Caribsea Life Rock Issues

[ratzy82]

Has anyone had issues with using the man-made Caribsea Life Rock? I have 3 trees and several arc pieces. Aside from some media balls in my sump, my DT is made entirely of this stuff. I purchased everything used so I assumed it was good to go. I have been dealing with hair algea issues for 2 years now. My LFS says that the problem is with my Caribsea rock, and that it leeches silicates. I'm not aware of this, but they say every tank they service that has Caribsea rock has algea issues. I've nuked it with flux twice now only for it to come back. Am I doomed to replacing most of my aquascape? Is there any way to get rid of this if the rock is constantly leeching? Pics attached. The algea is currently zero'ing out my nutrients and ticking off my coral. I have a decent CUC and they seem to not keep up or even touch the longer stuff.
Nitrates 0
Phosphates .04
Clearwater Algea scrubber running 20 hours
alk 9.85, Ca 429, Mg 1450
Sump is 40g DT 130ish

 

[TX_REEF]

Do you have any hard evidence that your rock is leeching? I use 90% liferock in my display and don't have algae issues. I soaked mine in RO/DI before adding to the tank. Recent ICP test shows 0.2 ppm silicon, which does not seem concerning.

 

[ratzy82]

I have not done an ICP yet. Basically just going off what the maintenance crew of my lfs it telling me, which is why I came on here to see if there are similar issues...It's very perplexing as I've eradicated the hair algea with fluconozole, but it always seems to return despite having ideal numbers when it seemed to be gone.

 

[Hot2na]

I dont trust ANY man made rock . period

 

[fishybizzness]

It's hit or miss from what I have read. I started my 120 with all caribsea liferock in early 2020. It was good for a few months but as soon as I turned on the lights, the algea started. I had tangs, snails and 2 urchins and still I was having to scrub my rockwork every week before my water changes. This went on for over a year. I would add coral and they just wouldn't grow very much. I had enough and started adding some live rock. The live rock never grew algea even though the liferock right next to it would be covered. Last year I replaced half the liferock with live ocean rock and things started to stabilize and my coral started growing. Every week before water changes I use a turkey baster to blow off the rock. The live rock usually just has a little sand on it but the liferock always has a cloud of dust coming out from all the holes. I'm planning a upgrade later this year and will be removing the remaining liferock and replacing it with live ocean rock. Even with weekly water changes and a light fish load, my nitrates are always in the 20s and phosphate always over. 15.

 

[ratzy82]

It's hit or miss from what I have read. I started my 120 with all caribsea liferock in early 2020. It was good for a few months but as soon as I turned on the lights, the algea started. I had tangs, snails and 2 urchins and still I was having to scrub my rockwork every week before my water changes. This went on for over a year. I would add coral and they just wouldn't grow very much. I had enough and started adding some live rock. The live rock never grew algea even though the liferock right next to it would be covered. Last year I replaced half the liferock with live ocean rock and things started to stabilize and my coral started growing. Every week before water changes I use a turkey baster to blow off the rock. The live rock usually just has a little sand on it but the liferock always has a cloud of dust coming out from all the holes. I'm planning a upgrade later this year and will be removing the remaining liferock and replacing it with live ocean rock. Even with weekly water changes and a light fish load, my nitrates are always in the 20s and phosphate always over. 15.

Yeah, this is my exact situation. I don't have a ton of bio media in my sump either, as I don't have a lot of room. I think I'm just going to rescape and get rid of most of the carib sea stuff.

 

[ratzy82]

I dont trust ANY man made rock . period

It's crazy, BRS fawns over it...they must be paying them big bucks to promote it

 

[Troylee]

I’ve heard silicates and that wouldn’t create hair algae more like diatoms if anything.. being completely honest your tank doesn’t look bad, a hand full of turbo snails would clean that right up without any problem! I’d stop using algaecides as your messing with your biome and restarting the clock.

 

[ratzy82]

I’ve heard silicates and that wouldn’t create hair algae more like diatoms if anything.. being completely honest your tank doesn’t look bad, a hand full of turbo snails would clean that right up without any problem! I’d stop using algaecides as your messing with your biome and restarting the clock.

I have 4-5 turbos, 2 tuxedo, 1 pin cushon, hermit crabs, tangs...I don't know, they don't seem to help much and it keeps growing while my coral starve.

 

[Troylee]

I have 4-5 turbos, 2 tuxedo, 1 pin cushon, hermit crabs, tangs...I don't know, they don't seem to help much and it keeps growing while my coral starve.

Add another dozen turbos and some ceriths in the mix!

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I've had algae issues since using it, sucks

 

[fishybizzness]

I've seen some amazing tanks using it so I don't think it's all bad. I just honestly feel that a few bad batches have gotten out. It was a nightmare for me and I almost quit because of it. I would never use dry rock again. First photo is newly setup and second is after about 6 months.

 

[fishybizzness]

This is it now with alot of the liferock replaced.

 

[Mattiejay6]

honestly its all about having the proper clean crew in your tank that eat HA and you wont have issues anymore.. HA can grow on any rock. I have seen lots of tanks out there and people complain about which ever brand they have in their tank.

I have had this rock in my tank for about 5 years. I had a HA spout when I neglected the tank, but I introduced the proper cuc and never saw a spec of HA again.

 

[TX_REEF]

honestly its all about having the proper clean crew in your tank that eat HA and you wont have issues anymore.. HA can grow on any rock. I have seen lots of tanks out there and people complain about which ever brand they have in their tank.

I have had this rock in my tank for about 5 years. I had a HA spout when I neglected the tank, but I introduced the proper cuc and never saw a spec of HA again.

That's a good point. I find trochus snails work wonders on keeping algae from growing to any significant extent. What CUC members do you recommend?

 

[2Wheelsonly]

My Carib sea soaked phosphates and then would leach them back out causing algae isssues. Dealt with this for 5 years before it went away.

 

[zmitty]

My Carib sea soaked phosphates and then would leach them back out causing algae isssues. Dealt with this for 5 years before it went away.

Same problem here. I only had temporary algae problems, which was not a big problem at all. No silicate leakage. But I have to dose phosphate every single day (a Seriatopora almost died because of this restriction) and I still cannot detect it with tropic marine or salifert kits. But the corals have improved tremendously.

 

[ratzy82]

That's a good point. I find trochus snails work wonders on keeping algae from growing to any significant extent. What CUC members do you recommend?

Wasn't that at all. I had the proper clean up crew maybe excess. I wasnt dealing with hair algea eithter. I ended up figuring out it was turn algea. Nothing would touch it. Had to nuke it with flux to kill it all, it only finally started to settle down once coraline could grow over it to prevent the algea from coming back. Something was def up with the rock. I'm in the process of tearing it all out. I'll never touch the fake Caribsea rock.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Same problem here. I only had temporary algae problems, which was not a big problem at all. No silicate leakage. But I have to dose phosphate every single day (a Seriatopora almost died because of this restriction) and I still cannot detect it with tropic marine or salifert kits. But the corals have improved tremendously.

The game changer for me was switching from frozen to dry pellets as my primary feeding. Frozen was low phos high nitrate and my pellets are high phosphate low nitrate. Balanced me out and got rid of cyano at the same time.

 

[PotatoPig]

This stuff makes up half my rockwork, about 8 months after turning lights on I have a few (3) small(1/2” across) tufts of turf algae on one piece that I’m planning on doing an aggressive manual removal on this week but that’s it.

I have a more comprehensive clean up crew though - around a dozen hermits, an emerald, a few porcelain crabs and maybe 30 snails of various types, not including dwarf snails and tiny limpets that reproduce in the tank.