how to select live healthy rocks

reef562 · 07/11/2012, 10:39 PM

HEY fellow reefers i need help how to we select healthy live rocks and what to look out for thats good and whats bad and show picture and example please because my local reef store had them in the back and there all white it looks kinda weird

snupa · 07/12/2012, 08:32 AM

a simple google search will do. Google "healthy live rock" and you should get quite a few great pictures. here is one:
http://www.saltwater-aquarium-online...setup_page.jpg

anyways look for coraline algae on the rocks. It is a purple hard cover that forms on the live rock that is beneficial for your aquarium. Also try not to get any live rock with any forms of visible algae such as hair algae (green, looks like hair!), bubble algae (http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/alg...e-algae-lg.jpg). Also be aware of possible hitchhikers such as crabs and anything else you see. Some hitchhikers are useful but others are not. To help enhance your knowledge take a look at this website:
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

mthomp · 07/12/2012, 08:38 AM

If you really want healthy pest free live rock,I suggest you hand pick dry base rock and culture it yourself. Truth is you never know what you will be bringing in on the LR from your lfs or friends and many times you can end up with things you simply do not want in your tank.

While it will take longer to do it this way, in the end it is a better and cheaper choice.

cloak · 07/12/2012, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reef562

HEY fellow reefers i need help how to we select healthy live rocks and what to look out for thats good and whats bad and show picture and example please because my local reef store had them in the back and there all white it looks kinda weird

Here's a couple more examples of what to look out for with live rock. Also, don't be afraid to give the rock a good whiff. It should smell fresh like the ocean. If it smells kind of funky, there's probably a lot of decaying matter on/within the rock and it's best just to pass.

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/hitchhiker.shtml

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

fishmonkey · 07/12/2012, 12:15 PM

If you are first setting up the tank, I wouldn't recomend getting live rock at this point. Get base rock, which is just rock that has no living organisms on it. You can then cure the base rock (curing is pretty much a long bath, to clean all of the nasties off of the rock that could mess with your tank) for a little while, and put it in the tank. Then add a small amount of live rock, and that will start to seed the tank.

Check out marcorocks.com very good quality rock

bach2pilot · 07/12/2012, 01:57 PM

Make sure it doesn't smell funky and doesn't have any aiptasia on it. If there is a lot of white on it - it's probably dead stuff.

reef562 · 07/14/2012, 07:03 PM

thanks alot guys the the smelling tip helped alot

Jbrodys · 07/14/2012, 08:27 PM

Los told me that cured is supposed to smell

Michigan Mike · 07/15/2012, 12:12 AM

Rock def has it's own smell. It sticks to your hands after..lol

Aiserock · 07/15/2012, 06:50 AM

Wear rubber gloves when handling suspicious rock lol!

reef4life07 · 07/15/2012, 08:22 AM

I would cook the rocks(curing process)...I did it for 4 weeks and been free of all types of algae, and critters

EnV · 07/15/2012, 08:39 AM

Best bet is to get some locally from a well established tank. Got about #60+ from a local enthusiast and recently purchased #23ish of base rock from the LFS.

07/11/2012, 10:39 PM	#1
reef562 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Longbeach, orange country Posts: 151	how to select live healthy rocks HEY fellow reefers i need help how to we select healthy live rocks and what to look out for thats good and whats bad and show picture and example please because my local reef store had them in the back and there all white it looks kinda weird

07/15/2012, 06:50 AM	#10
Aiserock Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 35	Wear rubber gloves when handling suspicious rock lol! __________________ Retired Student, Full-time Engineer. Current Tank Info: Dream tank (Reef) in progress

07/12/2012, 08:32 AM	#2
snupa Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 136	a simple google search will do. Google "healthy live rock" and you should get quite a few great pictures. here is one: http://www.saltwater-aquarium-online...setup_page.jpg anyways look for coraline algae on the rocks. It is a purple hard cover that forms on the live rock that is beneficial for your aquarium. Also try not to get any live rock with any forms of visible algae such as hair algae (green, looks like hair!), bubble algae (http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/alg...e-algae-lg.jpg). Also be aware of possible hitchhikers such as crabs and anything else you see. Some hitchhikers are useful but others are not. To help enhance your knowledge take a look at this website: http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

07/12/2012, 08:38 AM	#3
mthomp Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 766	If you really want healthy pest free live rock,I suggest you hand pick dry base rock and culture it yourself. Truth is you never know what you will be bringing in on the LR from your lfs or friends and many times you can end up with things you simply do not want in your tank. While it will take longer to do it this way, in the end it is a better and cheaper choice.

07/12/2012, 12:15 PM	#5
fishmonkey Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: phoenix, Arizona Posts: 97	If you are first setting up the tank, I wouldn't recomend getting live rock at this point. Get base rock, which is just rock that has no living organisms on it. You can then cure the base rock (curing is pretty much a long bath, to clean all of the nasties off of the rock that could mess with your tank) for a little while, and put it in the tank. Then add a small amount of live rock, and that will start to seed the tank. Check out marcorocks.com very good quality rock

07/12/2012, 01:57 PM	#6
bach2pilot Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 251	Make sure it doesn't smell funky and doesn't have any aiptasia on it. If there is a lot of white on it - it's probably dead stuff.

07/14/2012, 07:03 PM	#7
reef562 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Longbeach, orange country Posts: 151	thanks alot guys the the smelling tip helped alot

07/14/2012, 08:27 PM	#8
Jbrodys Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Langhorne Posts: 51	Los told me that cured is supposed to smell

07/15/2012, 12:12 AM	#9
Michigan Mike Freedom costs a buckofive Join Date: May 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,002	Rock def has it's own smell. It sticks to your hands after..lol

07/15/2012, 08:22 AM	#11
reef4life07 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 480	I would cook the rocks(curing process)...I did it for 4 weeks and been free of all types of algae, and critters

07/15/2012, 08:39 AM	#12
EnV Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 68	Best bet is to get some locally from a well established tank. Got about #60+ from a local enthusiast and recently purchased #23ish of base rock from the LFS.