How Long does it take Dry Rock to become Live Base Rock and then Premium Live Rock?

that Fish Guy · 03/30/2014, 09:29 PM

How Long does it take Dry Rock to become Live Base Rock.

And how Long does it take Base Rock to become Premium Live Rock?

My LFS sells all 3 - Dry, Base, and Premium

Dry - 2.99 a Pound
Base - 4.99 a Pound
Premium - 9.99 a Pound

I am wondering which of these three to get.

Obviously Premium is much better than Dry.

If it is relatively quick for the Dry Rock to upgrade I will do that to save money.

But if it takes years to upgrade then Dry is not worth it - Same goes for Base.

So I am wondering how long the change takes?

Bill Nye · 03/30/2014, 09:39 PM

Dry rock is the best rock in my opinion. I have used it on my last two tanks and bought a bunch of pukani for my next set up. Cycle it in a brute container or two and you are ready to go in a couple months if you get the pukani as it has a lot of dead stuff. Regular dry rock like BRS reefsaver is safe to put in but obviously you need to cycle it to get some bacteria going. Its insane to pay 10 dollars a pound for rock when after ~6 months you wont be able to tell the difference between it and dry rock.

edit

What does premium mean? If you are looking for stuff like Florida aquaculture rock then obviously dry rock will never get to that point. I prefer rock that I know there is no crazy algae, crabs or other nastys in it so I wouldn't want that anyway. Most "premium" rock I see at my local LFS have some coralline on it and a bunch of pest anemones. After about 6 months you will get coralline going on the rock as long as you seed some in the tank but even frag plugs will have spores that will start your population. At this point my dry rock is about 3 years old and has a bunch of amphipods, bristle worms and other assorted worms but no pests or pest algae.

that Fish Guy · 03/30/2014, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Nye

Dry rock is the best rock in my opinion. I have used it on my last two tanks and bought a bunch of pukani for my next set up. Cycle it in a brute container or two and you are ready to go in a couple months. Its insane to pay 10 dollars a pound for rock when after ~6 months you wont be able to tell the difference between it and dry rock.

edit

What does premium mean? If you are looking for stuff like Florida aquaculture rock then obviously dry rock will never get to that point. I prefer rock that I know there is no crazy algae, crabs or other nastys in it so I wouldn't want that anyway. Most "premium" rock I see at my local LFS have some coralline on it and a bunch of pest anemones. After about 6 months you will get coralline going on the rock as long as you seed some in the tank but even frag plugs will have spores that will start your population. At this point my dry rock is about 3 years old and has a bunch of amphipods, bristle worms and other assorted worms but no pests or pest algae.

The Premium Rock is covered in Purple Coraline and looks much nicer but they also said that there is more Beneficial Bacteria and Copepods, etc. in the Premium vs. the Base Rock.

that Fish Guy · 03/30/2014, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Nye

Dry rock is the best rock in my opinion. I have used it on my last two tanks and bought a bunch of pukani for my next set up. Cycle it in a brute container or two and you are ready to go in a couple months if you get the pukani as it has a lot of dead stuff. Its insane to pay 10 dollars a pound for rock when after ~6 months you wont be able to tell the difference between it and dry rock.

edit

What does premium mean? If you are looking for stuff like Florida aquaculture rock then obviously dry rock will never get to that point. I prefer rock that I know there is no crazy algae, crabs or other nastys in it so I wouldn't want that anyway. Most "premium" rock I see at my local LFS have some coralline on it and a bunch of pest anemones. After about 6 months you will get coralline going on the rock as long as you seed some in the tank but even frag plugs will have spores that will start your population. At this point my dry rock is about 3 years old and has a bunch of amphipods, bristle worms and other assorted worms but no pests or pest algae.

Do you really have to wait a few months with Dry Rock?

Can't I just add it to the tank right away?

Will there be a Cycle if I do that?

Do you have to add a Chemical or something to get the Beneficial Bacteria?

How do you get all the Copepods and Isopods and stuff like that?

Bill Nye · 03/30/2014, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by that Fish Guy

The Premium Rock is covered in Purple Coraline and looks much nicer but they also said that there is more Beneficial Bacteria and Copepods, etc. in the Premium vs. the Base Rock.

I guess it depends on how patient you are. Dry rock ends up looking the same after coralline grows on it and will have all the bacteria and copepods you could want as well. Most likely this premium rock came in as dry rock and they just set it in a tank for a while till it got covered in coralline. IMO the savings alone makes it worth going dry rock. I couldn't imagine paying 10 dollars a pound for rock. This hobby is expensive as it is might as well save where you can.

edit

It depends on the dry rock. Stuff like pukani needs to cure because it was in the ocean and has a lot of dead material. Mined dry rock is safe to add to your tank after a good rinse. The actual bacteria cycle takes about a month the same as you would expect with live rock. Typically there is die off on live rock after adding it anyway so you have to wait for ammonia to go down. In the case of dry rock you are adding ammonia to start your bacterial colony. You don't need to add any bacteria but I always add a couple of pieces of carefully selected rubble or small rocks depending on the size of the tank to get the coralline and copepod populations started. You would be surprised how fast copepods will multiply if the conditions are correct.

