Lace Rock and Honeycomb

flameangel9 · 12/19/2009, 10:01 PM

I bought some lace rock/ honeycomb today. Is this reef safe?

bertoni · 12/19/2009, 10:31 PM

I haven't heard of very many problems with lace rock, so it's like safe enough. I don't know how well it'll do for filtration.

Neogenocide · 12/19/2009, 11:37 PM

I would tend to think that it would be reef safe, and would help keep the PH up. However they are pretty dense, so I don't think it would help with biological much.

Scott

FirstContact · 12/20/2009, 11:11 AM

I had a piece of lace rock in my tank for a long time. It made a great shelf, but I eventually put it in the sump.

spazthecat · 12/20/2009, 06:32 PM

I think you are fine. My current tank is about 25% lace rock and the tank I had before it was over 50% lace rock and I've never had any issues keeping anything. Also never really had a problem with nitrates, phos, etc...

The only thing I don't like is that coralline doesn't seem to grow very well on it and when it does, it's a funky yellow/orange/rust color. Not entirely unattractive, just a very odd color for a reef tank.

--Andy

Salamander · 12/20/2009, 06:54 PM

There are two kinds of lace rock. One is a weathered limestone and the other is basalt. I think the limestone kind is ok but I have no expereince with it. The basalt on the other hand could be troublesome.

Basalt is a volcanic rock. You never know what minerals it contains that may leach into your tank and cause problems that you just can't figure out. Basalt is all different. Even basalt produced from the same volcanic vent from different events can vary greatly in composition.

If the rock fizzes and dissolves when vinegar is dropped on it its probably limestone(also more often to be a light cream color). If it doesn't fizz much its likely basalt (often gray in color) and could be ok...but maybe not. I wouldn't risk using any basaltic material to save a few bucks considering the money we spend to ensure things don't go wrong.

jcolletteiii · 12/20/2009, 11:15 PM

I'm 95% sure that's limestone - and it should be fine. The only type of basalt I've ever seen used in marine aquaria is the type that typically has holes carved into it. That stuff (typically called 'lava rock' is not typical basalt either; it's more like a pumice, although a pumice with quite large vesicles that is still quite dense. The cave carved stuff is still fine to use though, b/c it cools very quickly and has an almost glass-like make-up. Some pumice can actually float in water b/c it has so much gas trapped inside. The rocks in your photo would be great for fish hiding places, but it's probably quite low in porosity.

insane · 12/20/2009, 11:33 PM

Lace rock, aka Texas Holey Rock, will work in a reef but it is too dense to be of much use for biological filtration like regular live rock. I only use it as a foundation base rock underneath good live rock.

John Zillmer · 12/21/2009, 06:54 AM

Pic in OP is of two different types of rock; Salamander's info is relevant here. I think the rock on the left is the basalt, and the one on the right is the limestone. FWIW, the LFS I used to work at called the rock on the left 'lace rock' and the rock on the right 'Texas holey rock'. The Texas rock is harvested from Texas (duh) and the lace rock is harvested from Utah (lots of volcanic-looking rock there, at least everywhere I've been in Utah). As Salamander said, these are two different sorts of rock, and so we ought to be clear which one we're referring to.

I've used the rock on the left (dark in color, volcanic-looking in origin) for many years in my reef with no (apparent) ill effects. I might just be lucky, or just be putting up with some problems that I never correctly attributed to the lace rock. At any rate, the worst part of using lace rock (the volcanic stuff) in a reef is that when you eventually need to frag out an overgrown rock, you (well, I, anyway) can't Dremel the stuff -- only a cold chisel works, and it doesn't cut straight.

Contrary to spazthecat's experiences, I've found lace rock to color up just like live rock.

rale2001 · 12/21/2009, 08:11 AM

Doesn't the rock eventually turn live when its in the tank with real live rock??

John Zillmer · 12/21/2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rale2001

Doesn't the rock eventually turn live when its in the tank with real live rock??

Well, under good conditions it will become encrusted with the same sorts of organisms that encrust live rock -- so if that is what you mean by 'turn live', then yes. But so will powerheads, Coke bottles and deer antlers if you leave them in the tank long enough.

12/19/2009, 10:01 PM	#1
flameangel9 OnyxInc. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Upstate N.Y. Posts: 439	Lace Rock and Honeycomb I bought some lace rock/ honeycomb today. Is this reef safe?

