No body talks about their rock! One of the most important parts of our tanks and we don't discuss it. Why is this? Is it something we just take for granted? Is it something so common that we don't feel the need to discuss it?
When I first started my tank I got more advise on what, lights, salt, substrate, water and types of filtration to use. Not once did anyone tell me what to look for when it came to rock. Nor did I find anything giving the true definition of the types of rock there are out there for me to use. (I'm not speaking solely about CR. I started my tank 4 months before I found CR)
So it's taken me over a year to learn what rock is, and how big a part it plays in the health and welfare of my tank.
Here's a *little* of what I've learned about the rock we keep in out tanks. There's live rock, cured/cycled rock, dry dead rock, dry clean rock, eco rock, pukani rock, fiji rock and the other rock. I've learned a lot from buying (what I've termed to be yucky rock) from an LFS. This rock is a LR kept in a tank with very little flow, wrong kind of lighting and no filtration at all. What did I get? 6 months of HA and the loss of many corals from HA. I also got an abundance of bristle worms and even an Xanthid crab which eats corals. As a newb I had no idea what to or not to look for when buying LR. This was my experience with buying LR, not a very good one either, and as a newb I can truly attest to the meaning of, *wishing I knew then what I know now*
With CR being they one and only salt water forum that I go to for everything related to starting and keeping a healthy, thriving and successful salt water tank. I no longer feel that anyone has to go through what all I went through when it comes to buying one of the most important items to go into out tanks.
So lets hear it peoples! What do you know about the rock you have in your tank? How much did you know about it before you put it into your tank? Did you know what to look for when you bought it? Did it matter to you (if live) how the rock was being kept at your LFS? Did you buy it online?
I will always support my local LFS and do so often. But there are just some things that they (here) cannot supply me. Good rock is one of them. Not their fault, it's all they too can get U.P. here
I bought my new Pukani dry from BRS. I paid $93.00 for 30# shipped. I knew what I was getting. What was in and on it. Not bad at all when it came to $10 a pound for live at the LFS.
I love the color, the many different shapes and how easy it is to aquascape with. It's also very easy for me to break up if I want a little piece here, there or just for adding new polyps onto it. I like knowing how to cure my rock. I especially like knowing that by throwing in a nice size bag of carbon into the mix, the smell is greatly minimized, thank God cause it's in my living room.
My dry Pukain
I'm sure I could find more to say on the subject of ROCK but I'll give everyone else a chance to chime in. So lets here it my fellow reefers, what about your rock!!!
LOL!!!!! I cant beleive I didnt suggest running some carbon in the rock curing bin!!! Of course that would help with the smell.....glad ya figured that one out!
I have more to add to this thread, but first, I would like to add just a few links, for informational purposses-
I remember when I first started....the live rock was THE MOST FACINATING part of the hobby!!!! Something new everyday, if you pay attention, and so much to learn behind it!!!!
Like, hitchikers, bound nutrients, its filtration qualities, the ability to be very ugly, and oh-so beautiful!
I would scan and inspect my rock everyday, before, during and after lights out for months- even before looking at corals, when I was new to the hobby. Thanks for bringing this topic up in a threaad miz!
Awesome links Sir, thanks a bunch! You mentioned little critters that come with our LR-I got these neat little feather duster things everywhere and I think it was you who told me about the tube snails, well I got a bunch of those too. Our rock rocks!!
This for sure is one thing many people take for granite(ha ha).I use to be a live rock only guy tell I did my new build.Befor anyones jaw hit's the ground let me explain.The new system is kinda of my wierd thought processes.It has worked out well so far so this is what I did.And I'm not recomending it to anyone either,just food for thought.In the DT I used all 100% dead,dried,baked cured rock.150#'s of it.I bought from other reefers,picked off the beaches of Hawaii anywhere I could find it and some from BRS.I had so much when my friend said he was going to build a new tank I gave him another 150#. In the 75 gallon fuge I used about 60# of dead rock and filled the tank up and let the cycle begin.Once the ammonia levels dropped to acceptable levels I added 20# of premium live rock that I had stored in the frag system and one coraline half moon from the trop.I waited for the cycle to go farther and started adding filter feeders to the fuge,and two jars of DT pods.I have no MACRO or Cheato in this system.I have never had a system cycle so little in my time in the hobby,no hair algae blooms,not much of anything but coraline.In four months the rocks are purpled up and the starfish have made it up to the top and the wrasses are getting fat on pods.I can honestly say Rock is the most important step to a good healthy system.Great subject and Links
Lets talk about rock!
There's nothing like being a Reefer!
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