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@Paul B are you saying that if you're upgrading to a new tank you can use the live rock and sand from you're old tank? Because I'm trying to get an upgrade for Christmas and go from a 20g to a 70g, and I'd like to keep my rock because I spent like $150 on it. Sand was a bit cheaper but I'm thinking of getting new sand, live black hawaiian. In conclusion, can I use my old rock with new live rock?I don't get why so many people still have new tanks and can't get good rock. What happened to the rock you bought 10 years ago? You set up a tank and it matures along with you. What happened to all the tanks that were started 5, 10, or 20 years ago when live rock was cheap and plentiful? The rock doesn't evaporate.
I still have some rock from the 70s in my tank.
If you set up your tank correctly, feed it correctly, don't quarantine or medicate, your tank should be a living, continuing, self replicating eco system that should last forever, maybe longer than forever.
This hobby has been in the US since 1971. Where are the old tanks?
I realize many people join this hobby, but are all the tanks only lasting a couple of years?
I get that I am old school but I never have problems with this stuff. Pumps, lights, heaters all last at least 8 or 10 years then you fix it or buy another one. Tanks last decades, my old tank was 40 years old before I upgraded to a little larger tank, one without scratches.
It is definitely harder to do but as tanks become easier to keep with new technology, the tanks will most likely be more stable and consistent, making it more comfortable for the fish and corals, encouraging them to spawn.The future is in home/hobbies spawned livestock, we are talking a “Domestication event” with livestock...clowns has already started ...
Just my thoughts
Does anybody nowadays actually start a reef tank with the purpose of growing corals to look at or is it mostly done to make money off fragging? unfortunately i think it is the latter, I have never fragged a coral in my life and the only time i would is if i had to trim a certain coral because of its size.
You SHOULD use the rock. It gets better with age. The sand is debatable. It needs to be washed. It is a toilet for our tanks. I would replace the sand, but reuse the rock. It is actual live rock now.@Paul B are you saying that if you're upgrading to a new tank you can use the live rock and sand from you're old tank? Because I'm trying to get an upgrade for Christmas and go from a 20g to a 70g, and I'd like to keep my rock because I spent like $150 on it. Sand was a bit cheaper but I'm thinking of getting new sand, live black hawaiian. In conclusion, can I use my old rock with new live rock?
Do you need to clean live sand?You SHOULD use the rock. It gets better with age. The sand is debatable. It needs to be washed. It is a toilet for our tanks. I would replace the sand, but reuse the rock. It is actual live rock now.
Only if it was in a tank. If it was in a tank clean it very well, then do it again. Black sand can be nice, but it is known to have magnetic pieces that can scratch your tank. Just an FYI.Do you need to clean live sand?
And what if I buy it in a bag? Like the Carabsea Arag-Alive sands? Will those have metallic, magnetic pieces? Its live from Hawaii (or at least thats what they tell us )Only if it was in a tank. If it was in a tank clean it very well, then do it again. Black sand can be nice, but it is known to have magnetic pieces that can scratch your tank. Just an FYI.
Funny you would mention this.I don't get why so many people still have new tanks and can't get good rock. What happened to the rock you bought 10 years ago? You set up a tank and it matures along with you. What happened to all the tanks that were started 5, 10, or 20 years ago when live rock was cheap and plentiful? The rock doesn't evaporate.
I still have some rock from the 70s in my tank.
If you set up your tank correctly, feed it correctly, don't quarantine or medicate, your tank should be a living, continuing, self replicating eco system that should last forever, maybe longer than forever.
This hobby has been in the US since 1971. Where are the old tanks?
I realize many people join this hobby, but are all the tanks only lasting a couple of years?
I get that I am old school but I never have problems with this stuff. Pumps, lights, heaters all last at least 8 or 10 years then you fix it or buy another one. Tanks last decades, my old tank was 40 years old before I upgraded to a little larger tank, one without scratches.
