Is it beneficial to add live rock to a dry rock system?

[Lost in the Sauce]

A point that has not been hit yet is the benefits anenome health. I've Adding ocean live rock to a 1.5 year old, dry started nem only system and within a week, there was an actual visual improvement in the look of 2 dozen + anenome.

Nothing but good stuff there.

 

[wolfen281]

I added live rubble from Salty Bottom Reef company to my 9mo dry rock tank a couple months ago.
I got it to make an alcove from my tube anemone.
Super cool fun with all the critters you get.
I have this blob looking tunicate that is weird af and creeps me out when I'm looking at the dark tank.
Also got a spiny urchin...a crab...red sponge...sand sifting star fish. I haven't noticed anything bad/invasive. I guess it could still be in the tank, but it's the chance I took. I'm fine with that.
If I ever do a future build, I am definitely mixing live rock and dry rock.

 

[Isaac Alves]

I cannot wait to order some live rock from https://tbsaltwater.com/.

I’ve never heard of them until reading through this thread.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

At most you will see some diatom from a mini cycle from die off. That's it. It is beneficial to seed dry rock with live rock yes
D

 

[Spare time]

It's good and bad. However, corals, fish, snails, crabs, etcetera all bring in microscopic life (i.e. the magical diversity that everyone talks about but has nothing but anecdotal evidence supporting it and isn't even defined well). I do agree that it's probably better to have lots of things competition with eachother to help prevent a single strain of algae or bacteria from dominating a tank, but given that "diversity" has become a superstitious solution for every issue in a tank, I think people need to take a step back and re-evaluate what leads them to this conclusion.

It's also bad as you may introduce pests which can range from ugly to terrible. My solution around this would be the sand or rock from aquabiomics whenever that is back in stock as they have very high quality control over what comes with the sample.


So is it a good thing? Depends on what you consider good.

 

[ReefGeezer]

It's good and bad. However, corals, fish, snails, crabs, etcetera all bring in microscopic life (i.e. the magical diversity that everyone talks about but has nothing but anecdotal evidence supporting it and isn't even defined well). I do agree that it's probably better to have lots of things competition with eachother to help prevent a single strain of algae or bacteria from dominating a tank, but given that "diversity" has become a superstitious solution for every issue in a tank, I think people need to take a step back and re-evaluate what leads them to this conclusion.

It's also bad as you may introduce pests which can range from ugly to terrible. My solution around this would be the sand or rock from aquabiomics whenever that is back in stock as they have very high quality control over what comes with the sample.


So is it a good thing? Depends on what you consider good.

It's really less like superstition and more like consensus. Everything has risk. Yes, "magic microbes" can be introduced in many ways. Some have less risk than others. The little chunks of rocks with some Coralline growing on it from Aquabiomics MAY provide some microbial life with little risk other than possibly wasting $50 on a box of wet rocks and a worthless certificate. However, the same can't be said for adding cryptic life like the sponges, tube worms, and etc. that make up a big part of the diversity of life that helps to create a mature reef tank. Live rock can be a good source of that life. Yes, potential pests are a risk. However, proper preparation of the rock reduces that risk.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I cannot wait to order some live rock from https://tbsaltwater.com/.

I’ve never heard of them until reading through this thread.

Also consider KP aquatics. I went with their primo and couldn't be happier. The deciding factor to me was really the less invasive possible pests/hitchhikers came from KP.

 

[Reefing102]

Yes any live rock has so such much-needed biodiversity. It is always a positive to add healthy bacteria

It may just be me, but this alone says a lot about the benefits of live rock. A big name vendor in the hobby, with no skin in the game of live rock sales, supporting the use of live rock for all the benefits it has.

 

[Schulks]

It's really less like superstition and more like consensus. Everything has risk. Yes, "magic microbes" can be introduced in many ways. Some have less risk than others. The little chunks of rocks with some Coralline growing on it from Aquabiomics MAY provide some microbial life with little risk other than possibly wasting $50 on a box of wet rocks and a worthless certificate. However, the same can't be said for adding cryptic life like the sponges, tube worms, and etc. that make up a big part of the diversity of life that helps to create a mature reef tank. Live rock can be a good source of that life. Yes, potential pests are a risk. However, proper preparation of the rock reduces that risk.

How would you quarantine your live rock? Just a few weeks in a dark bucket with circulating salt water?

 

[ReefGeezer]

How would you quarantine your live rock? Just a few weeks in a dark bucket with circulating salt water?

So there isn't a wrong way. I like to make some low salinity water and sit the rock in it for a little while. This tends to make some of the critters leave the rock. Then...yes...

 

[DeniseAndy]

How would you quarantine your live rock? Just a few weeks in a dark bucket with circulating salt water?

When I got live rock in water from Gulf Live Rock, I put it in a 32g cube by itself. I had a light cycle and everything as it came with coral and algae I wanted to keep. If I order more, I will find a tank similar (as I gave away the 32g Biocube) and do a similar thing. Leave in for three months doing water changes as necessary.

If it is just live rock with no algae present, in a bucket with no light is good to remove unwanted algae issues.

 

[Megability]

To answer your question, yes.

Do yourself a favor and watch the awesome recent BRS video (Ryan's presentation at RAP) the test tank that did best at fighting off uglies and reaching diversity was one seeded with live rock from an established tank.

 

[Joe's Coral Reef]

I think it could be beneficial but it could also add undesirables. I would but I would cook or isolate the ocean rock in a small tank to give it a few weeks of inspection. You could also just add pods, live sand and bacteria in a bottle to add diversity .