Let's ROCK! What type of rock do you have in your reef tank and do you love it?

How much do you like liverock in your tank? Not the aquascape, but the rock itself!

  • Love it and wouldn't change it

    Votes: 356 61.8%
  • Like it ok but would try something different

    Votes: 169 29.3%
  • Don't like it at all

    Votes: 31 5.4%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 20 3.5%

  • Total voters
    576

Conrad Noto

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Assuming you can find it, I don't think you can beat pukani even if dry in terms of porosity and structure. I used Caribsea Liferock shapes for my last build (barebottom) and I am at the one year mark and have still not been able to get SPS to grow in the tank. The tank just hasn't come into balance. I just set up another tank using pukani (from a LFS sump) and sand to make sure it wasn't my husbandry or something else, and instant success.

I will say I did not have the same experience that others have with coralline not growing on the Liferock. Mine is completely covered in coralline after a year. It looks nice and is easy to work with, but I would never use it again.
Really hard to find now, was 18.99 a lb last time I saw. Vanuatu rock was nice too, also hard to get now.
 

CMMorgan

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Wait, was their an Anthias fish in his rock that he did not know about?
Yes. He thought the fish had died months earlier. He put the rock cave into a 5 gallon bucket. Somehow, it managed to hitch a ride. Sadly, the fish was not in great health. (Probably because he had stopped feeding thinking he had a coral only tank.) It did not last long. We called her Frodo, because all she wanted to do was guard that cave "the shire". I called him up and he was like... "Fish? Wait?! What fish!!!"
 

Naso110

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Very happy with my rock:

50% fully cured LR from a quality LFS near me that came in almost completely covered in coralline. Being able to cherry pick shapes and sizes was great.

25% Gulf Live Rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater

25% dry Base rock

All was further seeded with a bag of Garf's Grunge
I didn't even know GARF was still around. Was this recent?
 

F22dad

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Let's rock and roll! :p
Sub Pop Yes GIF by Sub Pop Records


No really, let's talk about ROCK! More specifically the rock we have in our saltwater reef aquariums that make up our beautiful aquascapes!

1. What type of rock do you have in your reef tank?

2. What do you like or dislike about it?
(NOT YOUR AQUASCAPE but the actual rock)


You get a BIG THUMBS UP for sharing a photo of your ROCK!

Real-Reef-Live-Rock-10-lbs-99.jpg
I have 120 pounds of Hawaiian rock that I collected a few months ago. Just began curing it for a new build (210 gallon). Really interested to see how it matures in a reef tank. Just got back in to the hobby after a 15 year break, and was really disappointed at the inability to obtain nice live rock. Bleached it prior to curing. Too many hitchhikers.
 

Robinson

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1. What type of rock do you have in your reef tank? In my current setup, Haitian live rock.

2. What do you like or dislike about it? Dislike Nothing! Haitian rock in my opinion is one of the best rock around (live or dead) doesn’t matter, once is cycle is a solid base for any reef tank.

Actually have 300 lbs from a fellow reefer that quit the hobby, rock is ready to start the aquascape and then cycling for my next project.

E36A963E-393A-4E80-94D5-0117E45E835F.jpeg
 

F22dad

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Let's rock and roll! :p
Sub Pop Yes GIF by Sub Pop Records


No really, let's talk about ROCK! More specifically the rock we have in our saltwater reef aquariums that make up our beautiful aquascapes!

1. What type of rock do you have in your reef tank?

2. What do you like or dislike about it?
(NOT YOUR AQUASCAPE but the actual rock)


You get a BIG THUMBS UP for sharing a photo of your ROCK!

Real-Reef-Live-Rock-10-lbs-99.jpg
 

Auquanut

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When I started the 125, I started with 1/2 live rock that came with the tank (Craigslist) and 1/2 BRS dry rock. I kept the live rock in a brute for about a month with a heater and power head before cycling the tank. The tank pretty much insta-cycled using the dinner shrimp method, which I didn't fully understand at the time. I got lots of pods out of the deal, and the ugly phase was very mild.

