Live rock or base rock

[basscyn]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">So…as I get closer and closer to breathing life into my new set up, I am pondering the rock issue. I have some cooked rock ready to go. I will also be putting “some” of the LR from my 75 directly into the new tank. I am sure I will need more rock…so I have been on the hunt for a deal on LR. But, now I am wondering…why I am looking for <u>"LIVE"</u> rock. Wouldn’t I be OK with just “<u>BASE</u>” rock? I mean…wont it all seed and become live.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Probably be a lot cheaper too. That is if I can find any.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Come to think of it…you don’t see a lot of posts with base rock FS.</span></span>

 

[elfloyd]

I am building my 90g with 100# Marco Rocks (dry live rock), and will seed it with 25# live rock/rubble. The dry rock will become live in time. I have also found that base rock is heavy and solid. Check out Marco Rocks... about $2.60 per pound delivered.

 

[stickx911]

tiffany at blue planet regularly sells dry rock for like$2 a lb, and I recently got some from keen reef for about the same.

I won't do live again in any other system. Mine took about 4 months to get purple and full of life, but i do not have any pests (or have much fewer) as I seeded with a hand selected couple of pieces.

The money savings was nice, but I think not having to worry as much about hitchhikers is more important to me. But it does take a little longer to establish.

 

[basscyn]

Thanks guys!
All good points...

On the other hand you can find live rock for about the same price.$2-$3 per lb.

Hmm...

 

[joshl]

were can you get live rock for 2-3 dollars a lb?

 

[basscyn]

joshl;322244 wrote: were can you get live rock for 2-3 dollars a lb?

It is not uncommon.In fact...its kind of the going rate when parting out.

Here's one. http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27523&highlight=live+rock">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27523&highlight=live+rock</a>

Here is another [IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27137&highlight=live+rock">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27137&highlight=live+rock</a>

This one is 1$ per lb [IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27176&highlight=live+rock">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27176&highlight=live+rock</a>


These are just the most recent.

But now I am thinking...given the valid argument about pests,
base rock may be the way to go in my situation.

 

[legalreefer]

What about cycling time when you use base and "live" rock.

 

[basscyn]

I am moving from an established 75 gal to a 175. it has been suggested that I simply go through a series of large water changes from my 75 and establish the 175.
So as long as the base rock is cured...there should not be a cycle.

Right??

 

[joshl]

if the base rock has been cleaned and is bleach white yea there is not a cycle i put 15lbs in mine with live rock and didnt change anything but give me more live rock now

 

[molson]

Yeah if its cured and not dumping phosphates into the system it shouldn't be a problem. I'd imagine that your real issue is that your actual bio filter will take longer to build up as the base rock seeds.

I'm in a similar situation now, just started up a new tank with 100 lbs of marco and a few pieces of coraline covered from my 40. My plan is to stock even more slowly than normally, probably at about half the rate if I would have used liverock.