dry rock or live rock in display tank?

rgsa8892 · 02/07/2010, 02:44 PM

I have a 120 gal tank with a 100 gal sump and was thinking about using dry rock in the main tank to keep from getting mantis shrimp or other undisirable things in the main display then i want to put 50 lbs of live rock in the sump for filtration and seeding the dry rock.anything in the sump wouldn't make it through the pump to the main tank except for very small bugs and such,thus eliminating the threat to corals and clams.
anyone try it this way and what was your experiance,will this work

brycerb · 02/07/2010, 03:20 PM

I never tried it but I don't think it will work. Why not get your dead rock. Buy some live rock and give then a dip. Then place then with your dead rock.

noahm · 02/07/2010, 03:23 PM

If I was to a larger build where I knew it would be difficult to find/remove hitchhikers, I would aquascape with good dry rock and sprinkle semi-crushed reef rubble all over the structure. That is my plan for a future build. It gives you a lot more time to drill and epoxy the structure as well as control the larger hitchers.

darkdruid · 02/07/2010, 03:31 PM

I've done dry and live, both ways work just fine. The only main difference is that the dead rock takes longer to look good, kinda like starting with DIY rock. After a year or so, it's almost impossible to tell the difference.

rgsa8892 · 02/07/2010, 03:38 PM

i tried the dip in fresh water before,to get rid of mantis shrimp you have to leave the rock in for a while and it ends up killing the bacteria anyways plus try to figure out what rock it's in

lordofthereef · 02/07/2010, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkdruid

I've done dry and live, both ways work just fine. The only main difference is that the dead rock takes longer to look good, kinda like starting with DIY rock. After a year or so, it's almost impossible to tell the difference.

+1

Another thing to consider is that while the dry rock doesn;t "look good" it is also not acting nearly as well as a biological filter as would dropping liverock in there from the getgo. You will need to seed the dry rock with some live/ You may do fine seeding it with only a bit of sand, but I would drop in some liverock from an established tank that you trust. IME you can have nice rock in less than a year this way, but you definitely will need to take it slower in terms of additions for the first 6-12 months than you would with established live rock.

rgsa8892 · 02/07/2010, 03:43 PM

i plan on putting 50lbs of live rock in the sump

lordofthereef · 02/07/2010, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgsa8892

i plan on putting 50lbs of live rock in the sump

I would stack some of that LR (even if only initially) on some of the base rock as well to get you seeding going faster. Even with that 50lbs total in your system you will need to take it slow for a while IMO.

kevantheman35 · 02/07/2010, 05:21 PM

im dealing with this decision also, is it a lot harder to keep stable water params for the first couple years with dry?

darkdruid · 02/07/2010, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevantheman35

im dealing with this decision also, is it a lot harder to keep stable water params for the first couple years with dry?

I don't think it's any harder. Live rock just means is has all the filter bacteria present. Whatever else is has on it determines the quality of the rock, coraline, etc. You will have some bacterial colonization in as little as two weeks and fully established in less than 3 or 4 months. After that, as far as filtering capacity, it's the same as live rock.

kingfisher62 · 02/07/2010, 08:15 PM

I think the good usually out weighs the bad with LR. Besides the biodiversity that you get to witness on the LR is almost as interesting as the fish and corals.

The_Codfather · 02/07/2010, 08:16 PM

Go with dry rock and seed with GARF Grunge.. that's what im going to do with 200lbs of dry

Chubosco · 02/07/2010, 08:30 PM

I know short of boiling your live rock, nothing works to kill mantis. Period.

I don't care what people swear by.

rgsa8892 · 02/08/2010, 01:30 PM

not looking to kill mantis shrimp just keep them out of main display.

