. Sand or bio media

Sump has around 44lb of pukani/tonga rock that was live from the ocean in days gone past

 

[WVtravels]

It is just decoration, no filtration function. You just need to get your filtration function elsewhere. Sand or bio media

How is not providing filtration once it has established in your tank?

Also, what do people think of buying already established Real Reef rock like this? https://pacificeastaquaculture.com/collections/live-rock/products/real-reef-live-rock

 

[gbroadbridge]

It is just decoration, no filtration function. You just need to get your filtration function elsewhere. Sand or bio media

It's the only media in my tank, no other bio balls or media, and I struggle to maintain Nitrate and Phosphate - so I conclude it works just fine as biological filter media.

The only thing it's missing at the start is a complex biome of other organisms, which are added when you introduce your first coral.

The whole need for live (read expensive) rock is overstated.