that Fish Guy · 03/30/2014, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Nye

I guess it depends on how patient you are. Dry rock ends up looking the same after coralline grows on it and will have all the bacteria and copepods you could want as well. Most likely this premium rock came in as dry rock and they just set it in a tank for a while till it got covered in coralline. IMO the savings alone makes it worth going dry rock. I couldn't imagine paying 10 dollars a pound for rock. This hobby is expensive as it is might as well save where you can.

edit

It depends on the dry rock. Stuff like pukani needs to cure because it was in the ocean and has a lot of dead material. Mined dry rock is safe to add to your tank after a good rinse. The actual bacteria cycle takes about a month the same as you would expect with live rock. Typically there is die off on live rock after adding it anyway so you have to wait for ammonia to go down. In the case of dry rock you are adding ammonia to start your bacterial colony. You don't need to add any bacteria but I always add a couple of pieces of rubble or small rocks depending on the size of the tank to get the coralline and copepod populations started. You would be surprised how fast copepods will multiply if the conditions are correct.

I am lost.

If you get Live Rock it comes with Bacteria, Copopds, Isopds, etc.

But Dry Rock is Dry and has nothing.

Copepods just "Magically" appear over time with Dry Rock out of thin air?

Does not make any sense.

They have to come from somewhere right?

Bill Nye · 03/30/2014, 09:57 PM

Yes thats why I add some rubble or rocks that I am sure came from a good source with no pests on it. They will also come in on frags. It seems you have a negative impression of dry rock so perhaps live rock is best for you. Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby. I got 40 lbs of dry rock shipped for ~120 dollars. At that price it will cost you 400 + tax to get the same amount and even then it wont be equal because live rock has water weight so you actually get less rock than if you buy dry rock.

that Fish Guy · 03/30/2014, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Nye

Yes thats why I add some rubble or rocks that I am sure came from a good source with no pests on it. They will also come in on frags. It seems you have a negative impression of dry rock so perhaps live rock is best for you. Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby. I got 40 lbs of dry rock shipped for ~120 dollars. At that price it will cost you 400 + tax to get the same amount and even then it wont be equal because live rock has water weight so you actually get less rock than if you buy dry rock.

I see people just setting up Tanks with Dry Marco Rock though.

I understand that if you add some actual Live Rock all the Critters will Colonize the Dry Rock but How does all that work with the people I see just using Dray Marco Rock and nothing else.

prickles · 03/30/2014, 11:50 PM

most people add at least one "seed" rock. If you look at marco rocks webpage, I believe they include a "seed" rock with their orders. Even without adding a "seed" rock, you will get the bacteria growing once you cycle the dry rock. You just won't get critters and pods.

I personally don't want the critters unless I can control their introduction. Therefore I prefer dry rock with a seed rock that I know where it came from.

GTboosted · 03/31/2014, 12:50 AM

The only difference is the coralline algae. Pods can easily be added. Besides if you want sustainable pods, live rock will not make a difference. What you need is a fuge with a food source such as cheato. When you buy cheato it will come with pods.

What you can do is start with dry rock and 1pc rubble rock or empty snail shell and throw in a raw shrimp to decompose. The bacteria on the shell/rubble will multiply and cover all the dry rock, turning it into live rock pretty much instanly.

The coralline algae will come with your seeder piece or pretty much any frag plug you add. Oh and no need to "cook" your live rock. Just rinse and add it to your system while keeping up with water changes that should already be happening.

E.Rude · 03/31/2014, 08:42 AM

I really like marcorocks (I've never used the BRS stuff, though I hear it's really good too). When you think about it, a 10 lb marcorock will become a 15 lb premium live rock with time.
One thing to consider is that a lot of the premium LR offered (at least at my LFS's) is painted purple nowadays, so it's difficult to tell if it's really got coralline growing on it. I don't like the idea of fake coralline in my tank personally, but I guess it's good for folks with FO tanks that don't have the lighting requirements that would encourage real coralline.

slgcmg · 03/31/2014, 09:33 AM

critters can hide in the smallest of places. It is impossible to know what is truly in there even if you trust the source. You can always add live pods to dry rock once you get it cycled.

planedoc · 03/31/2014, 09:55 AM

Most stores premium rock is rock shipped by air direct from the supplier. There is minimal die off so it will have more life from the sea. It can be placed directly into your tank. Base rock is shipped by boat in big containers to large distribution hubs where it repackaged and sold the stores. It needs to cured before being placed in your tank. Most of the time it is cured all ready from your local fish store. You can tell by smelling it. As far as critters go you can place rock in a high Salinity bucket (1.040) and the crabs and worms will quickly leave the rock.
Live aquaria sells 40# premium shipped for $170. Pretty good deal.