Reefobsession · 02/08/2010, 01:34 PM

DO all dry rock and some fresh live sand. The live sand will give your dry rock some bacteria to turn live.

rgsa8892 · 02/08/2010, 01:34 PM

also this is my second go round with a reef tank,I only want to see what I put into it not what pops up out of the rock.I lost a lot of clams and corals the last time that's why i want to try it this way.I can even put 100 lbs of live rock in the sump,but i don't want the critters in the main display

rgsa8892 · 02/08/2010, 01:35 PM

I can do live sand

akunochi · 02/08/2010, 01:39 PM

I used a lot of dry rock in my 180 and then seeded with about 20 pounds of LR from my old tank. It seeded incredibly fast during the cycle.

KafudaFish · 02/08/2010, 01:49 PM

Back to your question, yes it will work.

If you are looking for a place to attach corals then dry rock works. If you want diversity then live rock is your friend.

If you look at it this way 10 or 20 pounds of quality live rock is better for your diversity than say 100 pounds of just average rock. That smaller amount could have greater diversity such as sponges, tunicates, tube worms etc. than the other.

Sure bacteria levels are higher with more rock but the bacteria will colonize the dry rock pretty quickly. A few months more really does not mean much in this hobby plus it will give you time to do further research, have a better understanding of your system and may prevent you from rushing into something that down the road you wish you had not done such as a specific coral or fish. You might even re-scape your DT a few times in the process.

Reefobsession · 02/08/2010, 01:50 PM

I would do no live rock. I had a bad experiance wih live rock. If you think that you will prevnt pests from getting in your tank by doing X amount of pounds dry and x amount pounds of live whats going to stop all the nasty unwhated stuff to inhabit your dry rock?

rgsa8892 · 02/08/2010, 02:04 PM

the live rock will be in the sump.The only way for it to get to the dry rock is through the pump blades

Reefobsession · 02/08/2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgsa8892

the live rock will be in the sump.The only way for it to get to the dry rock is through the pump blades

It will get through. Lets say you have bryopsis, I gurantee if it is in your sump, it will end up in your display.

CH · 02/08/2010, 02:53 PM

I don't think he is talking unwanted algae and bryopsis, etc., rather unwanted pests such as the mantis shrimp, unsafe crabs, etc. These will not be present in dry rock.

I agree with most comments, you are best to build up most of your display with dry base rock and use live rock in the sump/refugium, but I would definitely add some live rock to the main display to seed it.

Reefobsession · 02/08/2010, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CH

I don't think he is talking unwanted algae and bryopsis, etc., rather unwanted pests such as the mantis shrimp, unsafe crabs, etc. These will not be present in dry rock.

I agree with most comments, you are best to build up most of your display with dry base rock and use live rock in the sump/refugium, but I would definitely add some live rock to the main display to seed it.

Ok gotcha. I am just speaking from experience. I hate bryopsis

02/07/2010, 02:44 PM	#1
rgsa8892 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bethel park PA Posts: 186	dry rock or live rock in display tank? I have a 120 gal tank with a 100 gal sump and was thinking about using dry rock in the main tank to keep from getting mantis shrimp or other undisirable things in the main display then i want to put 50 lbs of live rock in the sump for filtration and seeding the dry rock.anything in the sump wouldn't make it through the pump to the main tank except for very small bugs and such,thus eliminating the threat to corals and clams. anyone try it this way and what was your experiance,will this work

02/07/2010, 03:20 PM	#2
brycerb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Isle of wight, VA Posts: 541	I never tried it but I don't think it will work. Why not get your dead rock. Buy some live rock and give then a dip. Then place then with your dead rock. __________________ -Luckily, my wife is reef safe so I can use my normal income for this hobby. -My cichlids love RO waste! Current Tank Info: 7.5 gallon box with water in it.

