Old Ways vs New Ways of Reefing

[GARRIGA]

Build your scape and add one piece of live rock. Once your scape is going well after a few months remove it. That's what I'm doing in my small tester tank. Don't add any bottled bacteria. You want the goodies from the LR to spread.

Being told that based on others having tried this it hadn’t worked yet for me might still be the only practical option. Plan however is either buying rubble or creating my own and placing that in a reactor to seed the tank. No clue if it works but like you will be in a test tank. Main build still years away. I have time to play and revise my assumptions. Only way to find out is find out.

 

[mfinn]

I also still order the uncured Fiji rock, and will just dump it in as is. Mud, junk, and all the goodies.

Where do you get uncured Fiji rock?

 

[Mikeltee]

Being told that based on others having tried this it hadn’t worked yet for me might still be the only practical option. Plan however is either buying rubble or creating my own and placing that in a reactor to seed the tank. No clue if it works but like you will be in a test tank. Main build still years away. I have time to play and revise my assumptions. Only way to find out is find out.

What do you mean that it didn't work? I added corals day 1. Go check out the skip cycle thread.

 

[GARRIGA]

What do you mean that it didn't work? I added corals day 1. Go check out the skip cycle thread.

Speaking to having the same bacteria population from live rock vs bottled which often lead to the uglies first year.

 

[NeedAReef]

reefed for close to 15 years on and off, back into it during lockdowns post divorce etc. Well, I absolutely hate the "white" dry rock look. It looks barren and desolate. I did a mix of "live" meaning not from the ocean but cycled in the lfs rock tank, and the white dead bleached stuff. I will NEVER do the white dead stuff again. The look of that stuff even after 2 years is gross to my eyes. I long for some tonga branch or fiji premium again, those were the days. the painted faux rock doesn't do it for me either but to each their own

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Where do you get uncured Fiji rock?

I guess now that I think about it, I haven’t gotten Fiji rock in several years.

 

[mfinn]

I guess now that I think about it, I haven’t gotten Fiji rock in several years.

The only 2 sources of live ocean rock that I know of is Caribbean and a limited supply of Australian.

 

[Reefering1]

The only 2 sources of live ocean rock that I know of is Caribbean and a limited supply of Australian.

Is the Australian rock actual ocean rock(coral skeletons) or man made rock aged in the ocean, like tbs?

 

[mfinn]

Is the Australian rock actual ocean rock(coral skeletons) or man made rock aged in the ocean, like tbs?

It was my understanding it was real ocean harvested live rock.
I don't have a link to it, but I see it mentioned by the person/company selling it here on R2R.
The reason I didn't keep track of the source as it was $25 per lb. plus shipping. Out of my price range even on a good day.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

The only 2 sources of live ocean rock that I know of is Caribbean and a limited supply of Australian.

I guess I was thinking back to the old days. At this point, we have bins with thousands of pounds of rock, so I we haven’t actually ordered any in a while.

This conversation prompted me to look at the order list from the supplier we used to get it from, and lo and behold…no Fiji. I hadn’t even noticed. At this point, with all the rock we have, when I order live rock it’s usually Tampa Bay.

 

[dennis romano]

Back in the prehistoric days of the early 1970s, rock wasn't available. We bought coral skeletons and went back to the store where we bought the supplies and they would give you a bag of dolomite or gravel from their tank. You go home and dump the contents of the bag into your tank, throw in some flake food then wait two months. After two months, take a water sample to the store and they would test it for you. Then, they tell you if you can add a fish.

 

[GARRIGA]

Back in the prehistoric days of the early 1970s, rock wasn't available. We bought coral skeletons and went back to the store where we bought the supplies and they would give you a bag of dolomite or gravel from their tank. You go home and dump the contents of the bag into your tank, throw in some flake food then wait two months. After two months, take a water sample to the store and they would test it for you. Then, they tell you if you can add a fish.

Doing the damsel thing was more fun and post confirmation they'd take your damsels back but I kept mine. I'm odd like that.