12/19/2009, 10:31 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I haven't heard of very many problems with lace rock, so it's like safe enough. I don't know how well it'll do for filtration. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/20/2009, 11:11 AM	#4
FirstContact Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Glenn Dale, MD Posts: 1,613	I had a piece of lace rock in my tank for a long time. It made a great shelf, but I eventually put it in the sump. __________________ No man is an island entire of itself; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. John Donne Current Tank Info: 120g Reef 100g Rubbermaid Sump, 20g Refugium; previous tank: 46g Drilled; Self Plumbed, Birds Nest, Anchor, Xenia, Zoas, Yuma Yuma Ricordea, Chalice, Mushrooms, Brain, Acan, Anenome Plate; Clams, Other Inverts, Fish, Live Rock

12/20/2009, 06:54 PM	#6
Salamander Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 2,103	There are two kinds of lace rock. One is a weathered limestone and the other is basalt. I think the limestone kind is ok but I have no expereince with it. The basalt on the other hand could be troublesome. Basalt is a volcanic rock. You never know what minerals it contains that may leach into your tank and cause problems that you just can't figure out. Basalt is all different. Even basalt produced from the same volcanic vent from different events can vary greatly in composition. If the rock fizzes and dissolves when vinegar is dropped on it its probably limestone(also more often to be a light cream color). If it doesn't fizz much its likely basalt (often gray in color) and could be ok...but maybe not. I wouldn't risk using any basaltic material to save a few bucks considering the money we spend to ensure things don't go wrong. __________________ I feel more like myself now than I did before. Current Tank Info: 120g mixed reef, 2 x 250W DE MH, 2 x 54w T5, MSX 200 SKimmer, 2 Koralia 4's, 40g fuge/sump, QT

12/21/2009, 06:54 AM	#9
John Zillmer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 375	Pic in OP is of two different types of rock; Salamander's info is relevant here. I think the rock on the left is the basalt, and the one on the right is the limestone. FWIW, the LFS I used to work at called the rock on the left 'lace rock' and the rock on the right 'Texas holey rock'. The Texas rock is harvested from Texas (duh) and the lace rock is harvested from Utah (lots of volcanic-looking rock there, at least everywhere I've been in Utah). As Salamander said, these are two different sorts of rock, and so we ought to be clear which one we're referring to. I've used the rock on the left (dark in color, volcanic-looking in origin) for many years in my reef with no (apparent) ill effects. I might just be lucky, or just be putting up with some problems that I never correctly attributed to the lace rock. At any rate, the worst part of using lace rock (the volcanic stuff) in a reef is that when you eventually need to frag out an overgrown rock, you (well, I, anyway) can't Dremel the stuff -- only a cold chisel works, and it doesn't cut straight. Contrary to spazthecat's experiences, I've found lace rock to color up just like live rock. __________________ Maybe there isn't any such thing as normativity -- but there should be. Current Tank Info: 90 g mixed reef, 40 g 'fuge, T5HO, Simplicity 240DC

12/19/2009, 11:37 PM	#3
Neogenocide Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Findlay, OH Posts: 851	I would tend to think that it would be reef safe, and would help keep the PH up. However they are pretty dense, so I don't think it would help with biological much. Scott

12/20/2009, 06:32 PM	#5
spazthecat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Pickerington, OH Posts: 220	I think you are fine. My current tank is about 25% lace rock and the tank I had before it was over 50% lace rock and I've never had any issues keeping anything. Also never really had a problem with nitrates, phos, etc... The only thing I don't like is that coralline doesn't seem to grow very well on it and when it does, it's a funky yellow/orange/rust color. Not entirely unattractive, just a very odd color for a reef tank. --Andy

12/20/2009, 11:15 PM	#7
jcolletteiii Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: 58703 Posts: 1,265	I'm 95% sure that's limestone - and it should be fine. The only type of basalt I've ever seen used in marine aquaria is the type that typically has holes carved into it. That stuff (typically called 'lava rock' is not typical basalt either; it's more like a pumice, although a pumice with quite large vesicles that is still quite dense. The cave carved stuff is still fine to use though, b/c it cools very quickly and has an almost glass-like make-up. Some pumice can actually float in water b/c it has so much gas trapped inside. The rocks in your photo would be great for fish hiding places, but it's probably quite low in porosity.

12/20/2009, 11:33 PM	#8
insane Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: under your bed Posts: 771 Blog Entries: 7	Lace rock, aka Texas Holey Rock, will work in a reef but it is too dense to be of much use for biological filtration like regular live rock. I only use it as a foundation base rock underneath good live rock.

12/21/2009, 08:11 AM	#10
rale2001 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Memphis, Tn Posts: 429	Doesn't the rock eventually turn live when its in the tank with real live rock??