Best live rock?
- Thread starter BigBoyReefer
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Peach02
Valuable Member
Live rock isn’t branded but dry rock is.
live rock is rock taken from the ocean or from someone else’s long established tank
Dry rock is mined or man made rock
both have their pros and cons
live rock is rock taken from the ocean or from someone else’s long established tank
Dry rock is mined or man made rock
both have their pros and cons
phillygeeks
Active Member
There are "brands" of aquacultured rock and then there is good old live rock from an LFS or if you are very lucky a local reefer with healthy live rock without any pests...I have never been so lucky. Most if not all actual harvested live rock remains banned due to ethical concerns. Which are you referring to?
mrbluewildcats
Active Member
The best live rock is dry rock, IMO.
phillygeeks
Active Member
...but these are two different things and for different purposes as a starter.
mrbluewildcats
Active Member
Yes, but was showing disdain for actual live rock. Patience and dry rock are much better to me. No aiptasia among other things.
phillygeeks
Active Member
I started my first tank with dry rock and still got pests. I didn't have a quarantine for corals but I dipped them religiously on that tank...I will admit that wasn't ideal. Pests will happen. Patience is a key no matter what in this hobby. Live rock from a reputable hobbyist or LFS may be hard to find but it does have value. If you had a bad experience with live rock it would be helpful to hear the details so others may be informed. Don't get me wrong, I avoided going with something like TBS for a reason but we don't know exactly what OP was referring to.
mrbluewildcats
Active Member
There's pros and cons with live and dry rock, but dry is way cheaper and the odds of bringing in any pests with it are astronomically lower than live, which is all but guaranteed to have pests. I don't argue that the longer you have a tank and the more things you bring into it such as macroalgae, corals, cleanup crew, and whatever else you're bound to bring in some pests. To me it makes sense to minimize that when you can, not to mention the drastic savings of dry over live, especially if you factor shipping into the equation. Some people actually prefer the diversity of life live rock brings in, and that's certainly a valid position to have. It just isn't mine nor would most people suggest that route for newer hobbyists. Just my two cents.
phillygeeks
Active Member
Let's remember we still don't actually know what OP is looking for. Some live rock is bound to have more pests than others yes. And some live rock is bound to get a new tank off to a much quicker start if it's ideal. There are trade offs.
You don't know what OP budget is, his/hers shipping situation is, the quality of his LFS or local reefers that may have live rock but these are considerations.
I'm not sure why you would say most people would suggest to a newer hobbyist to start with dry rock with such confidence. You follow up with "just my two cents" but you are preceding that with a statement of fact, not an opinion. I personally have live rock in a vat that I hope to seed dry rock that goes in my next tank, but that is my personal plan. I wouldn't say most people are doing one or the other as "live rock" is a broad term with different implications depending on "life" and source.
mrbluewildcats
Active Member
The "just my two cents" comment was my opinion, not fact, that most people would suggest dry over live for a newer hobbyist. An opinion based on the fact when talking to other hobbyists and reading hundreds of posts on this and other forums where the majority of those people do, in fact, suggest dry over live for a newer hobbyist. If you think the majority are in error, or they are basing their suggestions on too little information, that is certainly your opinion. I didn't keep an actual record of these conversations or posts, so I won't claim it as fact, but will offer it as opinion.
I stated dry is much cheaper than live, and that has nothing to do with the budget of OP. It's fact. Whether that is something that matters to OP is, I agree, up to him.
Some live rock is bound to have more pests than others, you are definitely correct there, but that wasn't an argument I was making. My belief, with great confidence, is that nearly ALL dry rock will have fewer hitchhikers or pests than ANY live rock. I haven't done actual studies to determine if this fact is accurate, but I would again claim the overwhelming majority of hobbyists would agree with that.
I would also agree that some live rock would undoubtedly help a tank cycle faster. I would take it a step further and argue it's a waste of money if it wouldn't accomplish this. I have no idea of the budget OP has, but if I were a millionaire I still wouldn't want to waste money. That's just my opinion. With the bacteria available for sale now, quicker cycling with live rock isn't the concern it once was, again in my opinion. Granted, cycling isn't the only aspect live rock has that will get a tank off to a faster start, but I believe that is the very first, and paramount concern of a new hobbyist to get started.
I stated dry is much cheaper than live, and that has nothing to do with the budget of OP. It's fact. Whether that is something that matters to OP is, I agree, up to him.
Some live rock is bound to have more pests than others, you are definitely correct there, but that wasn't an argument I was making. My belief, with great confidence, is that nearly ALL dry rock will have fewer hitchhikers or pests than ANY live rock. I haven't done actual studies to determine if this fact is accurate, but I would again claim the overwhelming majority of hobbyists would agree with that.
I would also agree that some live rock would undoubtedly help a tank cycle faster. I would take it a step further and argue it's a waste of money if it wouldn't accomplish this. I have no idea of the budget OP has, but if I were a millionaire I still wouldn't want to waste money. That's just my opinion. With the bacteria available for sale now, quicker cycling with live rock isn't the concern it once was, again in my opinion. Granted, cycling isn't the only aspect live rock has that will get a tank off to a faster start, but I believe that is the very first, and paramount concern of a new hobbyist to get started.
phillygeeks
Active Member
@BigBoyReefer welcome to R2R!!! Hopefully we didn't hijack your thread too much but as you can see there is often spirited discussion when it comes to some topics. Can you give a little more detail in what you are looking for when you refer to brand of live rock?
Fiji live rock but I don’t think you can get it any more. If you can find some live rock and it’s porous and weight wise it is lite when compared to other live rock available get the lighter/porous rock.
Hands down, Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock. Worth every penny. I would not start another tank any other way. Good luck on your tank!
Similar threads