02/07/2010, 03:31 PM	#4
darkdruid Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 520	I've done dry and live, both ways work just fine. The only main difference is that the dead rock takes longer to look good, kinda like starting with DIY rock. After a year or so, it's almost impossible to tell the difference. __________________ Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything. Current Tank Info: 46 gallon bowfront and 35 gallon mixed reefs, several 10 and 20 gallon frag tanks, beginning a 125 build

02/07/2010, 05:21 PM	#9
kevantheman35 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Fort wayne, IN Posts: 823	im dealing with this decision also, is it a lot harder to keep stable water params for the first couple years with dry? __________________ -Kevan Current Tank Info: 34g Mixed Reef Solana (2 years old). 12g jbj nanocube dx (retired at 2 years old)

02/07/2010, 08:15 PM	#11
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	I think the good usually out weighs the bad with LR. Besides the biodiversity that you get to witness on the LR is almost as interesting as the fish and corals. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

02/07/2010, 03:23 PM	#3
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	If I was to a larger build where I knew it would be difficult to find/remove hitchhikers, I would aquascape with good dry rock and sprinkle semi-crushed reef rubble all over the structure. That is my plan for a future build. It gives you a lot more time to drill and epoxy the structure as well as control the larger hitchers.

02/07/2010, 03:38 PM	#5
rgsa8892 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bethel park PA Posts: 186	i tried the dip in fresh water before,to get rid of mantis shrimp you have to leave the rock in for a while and it ends up killing the bacteria anyways plus try to figure out what rock it's in

02/07/2010, 03:43 PM	#7
rgsa8892 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bethel park PA Posts: 186	i plan on putting 50lbs of live rock in the sump

02/07/2010, 08:16 PM	#12
The_Codfather Have frag will travel Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Tuckerton, NJ Posts: 541	Go with dry rock and seed with GARF Grunge.. that's what im going to do with 200lbs of dry

02/07/2010, 08:30 PM	#13
Chubosco Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 39	I know short of boiling your live rock, nothing works to kill mantis. Period. I don't care what people swear by.

02/08/2010, 01:30 PM	#14
rgsa8892 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bethel park PA Posts: 186	not looking to kill mantis shrimp just keep them out of main display.

02/08/2010, 01:34 PM	#15
Reefobsession Moved On Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: IN Posts: 1,037	DO all dry rock and some fresh live sand. The live sand will give your dry rock some bacteria to turn live.

02/08/2010, 01:35 PM	#17
rgsa8892 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bethel park PA Posts: 186	I can do live sand

02/08/2010, 01:39 PM	#18
akunochi Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 168	I used a lot of dry rock in my 180 and then seeded with about 20 pounds of LR from my old tank. It seeded incredibly fast during the cycle.

02/08/2010, 01:49 PM	#19
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	Back to your question, yes it will work. If you are looking for a place to attach corals then dry rock works. If you want diversity then live rock is your friend. If you look at it this way 10 or 20 pounds of quality live rock is better for your diversity than say 100 pounds of just average rock. That smaller amount could have greater diversity such as sponges, tunicates, tube worms etc. than the other. Sure bacteria levels are higher with more rock but the bacteria will colonize the dry rock pretty quickly. A few months more really does not mean much in this hobby plus it will give you time to do further research, have a better understanding of your system and may prevent you from rushing into something that down the road you wish you had not done such as a specific coral or fish. You might even re-scape your DT a few times in the process.

02/08/2010, 01:50 PM	#20
Reefobsession Moved On Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: IN Posts: 1,037	I would do no live rock. I had a bad experiance wih live rock. If you think that you will prevnt pests from getting in your tank by doing X amount of pounds dry and x amount pounds of live whats going to stop all the nasty unwhated stuff to inhabit your dry rock?

02/08/2010, 02:04 PM	#21
rgsa8892 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bethel park PA Posts: 186	the live rock will be in the sump.The only way for it to get to the dry rock is through the pump blades

02/08/2010, 02:53 PM	#23
CH Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Omaha Posts: 850	I don't think he is talking unwanted algae and bryopsis, etc., rather unwanted pests such as the mantis shrimp, unsafe crabs, etc. These will not be present in dry rock. I agree with most comments, you are best to build up most of your display with dry base rock and use live rock in the sump/refugium, but I would definitely add some live rock to the main display to seed it. __________________ Chris Holmes Current Tank Info: My current algae farm is 75 Gallon reef + 40 gal sump + 29 gal refugium