Is lava rock reef-safe?

[Bear22]

Does an emoji count as a graphical means of commenting? If so, I guess the statement "I have no more comments here" can be thought of as a vacuous statement.

 

[fish_collector]

I would not put lava rock in my tank. Too much chance of heavy metal release from it.

I feel this was an adequate response to the OPs question of whether or not lava rock was reef safe. Randy offered his opinion and based it on his risk tolerance, in this case he chooses not to use lava rock in his tank because of the chance of heavy metal release. There were no absolutes, no claims. Not really necessary to say it any differently.

 

[BeanAnimal]

There’s this culture of absolutes in these forums, that are a bit annoying to say the least...

Be the the scientist here...

What part of YMMV did you not understand?

Discussing’ doesn’t necessarily equate to objectiveness.

If a person is going to fall on a sword then at least give some good objective info.

This should be a life lesson for you and how you interact with people.

The pursuit of truth and facts takes a back seat to tribal lore (man’s traditions and what’s popular with itchy ears).

It may be for you that everything he says is venerated as Gospel truth…

Somehow this now makes him the SME… and he now knows more than the people who are formally trained in microbiology.

The OP’s question revolved around lava rock. Focus

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Sigh, I don’t know how to make it any clearer.

Maybe you should work a bit on those reading comprehension skills and re-read the thread start to finish.

Maybe the described motif of ‘cyclical nonsense of argument’ is your emotions getting the better of you...

Does an emoji count as a graphical means of commenting? If so, I guess the statement "I have no more comments here" can be thought of as a vacuous statement.

Just a small sampling. Every response drips with combative condescension and specious arguments that are nothing more than backhanded trolling mistaken for holding truth to power.

You are positioning yourself as the arbiter of truth but haven’t demonstrated the knowledge, evidence, or objectivity to support that position. You have demanded facts but provided none, instead offering anecdotes, unsupported assertions, irrelevant freshwater comparisons, and expecting everyone else to disprove you. When challenged, you respond with sarcasm, personal digs, and moving targets.

This isn't scrutinizing claims or pursuing truth. It's trolling the discussion while pretending the resulting conflict demonstrates intellectual rigor. The irony of your jabs about reading comprehension, opinion versus fact, objectivity, evidence, motives, emotional reasoning, and personal interaction has not been lost on anybody here but you.

All bluster, no substance.

 

[commod0re]

If a person is going to fall on a sword then at least give some good objective info., on the matter

 

[KrisReef]

While I see the target, I also see the site guidelines.

(Ignore me too! )

Make Reef2Reef worthy again?

 

[Bear22]

Have you put forth one single solitary talking point that addresses the topic at hand? Just one?

Congrats you've made the R2R ignore list. So far that list is made up of 3 people (including you). It's pretty exclusive for those who put up useless thread banter.

 

[Bear22]

While I see the target, I also see the site guidelines.

(Ignore me too! )

Make Reef2Reef worthy again?

Done

 

[commod0re]

Have you put forth one single solitary talking point that addresses the topic at hand? Just one?

so much for that "memory like an elephant"

Congrats you've made the R2R ignore list. So far that list is made up of 3 people (including you). It's pretty exclusive for those who put up useless thread banter.

I'd consider it a public service and a small honor, but I'm actually not sure why you think I would even care, as if I need you talking nonsense at me more than you already have

I get it though, you've eventually realized you can neither bully me away, nor out-troll me, and so now you have to retreat and feign righteous indignation so you can feel better but no amount of plugging your ears can stop me from showing everyone on this site what a lame and boring troll you are

 

[BeanAnimal]

Have you put forth one single solitary talking point that addresses the topic at hand? Just one?

Congrats you've made the R2R ignore list. So far that list is made up of 3 people (including you). It's pretty exclusive for those who put up useless thread banter.

Nobody here is hiding from you, your arguments, or your insults. Randy stepped away to prevent further escalation, and you answered with another smug jab as though he had left defeated.

Now you publicly announce an “exclusive” ignore list so that you can hide from the people who continue challenging you. It is public theater that amounts to nothing more than performative bluster in place of actual substance. It’s a tactic people use after they pick a public fight and lose the argument and the room.

