Base rock

Giga · 06/22/2008, 06:05 PM

My LFS has bas rock called antique coral rock that looks like just dry live rock and this rock called tufa or tofa I forget. But if I buy this rock and then buy some real live rock is this stuff ok to use and how long will it take to seed?

D to the P · 06/22/2008, 06:40 PM

Well first make sure they aren't ripping you off by charging you something like $4 a pound. If it is tufa, or lace, or any type of porous lava rock than you can use it for base rock. When you put live rock on top and amongst it, the bacteria shouldn't take more than 2 weeks to populate it. As far as any other micro fauna such as bristle worms and pods, that may take a little as a month, but it will probably take a few months till it's almost exactly like live rock.

Giga · 06/22/2008, 06:54 PM

it's 1.99 a pound is that to much?

D to the P · 06/22/2008, 07:01 PM

No that's a good price. Ask them what they mean by antique though. Sometimes they do just through names on the rock to make it sound sexy, but you'll want to know if that rock has been in a fish tank before, and if that's what they meant. If it had been in a fish tank before, I would recommend "cooking" the rock for 2 weeks. All cooking the rock means is put it in a tub with a pump with no lights. That way the bacteria can take over the rock instead of algae. The reason you do this is because sometimes rock that has been in someone else's tank may have nitrates and/or phosphates in the core of it. These can leach into your water at any time (usually called old tank syndrome) and cause nuisance algae problems. It may not be a problem at all, but it's something to mull over.

06/22/2008, 06:05 PM	#1
Giga Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Virginia beach, VA Posts: 1,709	Base rock My LFS has bas rock called antique coral rock that looks like just dry live rock and this rock called tufa or tofa I forget. But if I buy this rock and then buy some real live rock is this stuff ok to use and how long will it take to seed? __________________ "You said it didn't bite!"......."Well"......"It didn't bite me." Current Tank Info: cool

06/22/2008, 06:40 PM	#2
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	Well first make sure they aren't ripping you off by charging you something like $4 a pound. If it is tufa, or lace, or any type of porous lava rock than you can use it for base rock. When you put live rock on top and amongst it, the bacteria shouldn't take more than 2 weeks to populate it. As far as any other micro fauna such as bristle worms and pods, that may take a little as a month, but it will probably take a few months till it's almost exactly like live rock. __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.

06/22/2008, 06:54 PM	#3
Giga Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Virginia beach, VA Posts: 1,709	it's 1.99 a pound is that to much? __________________ "You said it didn't bite!"......."Well"......"It didn't bite me." Current Tank Info: cool

06/22/2008, 07:01 PM	#4
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	No that's a good price. Ask them what they mean by antique though. Sometimes they do just through names on the rock to make it sound sexy, but you'll want to know if that rock has been in a fish tank before, and if that's what they meant. If it had been in a fish tank before, I would recommend "cooking" the rock for 2 weeks. All cooking the rock means is put it in a tub with a pump with no lights. That way the bacteria can take over the rock instead of algae. The reason you do this is because sometimes rock that has been in someone else's tank may have nitrates and/or phosphates in the core of it. These can leach into your water at any time (usually called old tank syndrome) and cause nuisance algae problems. It may not be a problem at all, but it's something to mull over. __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.