Are you using live rock?

Cell · Aug 2, 2021

Live rock used to be the norm. Then dry rock became more popular, with the ability to control exactly what goes in. Recently, it seems theres a strong push back to live rock. What camp are you in?

I started my tank with dry rock years ago and have never added live rock, but I plan on adding some when i upgrade and get a larger tank.

stewie · Aug 2, 2021

I always start my tank with dry rock and seed it with bacteria. Seems to be the best method for me.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Aug 2, 2021

I used dry base rock on this current tank, basically to cut the cost, and dealt with many months battle with algae. On my last tanks I used live rock, and no algae problem to deal with. You get what you pay for in this hobby

Jekyl · Aug 2, 2021

I used both when I started. The majority of it was dry though. Next tank I will not be using any dry rock at all. Hitchhikers and pests can all be managed in one way or another. There's no product out there that fast forwards a tanks maturity.

brandon429 · Aug 2, 2021

I got lucky and in 2006 only live rock mined from the ocean then traded among lfs was available, I never threw it out so its all covered in coral now but up under is classic ripped from the ocean live rock.

Maxcmo · Aug 19, 2021

Jekyl said:
I used both when I started. The majority of it was dry though. Next tank I will not be using any dry rock at all. Hitchhikers and pests can all be managed in one way or another. There's no product out there that fast forwards a tanks maturity.

Did adding the live make any difference in terms of algae issues ?

Jekyl · Aug 19, 2021

Maxcmo said:
Did adding the live make any difference in terms of algae issues ?

The live, mature rock never grew algae while the dry rock did.

LRT · Aug 19, 2021

100% ocean rock. I honestly had no idea dry rock was an option after coming back into hobby after 15yr hiatus. Ocean rock was all that was used in early 2000's
Dry rock may have some applications in my system moving forward if I cant figure out a way to efficiently cut some of my ocean rock up for shelving and water flow deflection purposes.

a.t.t.r · Aug 19, 2021

A mix of the two for cost reasons. However it seems dry rock now cost as much as liverock used to...

I was shocked when LFS (i was out of hobby 10 years) were trying to tell me LR is terrible because hitchhikers "like bristle worms". I told them "oh like the ones I see in your tank" which he argued wasn't possible.

Anyways went to another store and bought about a pound of rock from his sump and in under 3 weeks already have an explosion of life. Tons of pods and a few microstars.

If you don't have live rock you have a coral tank not a reef tank imo.

N.Sreefer · Aug 19, 2021

Jekyl said:
The live, mature rock never grew algae while the dry rock did.

This right here, I'm never using dry again this is a crap pic and its from the ugly stage of my tank but it shows exactly what Jekyll was saying. I used live (new and from old tank) on top of dry. The dry rock still has some algae on it, takes forever to mature.

Tamberav · Aug 19, 2021

Cell said:
Live rock used to be the norm. Then dry rock became more popular, with the ability to control exactly what goes in. Recently, it seems theres a strong push back to live rock. What camp are you in?

I started my tank with dry rock years ago and have never added live rock, but I plan on adding some when i upgrade and get a larger tank.

Live. Lots of cool stuff came with it. People are scared of pests but it's over-exaggerated imo.

NoahLikesFish · Aug 19, 2021

N.Sreefer said:
This right here, I'm never using dry again this is a crap pic and its from the ugly stage of my tank but it shows exactly what Jekyll was saying. I used live (new and from old tank) on top of dry. The dry rock still has some algae on it, takes forever to mature.

ikr thats what happened to me

NoahLikesFish · Aug 19, 2021

a.t.t.r said:
A mix of the two for cost reasons. However it seems dry rock now cost as much as liverock used to...

I was shocked when LFS (i was out of hobby 10 years) were trying to tell me LR is terrible because hitchhikers "like bristle worms". I told them "oh like the ones I see in your tank" which he argued wasn't possible.

Anyways went to another store and bought about a pound of rock from his sump and in under 3 weeks already have an explosion of life. Tons of pods and a few microstars.

If you don't have live rock you have a coral tank not a reef tank imo.

i found a bristle worm in my tank and im so happy now

LRT · Aug 19, 2021

Tamberav said:
Live. Lots of cool stuff came with it. People are scared of pests but it's over-exaggerated imo.

I think peoples main fail with ocean rock. Is to realize its just rock and once they get that in there head they can move into the mentality of nothing grows in or on my reef or rock unless I want it to. I put my ocean rock through boot camp taking the old schoolers approach of proper cleaning and curing until its cured to what I want it to be. Completely free of pest and algae and covered in coraline and hitchiker corals that I wanted to keep around.

Daniel@R2R · Aug 19, 2021

I'm torn on it. I really want the biodiversity, but I do understand the issues pests can bring. I've thought about getting some and then quarantining it, but that seems like a lot of work. Yeah... I'm torn...

Skibi · Sep 4, 2021

Where are you getting live rock now seems tampa bay is shut down now?

a.t.t.r · Sep 4, 2021

Skibi said:
Where are you getting live rock now seems tampa bay is shut down now?

I had to resort to seeding base rock with rubble out of some ones sump. So far so good already a ton of pods and a few lil hitch hikers including a ball anemone.

LRT · Sep 4, 2021

Skibi said:
Where are you getting live rock now seems tampa bay is shut down now?

Gulfliverock.com

DrLazyReef · Oct 17, 2021

LRT said:
I think peoples main fail with ocean rock. Is to realize its just rock and once they get that in there head they can move into the mentality of nothing grows in or on my reef or rock unless I want it to. I put my ocean rock through boot camp taking the old schoolers approach of proper cleaning and curing until its cured to what I want it to be. Completely free of pest and algae and covered in coraline and hitchiker corals that I wanted to keep around.

What is said old school approach of cleaning and curing sir, I have some live rock I am about to cure together with dead reef rock and some nice shaped mined rock in a dark vat to avoid pests, yet get a good microbiome.

WheatToast · Oct 17, 2021

Technically, I started with dry rock in my 40-gallon Breeder (CaribSea South Seas Base Rock, 10 lbs), but it was all submerged under my deep sandbed as a foundation for my LFS live rock (A little over 20 lbs). I have not seen the dry rock ever since.