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05/25/2017, 09:30 PM | #126 |
Dogmatic Dinosaur
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 6,256
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Isn't amazing how things have changed in almost a decade. Almost all of the posts on the first page say dry is the way to go, yet with all of the subsequent issues with a year or two of turf algae, high phosphates and tub after tub of GFO, it is easier now than ever to convince folks that dry rock is no bargain and will cost folks more in the long run. Plus, everybody has all the pests that they could ever want after the first frag plug gets into their tank.
Thanks for the trip back in time... |
05/26/2017, 01:31 PM | #127 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Mtl. Canada
Posts: 7,824
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This thread just made me realize I need to go out and buy some good live rock to add to my system!
90% of my system was old dead live rock when I set it up..
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Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer |
05/28/2017, 11:44 PM | #128 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 4,143
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When first really got into SPS aquariums about 10 years ago I was lucky enough to start with some really nice live rock from an established aquarists breakdown. I had no idea what service I was doing myself by getting this rock. Anything SPS I added to that tank looked great and grew like crazy.
I've had my latest tank up for over 2 years now which was started with dry rock. I really enjoyed how easy it was to aquascape this rock with reef cement. I made really nice looking structures with it. To this day I don't see any kind of cool biodiversity/life on the rocks at night looking with a flashlight. I've had decent success with the rock but nothing like I had when I was a noob with the old established live rock. I'll be adding some live rock soon after I look it over in a quarantine tank. |
05/29/2017, 01:12 AM | #129 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 61
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The costs of Air Freight is through the roof. Last time I checked it was like $5/kilo.
The solution to make live rock more affordable is to ship tons of it over on ships which sits in the boxes for weeks. The wholesalers quickly recure it and people think they are getting live. Hard to find good quality live rock anymore, but it is superior to using dry rock because of the detritivores which help to maintain water quality and zooplankton which feeds the corals. |
05/29/2017, 01:27 AM | #130 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hsinchu, Taiwan
Posts: 1,294
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Quote:
You bet!!! I replace my refugium live rock ( main tank is dead rock always) 30% every 3Q. It help to keep tank stay in honeymoon period with great bacteria variety.
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11/01/2018, 07:30 AM | #131 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,248
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DRY ROCK.....no detritus spewing from it...add 1 small piece of live to jumpstart everything
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HotTuna |
11/01/2018, 08:26 AM | #132 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 55
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I began buying cycled rock from my LFS. It’s already colored up with coralline algea and no visible critters or algea on it. It costs a lot more, but it’s ready to go and a bargain compared to the other things we spend our money on. $150 worth of cycled rock and no cycling needed made perfect sense to me.
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11/01/2018, 03:43 PM | #133 |
I love bengals
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Manassas Virginia
Posts: 2,512
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If I could start over and get real actual live rock I wouldn't second guess myself.
I think a lot of people start with dry because they don't want pest algae and such issues, but later find out it's nearly impossible to keep it all out of the tank without a quarantine system. Plus other issues like dino happen much more often and much worse in tanks started with dry rock. I also try and add new rocks to my tank every year and take out the nastiest ones, but I use dry rock for this, just cheaper even though you don't get the bacteria. Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk |
11/02/2018, 04:30 AM | #134 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Delaware
Posts: 921
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Dry Rock. Like Marco Rocks/Reef Cleaners Rock. I tried dry pukani and while it looks great, just didn't work for me. The first go round was all kinds of nutrients being leached out causing dino's, hair, cyano, never ending cycle.
This time, I went with reefcleaners, because 3 years ago, I set up my Biocube with Marco Rocks. It's covered in coralline, and I really don't do anything to the tank but change 10g of water every 2 weeks. I'm also in no rush. I started my barebottom cycle on 10/7, and as of yesterday, we cannot process 1ppm ammonia in 24 hours...yet. We will, in time. I wanted no pests, no vermetid snails, nothing. When the time comes, I'll add in my pods, and let them get established. I'll add in my Cerith/Nerite and Trochus snails when there's a need. Probably by March or so, I'll add my Acropora that I have alive sitting in the 40 breeder. There's no rush, and by taking my time, that dry rock, will become very live and very colorful.
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06/27/2019, 09:13 PM | #135 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: SC
Posts: 27
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Live rock no question. I’ve done tanks with dry and live and will never go dry again. Biodiversity is huge in reef tanks and you just can’t get that starting with dry rock.
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