03/30/2014, 09:29 PM	#1
that Fish Guy Frag Swap Crusader! Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,538	How Long does it take Dry Rock to become Live Base Rock and then Premium Live Rock? How Long does it take Dry Rock to become Live Base Rock. And how Long does it take Base Rock to become Premium Live Rock? My LFS sells all 3 - Dry, Base, and Premium Dry - 2.99 a Pound Base - 4.99 a Pound Premium - 9.99 a Pound I am wondering which of these three to get. Obviously Premium is much better than Dry. If it is relatively quick for the Dry Rock to upgrade I will do that to save money. But if it takes years to upgrade then Dry is not worth it - Same goes for Base. So I am wondering how long the change takes?

03/30/2014, 09:39 PM	#2
Bill Nye Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: RI Posts: 627	Dry rock is the best rock in my opinion. I have used it on my last two tanks and bought a bunch of pukani for my next set up. Cycle it in a brute container or two and you are ready to go in a couple months if you get the pukani as it has a lot of dead stuff. Regular dry rock like BRS reefsaver is safe to put in but obviously you need to cycle it to get some bacteria going. Its insane to pay 10 dollars a pound for rock when after ~6 months you wont be able to tell the difference between it and dry rock. edit What does premium mean? If you are looking for stuff like Florida aquaculture rock then obviously dry rock will never get to that point. I prefer rock that I know there is no crazy algae, crabs or other nastys in it so I wouldn't want that anyway. Most "premium" rock I see at my local LFS have some coralline on it and a bunch of pest anemones. After about 6 months you will get coralline going on the rock as long as you seed some in the tank but even frag plugs will have spores that will start your population. At this point my dry rock is about 3 years old and has a bunch of amphipods, bristle worms and other assorted worms but no pests or pest algae. Last edited by Bill Nye; 03/30/2014 at 09:47 PM.

03/30/2014, 09:57 PM	#7
Bill Nye Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: RI Posts: 627	Yes thats why I add some rubble or rocks that I am sure came from a good source with no pests on it. They will also come in on frags. It seems you have a negative impression of dry rock so perhaps live rock is best for you. Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby. I got 40 lbs of dry rock shipped for ~120 dollars. At that price it will cost you 400 + tax to get the same amount and even then it wont be equal because live rock has water weight so you actually get less rock than if you buy dry rock. Last edited by Bill Nye; 03/30/2014 at 10:09 PM.

03/31/2014, 09:33 AM	#12
slgcmg Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 521	critters can hide in the smallest of places. It is impossible to know what is truly in there even if you trust the source. You can always add live pods to dry rock once you get it cycled. __________________ 180g reef 40g sump 250# LR 10 54w T5. 2 Nasos, sailfin, regal tang, coral beauty, powder blue, yellow tang, melanarus wrasse, 2 chromis, foxface, clownfish, LPS, various shrimps

03/30/2014, 11:50 PM	#9
prickles Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: AZ Posts: 1,138	most people add at least one "seed" rock. If you look at marco rocks webpage, I believe they include a "seed" rock with their orders. Even without adding a "seed" rock, you will get the bacteria growing once you cycle the dry rock. You just won't get critters and pods. I personally don't want the critters unless I can control their introduction. Therefore I prefer dry rock with a seed rock that I know where it came from.

03/31/2014, 12:50 AM	#10
GTboosted Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Van Nuys, CA Posts: 140	The only difference is the coralline algae. Pods can easily be added. Besides if you want sustainable pods, live rock will not make a difference. What you need is a fuge with a food source such as cheato. When you buy cheato it will come with pods. What you can do is start with dry rock and 1pc rubble rock or empty snail shell and throw in a raw shrimp to decompose. The bacteria on the shell/rubble will multiply and cover all the dry rock, turning it into live rock pretty much instanly. The coralline algae will come with your seeder piece or pretty much any frag plug you add. Oh and no need to "cook" your live rock. Just rinse and add it to your system while keeping up with water changes that should already be happening.

03/31/2014, 08:42 AM	#11
E.Rude Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 323	I really like marcorocks (I've never used the BRS stuff, though I hear it's really good too). When you think about it, a 10 lb marcorock will become a 15 lb premium live rock with time. One thing to consider is that a lot of the premium LR offered (at least at my LFS's) is painted purple nowadays, so it's difficult to tell if it's really got coralline growing on it. I don't like the idea of fake coralline in my tank personally, but I guess it's good for folks with FO tanks that don't have the lighting requirements that would encourage real coralline.

03/31/2014, 09:55 AM	#13
planedoc Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 535	Most stores premium rock is rock shipped by air direct from the supplier. There is minimal die off so it will have more life from the sea. It can be placed directly into your tank. Base rock is shipped by boat in big containers to large distribution hubs where it repackaged and sold the stores. It needs to cured before being placed in your tank. Most of the time it is cured all ready from your local fish store. You can tell by smelling it. As far as critters go you can place rock in a high Salinity bucket (1.040) and the crabs and worms will quickly leave the rock. Live aquaria sells 40# premium shipped for $170. Pretty good deal.