Live rock? Is it worth the risk?

[curiouser]

i started with live rock 11 years ago and i still have hair algae in my tank.... next go i will use dry rock and deal with going slow

JeepGuy...I had similar experience approx 20 yrs ago with aiptasia after starting 4 yrs before with live rock. Aiptasia might have entered tank on rocks added later with corals. After 17 yrs out of the hobby I started again with dry rock. Then had a long battle with hair algae trying various snails, hermits and I finally got rid of the hair algae when I added carbon dosing reducing nutrients way down (zero nitrates, zero phos). Starved the hair algae. Now slowly backing off the carbon dosing to help the corals.
With the lack of diversity the dry rock start isn't as pretty or interesting as the live rock start was. But pest risk not completely removed as I might bring pests in as I add corals. For now I'm using lazy man's modification of Mike Paletta's method (Bayer and CoralRx). Not sure what kind of rock I'll use if I start another tank. I count myself fortunate to be in a position to have such problems.

 

[cracker]

You can see that the Old Schooler's here promote "Live rock from the ocean " . So do I. It's cost more & You will get pest stuff . I think it's about the diversity of bacteria in the rock. You will never get this with dry. After all the fish & corals come from the sea.that's where the pests .fish & corals live naturally. " Any "algae can be controlled with good husbandry.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I've done both methods. Live rock back in the day from Harbor Aquatics via Fiji flown in over night, maybe two day air, wrapped in wet newspaper. Some really good looking rock, sponges, algae, and lots of stuff alive that I didn't know what it was. So it looked really great, little bit of die off, and it was grand. Of course there was a small hitch hiker or two that I didn't really want along the lines of crabs but nothing I didn't find fun trying to capture. To this day that was some of the best rock I've ever purchased and it had its own cycle pattern. What was interesting is about 6 months into the rock into the tank I started to get some Sargassum algae that I never saw before. That was really cool stuff that reminded me a lot of kelp. It was grown on some of my lower level rocks and reached up to and floated to the surface. This sort of bio diversity you won't get using dry rock. You just won't see it - it isn't there.

Having said that I just completed a cycle using 150 lbs of dry pukani. A rather nice looking rock, various sizes, with BRS shipping me some that could be used for my front yard landscaping. Ok, I'm kidding. No, not really - a few pieces are extra huge but I don't mind because my tank is 30" tall as well as deep so it fills in nicely. While this is all grand again here is the deal. They are bare rocks. There isn't anything on them. They are dirty, they need to be pressure washed, they need a bleach bath, they need more rinsing, more dosing of lanthium chloride, more rinsing, pressure wash, and did I say rinsing again? Yeah - ok, you get the idea. Some people use acid baths - which removes rock which you paid for (amount varies but some report 5%, some 12%, others 25% or so). But with the bad comes the good. You start with a clean tank, nothing introduced, and you become little Miss Mother Nature, pretty much a bad ***, and create your own bio diversity. It really is a neat process starting from artificial saltwater, dosing ammonia, and waiting. Then testing, taking notes, and following what we call the nitrogen cycle. Then comes diatom blooms, hair algae blooms, and a host of other stuff.

So - both are cool and I think everyone should do both at least once. Chances are if you are in the hobby long enough you will. Now, having said that, and just completing the dry pukani rock I will say this now. I personally will never go this route again. I like the rock but what I find myself doing is going back to what I had before or users of TBS rock and how those rocks look. Then factor in I'm an active scuba diver it doesn't help at all. In time, over the course of a year or so, my rocks will look a lot alike what others have. That is the process. I see it happening now. The rocks I carried over from my 40 breeder with fish, corals, rock, and some sand boosted the life on the dead rocks.

So now it is just a waiting game and I need to sit back and enjoy the ride. Both work. Both are cool to watch and experience. My suggestion is make a list, write down some pro and cons of what you are looking for, and then see what your pocket book will allow. I don't think you will go wrong with either personally so just find what works for you.

Nice. I think one issue is people starting with dry rock too often rush to add livestock without allowing the system to mature (as if they started with live rock ). Either live or dry works fine, but the process to mature the tank is different. Newer reefers may not realize this. Just my opinion.

 

[Zotch]

I’ll never use live rock.

 

[drblakjak55]

Bought “live” rock on line from Florida internet site when I set up three yrs ago. The only hitchhiker was one snail. No color. No other growth. Therefore buy what you can pick up and look at. Otherwise dead rock livens up pretty quickly as you add those first critters with no risk of bad guys in the rock

 

[sfin52]

pests will find their way into our tanks.

 

[srad750c]

I only use live rock. Live rock tanks teach you a lot of the skills you will need to know about the dynamics of having a reef, you won’t learn anything if you don’t have a few headaches. Your tank will be healthier from the start. It takes patience but you will appreciate it in the long run. I’ve had two tanks both with live rock. My current tank has live rock that has been in two of my tanks for over 20 yrs. I have purposely added cured rock from systems to replenish diversity. Just my opinion.

 

[RandalV]

I started my first marine aquarium around 37 years ago , crushed coral and a under gravel filter . One of the greatest breakthroughs happened about 30 years ago when we started adding live rock to our tanks . I have been doing it that way ever since. It is by far the quickest way to establish a tank , most of the so-called pest are actually a benefit.

 

[srad750c]

i started with live rock 11 years ago and i still have hair algae in my tank.... next go i will use dry rock and deal with going slow

That’s very odd, it usually phases out if you have proper water chemistry or enough coral to out compete the algae. My tank has been running 12 years with only 2 bryopsis out breaks, one after about a year and one about 2 years ago. The first time I got rid of it with tangs and water changes, second time with Reeflux after a year of battling it.

