Live rock? Is it worth the risk?

[Alaura02]

I am a serious newbie and have been doing a ton of research and am torn between live rock and/or dry rock.

I am think of doing 50/50 of dry and live but don't know if it is worth the risk of pests and parasites. What is your opinions? Is there any precautionary measures I could take?

My lfs (more of a local fish wharehouse) has a variety of live rock in a massive tank where I could examine them. He also has a massive tank of rock that comes in dry and he soaks them him self in a closed system. I feel the "pre-soaked" and conditioned rock is a great alternative to straight dry rock but I would still want to add at least a few small peices of live... UGH so torn on my options!

Please send help[emoji305] Thank you!

 

[sfin52]

The live rock is the best way to add biodiversity to your tank. It takes a really long time for the biodiversity to develop in a tank with cured rock. I will never use dry rock only live rock for this reefer

 

[Katrina71]

I like live rock. I like the little critters.

 

[hijinks7]

Here is my 2 cents

Start with 100% dry rock.

It'll teach you to go slow and that's the secret to this hobby. I use to tear down tanks for pennies on the dollar and re-sell them and one of the biggest reasons for people selling is their tank got over run by some pest or algae from buying live rock from others. I've never seen a LFS that didn't have some sort of pest on their rock also.

 

[smiley28]

Depends on if you can handle “live” rock. I have never started a tank from what I would consider to be premium lr but it’s in the near future plans. I

 

[CindyKz]

Live rock for me. I like the biodiversity and I feel like the "danger" of most pests is far overrated. I have bubble algae, (used to have) aptasia, vermetid snails. None of it has crashed my tank or even done any harm. It's all what you make it

 

[smiley28]

If you can handle some bad then you could be rewarded with some nice rockscape.

 

[Tautog]

I love Live Rock. Interesting critters come out, and it’s a great learning process that you need. My rock had a Strawberry Crab that was a truly beautiful crab. My tank never cycled. I set my tank up on a Monday, and on Thursday added LR and 15 small fish. After 3 yrs, my tank is very mature. Every reefer that has seen my tank tells me it’s the LR that gives you a faster, mature aquarium.

 

[sfin52]

I love Live Rock. Interesting critters come out, and it’s a great learning process that you need. My rock had a Strawberry Crab that was a truly beautiful crab. My tank never cycled. I set my tank up on a Monday, and on Thursday added LR and 15 small fish. After 3 yrs, my tank is very mature. Every reefer that has seen my tank tells me it’s the LR that gives you a faster, mature aquarium.

Yep added live rock and two days later fish added to the tank. Never had a cycle.

 

[sfin52]

@Alaura02 welcome to reef2reef

 

[Alaura02]

@Alaura02 welcome to reef2reef

Thanks super excited to be here!!

 

[sfin52]

It really is a great place. Great people and incredible knowledge.

 

[Alaura02]

I am going to let this go for a while and see what the majority says. I REALLY want live rock as it would not only make the cycling process much easier but it would add so much life and stability to a tank that would other words would take 1+ years... I don't doubt myself in being able to handle the pest it is just the ideal of chaos that scares me!

 

[Holy_makerel]

I'm planning on setting up a nano with only LR, Kind of a QT. Hopefully get rid of pests and eventually add some back to my system.

 

[rtparty]

For those that have been around long enough, they know that live rock was/is the NUMBER 1 "breakthrough" that allowed us to keep the things we do. Yes, we've advanced as a hobby but there is still nothing in a bottle that can replace good live rock and the diversity it brings from the get go.

Your tank will mature faster. Corals will be easier to keep early on. Things will be more stable and give you time to figure things out.

Personally, I can't imagine going back and starting my first tank with dry rock. If it had been anything like my current system, I would have quit so long ago.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Welcome to R2R! I am old school and a big proponent of live rock. Here are some live rock thoughts and tips off my head as someone starting a new build as well with live rock:

If you buy live rock from an LFS (local fish store) ask them where it is from and how they got it. Rock that was air freighted to them would have the most life. “Boat rock” probably spent a month dry on a boat. The bacteria and coralline would be okay, but not much other life.

LFS also often sell “bacteria rock” as live rock. This is basically dead or dry rock that has sat in vats and has good bacteria growth, but not much else.

All of these three above would get your cycle going quick, with varying degrees of other life. I also suggest you ask an LFS if they take in rock from broken down customer tanks. I found one near me that does this. It worries me that many of those who may leave the hobby did so because of major pest or algae issues with their rock.

Another way to get live rock is to order online. Whether aquacultured or imported, I would think about how fast you can get it depending on where you are. Air freight is fast, but makes better economical sense for large tanks. Ground shipping works, but expect more die off.

In any case, I would be prepared to cure any live rock in buckets or a new tank assuming there may be some die off and to just let them mature for a bit.

 

[maroun.c]

Just saw a couple tanks started with LR and a 3-4 months slow cycle period. Nothing beats the amount of life in those and as sure the microlife has exploded to numbers which will sustain after many fish are added and provide great food to finicky fish and corals as tank progresses. Can't get that with starting with Dry rocks. Started My tank with ceramics and bleached rocks and added 150 kg of live rock in my sump. Had a nice amount of life in the sump but it didn't quite move to the tank as much.

 

[smiley28]

After starting the last 2 with Marcos and real reef I’m going to restart my larger tank due to needing house work done in its area and have already started my lr search.

 

[Jeepguy242]

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

 

[becks]

I started with pukani, for along time it looked lifeless and I had minimal biodiversity. If I ever get a bigger tank I will hand pick live rock to increase my rockwork.