"Live rock" prep!

Scribe · Aug 5, 2014

I remember buying what was called "deco rock" back in the day. It was the live rock on steroids, it had a rainbow of colors of algae, sponges and feather dusters all over it. It was what sucked me in. Seeing all these different creatures, limpets, chitons, pods, etc come off and make the tank home. I think it was something like $7.00 a pound, this was about 20 years ago. Jesus I'm old. Luckily I was starting a 10 gallon, so I didn't need a ton, but it was cool seeing all the life / hitch hikers. I didn't get jaded on live rock until I put a piece in that had a Eunicid worm a gorilla crabs hidden in it. The Eunicid was about 18" before I finally was able to get him out. Sorry to go off on a tangent, but live rock definitely has it's pros and cons.

Scribe · Aug 5, 2014

Grilling live rock, Bobby Flay has nothing on you.

Thefishguy1503 · Aug 6, 2014

Live rock prep

I would just get dead rock and then cure it so it would
Become live. This is an inexpensive way and you know
That your not getting any parasites or any unwanted pests
.

robert829 · Aug 6, 2014

Thefishguy1503 said:
I would just get dead rock and then cure it so it would
Become live. This is an inexpensive way and you know
That your not getting any parasites or any unwanted pests
.

Totally agree. I buy porous lava rock or dead rock for like $0.25/lbs. I put it into a tank that is heated but not filtered/skimed. I then take a cup brine shrimp in a blender w/ the water, and pulverize it. Dump that mixture into the tank with tank-starter bacteria. I let it basically rot for a couple weeks until the ammonia and nitrites are negative. At that point, your tank is actually cycled and your rocks are cured. I then heavily filter w/ water-polisher filters and wet-skim it for another week until the water is crystal-clear. I do a big enough water change to get rid of the Nitrates... and add fish. It works like a charm!