The wonderful part of a public forum is that the record remains open. A personal ignore list only serves as a shield from people who will not be browbeaten or bullied into agreement. It is defeat masquerading as “discernment.” The emperor has no clothes.

 

[Louis Z]

. I missed all the drama So after all that someone did ask what is my response . I had. Lava rock with shrimp , crabs and snails , cowries and clams . I had some initial issues with what I believe is simple acclimation of inverts . I never expect 100% survival upon initial acclimation . Although once in there and alive I still have a majority of what I purchased . I had some mortality of urchins in a tank without lava rock and am waiting to add to the main tank (with lava rock ) once I have finished 2month QT . So jury is still out . I plan on doing my first ever ICP test . Just been real busy with work . I have kept larger lava rock fist size with clams and shrimps with no mortality in a 10gallon tank . I wouldn’t consider using crushed lava rock because of the high surface area . Right now in the 150 gal tank / sump I have 3 small 2inch size chunks . I added them to possibly supply enough iron for my cheato to live . It’s not growing profusely but I haven’t added any elements of Mg , K or Mn . I should have plenty of N and P . The cheato is growing which is fine with me . So all I have is conjecture until an ICP . I am not saying it’s 100 % safe . Just that when I see these inverts surviving with it since July . I think it’s alright but too early to tell . To many unknowns . I don’t have any coral in this system . All I am giving is my experience. Don’t do what I do .

 

[MKEnovice]

. I missed all the drama So after all that someone did ask what is my response . I had. Lava rock with shrimp , crabs and snails , cowries and clams . I had some initial issues with what I believe is simple acclimation of inverts . I never expect 100% survival upon initial acclimation . Although once in there and alive I still have a majority of what I purchased . I had some mortality of urchins in a tank without lava rock and am waiting to add to the main tank (with lava rock ) once I have finished 2month QT . So jury is still out . I plan on doing my first ever ICP test . Just been real busy with work . I have kept larger lava rock fist size with clams and shrimps with no mortality in a 10gallon tank . I wouldn’t consider using crushed lava rock because of the high surface area . Right now in the 150 gal tank / sump I have 3 small 2inch size chunks . I added them to possibly supply enough iron for my cheato to live . It’s not growing profusely but I haven’t added any elements of Mg , K or Mn . I should have plenty of N and P . The cheato is growing which is fine with me . So all I have is conjecture until an ICP . I am not saying it’s 100 % safe . Just that when I see these inverts surviving with it since July . I think it’s alright but too early to tell . To many unknowns . I don’t have any coral in this system . All I am giving is my experience. Don’t do what I do .

Thank you for your response! I added some lava rock to my copepod culture vessel and they are thriving. May add a few inverts to see where this goes.

 

[Louis Z]

Proceed with caution . I judge toxicity by simple observation of the non coral inverts ., they are usually the sensitive ones . I think urchins and starfish are really sensitive . I had the issue of the bioblocks breaking down and killing my starfish and urchins . It wasn’t rapid but I didn’t know at the time that that was the issue of mortality

 

[Reefing102]

So the thread is from January, @dym can I ask what you ultimately decided?

If you’re still seeking opinions, my answer is no. I would not use lava rock. It’s been known since at least the 90s there is a chance that it leeches metals and other elements in saltwater. Whether good or bad I think depends on the the source of the rock.

My personal experience with it in 2003/2004, I got slime algae and hair algae like no other on it. When reused in freshwater, same issue.

As to the thread drama, comparing freshwater to saltwater is, in my opinion, like comparing apples to oranges as previously explained in some other posts. Comparing lava rock in oceans to lava rock in tanks is another. Again the sheer size of the ocean allows for significant dilution compared to what we can do in our tanks (if anything I’d compare lava rock in the ocean to putting a single cell of phytoplankton in our tanks). Even if it’s toxic, it’s not going to have an affect. Since lava rock is obviously of significant more volume than a single cell of phytoplankton, the believed risk of heavy metal leeching is high.

The above is just my opinion based on my personal experience.