 

[Fossilman06]

There’s no bottled bacteria that will ever equal or come close to providing the diversity of life that real live rock, coral frags, rubble or sand from an established system will. I tried dry rock once……. once. I’ll only add small rubble like pieces of dry rock to an established tank. In fact, I’ll say that dry rock is the worst way to start a tank for new reefers, simply because they have no reference to how closed systems work or what to look for, etc. Now if LFS would get smart, they would offer pest free cured “dry rock” for sale that’s been inoculated with real live rock. But as a veteran of this hobby, I’ll never start a tank with dry rock and bottled bacteria, I’m fine with the pests and everything else that comes with real rock. Dinos were never a big thing years ago, but now they are so commonplace, it’s ridiculous. Cue the old man screaming at clouds meme.

 

[Cthulukelele]

The old way is becoming harder and harder as good live rock vendors dwindle, collection bans go into place, and over-all the community aspect of the hobby shrinks into more individualized experiences I. E. not as much frag and experience sharing. Sad to see, but the future is probably the "new" way.

 

[dandi]

This thread is timely for me. I am planning a large tank thus need a lot of rock. My only experience is with 100% live rock. Being out of the hobby for 10 years my recent experience is zero so take what I say with a grain of salt R2R is a great resource. I have spent many hours reading threads and watching videos. Full disclosure.... I have an acropora problem... I wonder if there is a group therapy available for this condition! 10 years ago getting live rock was not an issue. The ability to create a pleasing aqua scape using dry Marco rock is intriguing.
Combine that with the critter free environment created makes this desirable. BUT I am very sure that pests will be introduced by corals additions despite all efforts. Leaning towards a combination of live and dry rock. This will look horrible for months but it would be ready for livestock quite rapidly.
Still dazed and confused!
Be well all and happy reefing
Dan

 

[dennis romano]

Doing the damsel thing was more fun and post confirmation they'd take your damsels back but I kept mine. I'm odd like that.

Blue damsel was usually the first fish. That's how we could tell if the water conditions were good. If the blue damsel was blue, water was good. If it turned dark, something was off.

 

[GARRIGA]

Thinking of how car collectors scourer the country side seeking vintage vehicles in old garages perhaps we should do the same seeking live rock. Must be some old dudes clueless of the internet with a pile of rock walls and leather corals tucked away hoping someone just took them away or check the recent obituaries where widow list "kept fish and rocks as a hobby"

 

[GARRIGA]

Blue damsel was usually the first fish. That's how we could tell if the water conditions were good. If the blue damsel was blue, water was good. If it turned dark, something was off.

Mine will darken up sometimes for no reason for which they only know but I get it. Let the life within tell you what's really going on yet still I tested my water joyful when ammonia was gone then nitrites. LFS was my final validation. Today I wait on nitrates to go away except now I add the damsels then

 

[minus9]

You don't need very much "real" live rock to establish a great bio-filter/diversity. It's no longer 1-2lbs per gallon, in fact, I probably only have 30-40lbs of live rock in my 90g (a mix of old Fiji, new Aussie and Solomon Island rock) and it was teaming with cool critters, xmas tree worms, colonial tunicates, various worms, etc. As far as dealing with pests, that's easy, raise salinity to 40ppt and watch everything come out and catch the baddies.
Also, it wouldn't hurt the new generation of reefers to pick up a couple books on the hobby and give them a read through, you might just learn how to run a reef based on sound fundamentals. I would read volumes I and III of "The Reef Aquarium" by Delbeek and Sprung, the information in those pages will put you on the right path. Also, the book Martin Moe wrote in the late 80's has great info as well. Insert crazy guy on soapbox.

 

[GARRIGA]

You don't need very much "real" live rock to establish a great bio-filter/diversity. It's no longer 1-2lbs per gallon, in fact, I probably only have 30-40lbs of live rock in my 90g (a mix of old Fiji, new Aussie and Solomon Island rock) and it was teaming with cool critters, xmas tree worms, colonial tunicates, various worms, etc. As far as dealing with pests, that's easy, raise salinity to 40ppt and watch everything come out and catch the baddies.
Also, it wouldn't hurt the new generation of reefers to pick up a couple books on the hobby and give them a read through, you might just learn how to run a reef based on sound fundamentals. I would read volumes I and III of "The Reef Aquarium" by Delbeek and Sprung, the information in those pages will put you on the right path. Also, the book Martin Moe wrote in the late 80's has great info as well. Insert crazy guy on soapbox.

Often wondered what raising the temperature would accomplish as the BB likely survives but not sure sponges might.

Didn’t consider 40ppt but house that affect items such sponges one might want to keep?