I really like the aquascapes people are putting together with dry rock. I'm seriously considering aquascaping with dry rock for my next build, and using bioballs and a sponge filter from my established tank in the sump for my only bacteria source. Maybe a small piece of live rock and a bit of sand from my established tank in the display. I'm sure the ugly phase will probably be more pronounced, but I'm hoping to get a jump on biodiversity over going with just dry rock and bottled bac.
 

F22dad

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Let's rock and roll! :p
Sub Pop Yes GIF by Sub Pop Records


No really, let's talk about ROCK! More specifically the rock we have in our saltwater reef aquariums that make up our beautiful aquascapes!

1. What type of rock do you have in your reef tank?

2. What do you like or dislike about it?
(NOT YOUR AQUASCAPE but the actual rock)


You get a BIG THUMBS UP for sharing a photo of your ROCK!

Real-Reef-Live-Rock-10-lbs-99.jpg
Just collected about 120 lbs of Hawaiian rock. Curing it now after bleaching it. Too many unwanted hitchhikers. Going into a new 210 gallon build. Really nice stuff. Looking forward to it's developement.
Live rock.jpg
 

SDK

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I didn't even know GARF was still around. Was this recent?
Two years ago but they are still around. They are still stuck in the past, both with regards to advertising and their web page.

 

aquariumworks

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Let's rock and roll! :p
Sub Pop Yes GIF by Sub Pop Records


No really, let's talk about ROCK! More specifically the rock we have in our saltwater reef aquariums that make up our beautiful aquascapes!

1. What type of rock do you have in your reef tank?

2. What do you like or dislike about it?
(NOT YOUR AQUASCAPE but the actual rock)


You get a BIG THUMBS UP for sharing a photo of your ROCK!

Real-Reef-Live-Rock-10-lbs-99.jpg
 

BigRedReefer MT

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About 75% Carib Sea brand and 25% of the lava rock that was there when I bought the tank as a fowlr. Wish I would of held off before mounting coral to the lava rock but I was a newb. Once it's covered in coralline it looks alright but doesn't have all the nooks and crannies I would like.
Wish I could get a hold of some pukani for my sump in my 46 bowfront I'm planning a nsa aquascape but I'll make do with ceramic blocks.
 

FastandCurious

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Dry live rock. Don't love it. I didn't know the difference at the time between dry and live rock and that was all they had at my LFS so I used it. But it took 2 1/2 months to cycle and its changing all kinds of colors lol. If I knew back then what I know now I would of 100% used rock right out of the friggin ocean lol. Hitchhikers and all haha ;Facepalm
 

Orko

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For me in my tank it is Fiji live rock most of it has been in the tank for over 30 years it has a great mix of life and critters that came on it.. LOVE it it is some GORGEOUS rock .. If I was starting out today I would try to find some to seed the tank with and use CaribSea rock for most of it..
 

hcoop

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I have Marco rock. 6 of the base pieces and 50lbs of shelf. I love it for the way it looks and aquascaping but contrary to what their website states it has leached po4 like crazy. I soaked 75% of it in rodi for awhile before placing it in the tank and can definitely tell the little bit that I didn’t.
 

Klaas

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Let's rock and roll! :p
Sub Pop Yes GIF by Sub Pop Records


No really, let's talk about ROCK! More specifically the rock we have in our saltwater reef aquariums that make up our beautiful aquascapes!

1. What type of rock do you have in your reef tank?

2. What do you like or dislike about it?
(NOT YOUR AQUASCAPE but the actual rock)


You get a BIG THUMBS UP for sharing a photo of your ROCK!

Real-Reef-Live-Rock-10-lbs-99.jpg
I have all life rock both in my display and in the sump (with Chaeto on top). Life rock is free here in the Philippines. Collect my own.
428F919C-D5A3-455F-812D-B44CEFA810C8.jpeg
 
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