Yes use the rock.And what if I buy it in a bag? Like the Carabsea Arag-Alive sands? Will those have metallic, magnetic pieces? Its live from Hawaii (or at least thats what they tell us )
My current rock still has a bit of algae on it, so before I put it in the new tank it would be smart to scrub all that off, and then maybe dip it in a coral dip to get rid of anything sort of hitchhikers or some pests that could be lurking on the rock? So that the nasties dont go right into the new tank?Funny you would mention this.
I have been collecting select pieces of live rock that people give to a certain lfs when they get out of the hobby.
I put it in my frag tanks sump for a few months or longer.
I just moved 2 very nice pieces from the sump to the frag display.
Yes use the rock.
I used 25lbs of live rock from my 2.5 year old nano when I setup my 120.
Ended up using another 10 live and 35lbs of caribsea seeded purple.
Its all live now and you cant tell the difference.
Also had no measurable cycle and started adding corals at around 6 weeks.
You will never get it all off. You may want to treat it with fluconazole first then transfer.My current rock still has a bit of algae on it, so before I put it in the new tank it would be smart to scrub all that off, and then maybe dip it in a coral dip to get rid of anything sort of hitchhikers or some pests that could be lurking on the rock? So that the nasties dont go right into the new tank?
Ok. Ill get the tank, live sand and more live rock, brush off the algae from my current rock, dose lots of bacteria and some other bottles (what is best to use to cycle a tank?) Then I'll buy maybe like 20 snails and 20 hermits maybe, 1 or 2 shrimp, then maybe get a tang.You will never get it all off. You may want to treat it with fluconazole first then transfer.
I had some on mine and just waited and treated the 120 now none to be found.
I added around 60 astrea snails after treatment and they keep all algae at nay.
Dude, so I gotta take umbrage at this. I'm fairly new to the hobby, but a lot of what you're saying is unrealistic. Of course "a tank packed with rock, and on those rocks are many well grown in colonies, not just a few rocks here and there with a hundred tiny frags on them" is going to look nice, but it's unavailable (or prohibitively expensive) for a new reefer.Maybe I'm just old school, but I happen to like a tank packed with rock, and on those rocks are many well grown in colonies, not just a few rocks here and there with a hundred tiny frags on them. Tanks these days seem to be like an epenis for most. Very sterile tank with minimal rock, and 100 tiny frags glowing all sorts of weird colors cause all I run is a windex tank. No one ever lets these poor frags grow to colonies.
I agreeI have a terrible feeling that the next trend might be people shutting down tanks and leaving the hobby. We are teetering on an economic disaster and if evictions are allowed to happen and 3/4 of a million people file for unemployment a week, then it could get bad. Like 2007/2008, expect to see the people in it for the long haul suck up all of the nice things and expect to see the people getting out get 10 cents on the dollar for their so-so stuff and maybe 25 cents for their good stuff. Vendors will be closing doors and basement-frag sellers with no market, or slashing prices.
I want to be totally wrong, but it has somewhat already started locally. I wonder what the numbers on this board look like for daily participation.
He didn't mean to start with colonies- but to let the frags you get grow into colonies, rather than fragging off 50% as soon as it grows to get your money backDude, so I gotta take umbrage at this. I'm fairly new to the hobby, but a lot of what you're saying is unrealistic. Of course "a tank packed with rock, and on those rocks are many well grown in colonies, not just a few rocks here and there with a hundred tiny frags on them" is going to look nice, but it's unavailable (or prohibitively expensive) for a new reefer.
Tiny frags are what grows into colonies. Saying "[n]o one ever lets these poor frags grow to colonies" is completely unfair and also seems untrue. An established tank is the destination. Buying large colonies to start with is expensive (and often impossible, except for some wild-collected specimens like Acanthophyllia/Scolymia). How exactly is someone new to the hobby supposed to to start with colonies (or even start with live rock, which is quite expensive and hard to find these days)?
I know this may not have been your intention, but your post comes off as offputting and elitist.
You just summed up about 60% of reefers on this forum, who insist that if you arent running a barebottom sps dosing tank with fiji live rock they gathered themselves, ecotech wavemakers, kessils, apex, etc etc, then you arent as good as they are - despite their tank equating to nothing more than money spent and a secret trashcan of way too many bleached acros to count.I know this may not have been your intention, but your post comes off as offputting and elitist.