 

[srad750c]

Great tips! Luckily I know the owner well at my lfs after many many years of going in for freshwater stuff so I can ask him anything and he is willing to tell me! I know he has all 3 mentioned above (bacteria, live, and dry). They also take in other people's broken down tank material and live stock but it is in an entirely different system on the other side of the wharehouse to prevent cross contamination and it literally has a sign saying "Buy at your own risk"!

So let's say I was to buy all live rock (which I am leaning towards) It there any thing I can do to reduce the chance of pests? Maybe something like dipping the live rock in Coral RX?
Thanks again!

Put your rock in a bare bottom tank for a while but you will never catch everything. You have to get fish to help you control hitch hikers. Plus when you buy corals, things always seem to sneak in somehow. I had a bryopsis outbreak after getting rid of 10 years ago. As long as you’re buying corals or fish, there’s that chance. I almost wiped out my entire tank because of 1 “healthy” fish.

 

[KenO]

I just received my first shipment of LR today from KP Aquatics in FL. I decided to go small and setup a 9 gallon nano with a 10 gallon sump. My plan is to keep the LR in the nano until it has be QT for a few months and then move some of it to my other tanks. Rock was shipped overnight UPS so I didn't need to run to the airport in Phoenix to pick it up. I didn't know what to expect when I opened the box, but when I opened the bag it smelled like I was on the beach. Rock was fresh. It was fun finding a number of crabs, shrimp, small brittle stars and other things, not sure if they are good or bad. I did find a black and white bristle like worm. He's in a separate container right now. I think he's not a good one. I plan on making a worm trap to see if there are more hiding in the rocks.

 

[paul barker]

This is my 3rd tank two with live rock one with dry rock didn't have any tank problems with dry rock took long to cycle but it was but I do it again

 

[User1]

Nice. I think one issue is people starting with dry rock too often rush to add livestock without allowing the system to mature (as if they started with live rock ). Either live or dry works fine, but the process to mature the tank is different. Newer reefers may not realize this. Just my opinion.

Very good point. Thanks for stating it.

 

[User1]

@KenO Nice looking rock.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I started with live rock and dealt with hair algae too, I recently set up a larger tank, didn't use any of the live rock I had to avoid the hair algae, I started with all dry rock, 3 months later, I have hair algae again! The only thing I moved into the new tank were my fish, no rock, I don't have corals, I have a small number of hermits and 1 snail, they looked clean going in, no fuzzy hair algae on their shells. I feel like I just have a knack for growing hair algae!

I am curious if you were using tap water? Only because I had hair algae issues in freshwater tanks using tap (with 2 ppm PO4).

 

[Jeepguy242]

That’s very odd, it usually phases out if you have proper water chemistry or enough coral to out compete the algae. My tank has been running 12 years with only 2 bryopsis out breaks, one after about a year and one about 2 years ago. The first time I got rid of it with tangs and water changes, second time with Reeflux after a year of battling it.

It was good for 8 years but after a kalk accident I have been batteling 3 spots that just won’t go away.

I can keep it knocked back really well with syphon and manual removal but it always comes back


My tangs and turbos won’t touch it

 

[srad750c]

I just received my first shipment of LR today from KP Aquatics in FL. I decided to go small and setup a 9 gallon nano with a 10 gallon sump. My plan is to keep the LR in the nano until it has be QT for a few months and then move some of it to my other tanks. Rock was shipped overnight UPS so I didn't need to run to the airport in Phoenix to pick it up. I didn't know what to expect when I opened the box, but when I opened the bag it smelled like I was on the beach. Rock was fresh. It was fun finding a number of crabs, shrimp, small brittle stars and other things, not sure if they are good or bad. I did find a black and white bristle like worm. He's in a separate container right now. I think he's not a good one. I plan on making a worm trap to see if there are more hiding in the rocks.

Beautiful rock

 

[srad750c]

It was good for 8 years but after a kalk accident I have been batteling 3 spots that just won’t go away.

I can keep it knocked back really well with syphon and manual removal but it always comes back


My tangs and turbos won’t touch it

Try Reeflux, it may be bryopsis. I tried my best not to use a chem but after a year of extensive water changes, plucking, syphoning, carbon dosing, you name it, I tried Reeflux. I took about two weeks and tank is totally clear, I got a small Cyanobacteria out break afterwards but I got rid of it with Chemiclean. Now tank is totally clear of both nuisances. I’ve only had to do this twice in 10 years.

 

[Specfishin]

Beautiful biodiverse gulf live rock. But, with that being said...
There's plenty of critters I wish never came with it. Mainly 3 different critters. Probably the mild and worst you could get.
From best to worst here goes.

1. Mantis & pistol shrimps. Very cool but 3 years later I still have a covert ops mantis. Cannot find him or trap him. I did catch an original one and a second one later. Cool creatures though. You know those clicky and popping noises!
2. Gorilla crabs. Need i say more. Such headaches catching them. I hate them lol. But easy if you bottle trap em'
1. And the worst ever... cirolanid isopod. Summer months apparently these buggers can be hitchhiking. Yes I verified 500times over and had to go fallow to starve them out to be sure. Its easy to mistake some other types but if you look carefully you will be able to make positive id. If you catch em in your filter socks like i did its not hard to examine. Find em with a cheap flashlight/ permanent red marker painted lense at nights. Dont worry about these unless you know you have em. It was a big setback a few months in to realize what i had in my tank. I think i waited 1.5 months for the lifecycle. Hard to recall almost 3 or more years ago.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

This tank was my first one starting with dry rock. I wanted to try it at least once. I added as much diversity as I could buying mud and sand from different vendors and adding a few smallish pieces of live rock from my 95g. If you can afford quality live rock that is most definitely the easiest way to get a mature tank in less time. The cost savings using dry rock is huge and if you are patient you can have a very nice reef also.