Should I get dry or live rock for my new salt water aquarium?

[Alice81216]

I got a new tank like a week ago and I put reef sand and saltwater in my tank with a filter and I want to get a live rock or dry rock for my new aquarium I've never had a saltwater aquarium before so I want to know if live or dry rock is better for a beginner?

 

[Nano_Man]

This my opinion
I’ve never used dry rock always use live rock. Fill your tank then put your live rock in and let it cycle might cycle quickly with using live rock . Live rock is a filter in it self . People have ran tanks on live rock couple of power heads pointing at it . And a skimmer if larger tank . Imo if a small nano I don’t use skimmer just regular water changes . With dry rock your not getting any hitch hiker’s but over the years I’ve not had many with the live rock I have purchased just my opinion

 

[Sleeping Giant]

even a mix of both is good, there is no right answer to this. Everyone has their own opinions about having live vs dry. I have both.

 

[Graemesreef]

Go live and save yourself a year of headaches especially if you want to successfully grow sps sooner than later.

 

[GatorGreg]

Dry rock or dry man made rock is absolutely not better for beginners in any way shape or form. It is cheaper. Way cheaper and also sustainable. So it’s become an allure for big tank reefers (because they buy so many pounds), eco conscious reefers, budget minded reefers and chicken little reefers (afraid of “pests”). If you don’t understand the nitrogen cycle. Cycling your tank with dry rock is going to be more complicated. You’ll probably be on here posting your API color chart asking questions about your cycle

There’s also a different between the live rocks. Was it just some rock that was wet that your LFS cycled and has had wet in a bin? This is better than dry rock. It will cycle your tank quickly and you won’t have to add ammonia or dead shrimp or any of that non sense.

Then there’s ocean rock which is superior in every way.

 

[codewon]

I got a new tank like a week ago and I put reef sand and saltwater in my tank with a filter and I want to get a live rock or dry rock for my new aquarium I've never had a saltwater aquarium before so I want to know if live or dry rock is better for a beginner?

I would try CaribSea LifeRock its live rock but it doesn’t have any pests

 

[dschuffert]

It is hard to answer that question. Everyone is different and may have different answers to this. I have done both and fine using dry rock. Live rock (cultured and live) makes a difference in maturing your tank faster. I have been in this hobby for a long time and have more patience now than when I first started. I am fine taking longer, watching the maturity cycle, testing the water weekly, watching for progress, etc.

 

[GatorGreg]

I would try CaribSea LifeRock its live rock but it doesn’t have any pests

You couldn’t be more wrong.

It is not live in anyway shape or form. It is dead dry rock.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Post in thread 'REEF-A-PALOOZA ORLANDO OFFICIAL PHOTO THREAD (Share your photos of RAP here!)' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...-your-photos-of-rap-here.981285/post-11314436

this looks like a great place to get live rock

but now I see your in Japan, so it might be better to look closer to you, I'm sure it's more than abundantly available there.

 

[Graemesreef]

I miss Walt Smith, 45 pounds of stinky figi dropped on your doorstep for a buck and a half.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

if I knew about @LiverockRocks before I bought the caribsea purple rocks I would have gone that way. they look great and probably better for a tank

 

[GarrettT]

Live rock or mixed.

All this live only rock is silly. Yes I agree you should have a good amount of live rock, but you can absolutely have dry rock too as long as you understand the rock will bind phosphate in the beginning.

 

[Matt1997]

I was always a big believer in live rock and used it for every tank in the past 10 years. My most recent tank was dry rock from the start and I wish I went with live rock. You will get immediate stability, less/no algae, no cycle, and an immediate “mature” looking tank.

Dry rock looks like crap for months until things start growing on it. Then when things start growing they cover the rock in every type of algae under the sun. Took about 4 months for my system to stabilize where I was confident enough to add sps coral.

if I were to start up a large tank, my plan is a 360 gallon in the next year, I would do a mix of both. I would make a few larger dry rock structures then transfer all my very live current rock.

 

[codewon]

You couldn’t be more wrong.

It is not live in anyway shape or form. It is dead dry rock.

Sorry, didn’t really know a better way to explain it

 

[GatorGreg]

Sorry, didn’t really know a better way to explain it

Carib sea life rock is no different than the white dry rock BRS sells. In fact it may be worse. Its man made plaster painted purple. Gross.

live rock is wet. Live rock has life living on it and will pretty much instant cycle your tank. Depending on the time out of water and the die off.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Then there’s ocean rock which is superior in every way.

Yeah - except for all the bad crap that comes on it too...

And since when is letting nitrifying baceteria and other fauna settle without bottle bacteria or piles of tampa bay pest filled rock "nonsense".

LOL

 

[Rmckoy]

I got a new tank like a week ago and I put reef sand and saltwater in my tank with a filter and I want to get a live rock or dry rock for my new aquarium I've never had a saltwater aquarium before so I want to know if live or dry rock is better for a beginner?

If you can find it and afford it live rock is always best .
A combination of both dry and live could work .
Do your research …. Ideally you want on average 1lb per gallon volume of nice porous live rock for biological filtration
Too much will only take away from the swimming space for livestock and too little will potentially not have the nitrifying capacity .

purchase a
Rodi water system ( assigning you already filled the tank with saltwater ( was it atore bought , or did you mix the water yourself ?

what size tank ?
Fyi . We always enjoy pictures of new tanks and upgrades . Feel free to post pictures

 

[Cichlid Dad]

My first tank used 1 pound per gallon Marco rock, half carib sea Fiji pink "live sand" half ocean direct live sand 1 pound per gallon. Turbo start in a bottle added to rodi water. I added pods from algae barn. I bought maybe 10 pounds of live rock 5 from a tank tear down that was clean and 5 pounds from Petco that was covered in Coraline algae. It took 6 months for the rocks in the tank to color up in my reef tank and my fowlr still doesn't have color. I still got pest hitch hiking in. If I had the money I would try the Tampa Bay route, I just couldn't afford it. Reef looks great now. The rocks will be a year old July.

 

[Acroconut]

My nano has done well with a combo of TBS live and some bleach cured rock from my old torn down 75 gal reef. Most of that old rock came from Tonga and Figi. Yes, I had a couple unwanted hitchhikers come in on the TBA. I also got a couple awesome blushing star corals that came in with that rock (as can be seen in my avitar). I'm planning a new and larger build, but will again use a combo of both types of rock.

 

[Subliminal]

If where you are is like where I am look for local clubs and or Facebook marketplace and get some rock from locals. Maybe someone is tearing down a tank or maybe some n ie reefers will give you rubble from their sump. Anything to get the life going.

move only tried dry rock once and don’t plan on it again.