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Unread 10/22/2015, 05:19 PM   #1
DesertReefT4r
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Live rock or dry rock?

Getting a new tank going. It will be a 90g sps reef tank. Wanting opinions on whether to go with all fresh cured live rock or BRS dry rock and seed with some live rock. Pics of tanks with both types are welcome.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 05:23 PM   #2
Giants13
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i went with live rock, it helps the tank cycle faster i feel like.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 05:28 PM   #3
jraker
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dry rock. no pests. it will take longer to cycle, but trust me. you will thank all of us who say dry rock in the future. when you are cycling, you can use some bio spira to seed the rock with bacteria.

with live rock, chances are, you will get pests such as aiptasia or mojano anemones, nudibranchs, worms, crabs, and snails. some of these are good, but a lot can also be bad.

dry. rock.

especially if you have sps, live rock could come with flatworms. bad flatworms + sps = you crying 4 months from now.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 05:31 PM   #4
Giants13
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Originally Posted by jraker View Post
dry rock. no pests. it will take longer to cycle, but trust me. you will thank all of us who say dry rock in the future. when you are cycling, you can use some bio spira to seed the rock with bacteria.

with live rock, chances are, you will get pests such as aiptasia or mojano anemones, nudibranchs, worms, crabs, and snails. some of these are good, but a lot can also be bad.

dry. rock.

especially if you have sps, live rock could come with flatworms. bad flatworms + sps = you crying 4 months from now.
this true, i took a chance and got 1 aiptasia but was eaten by my peppermint shrimp, although my wife says my yellow tang ate it. i didnt know this was possible


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Unread 10/22/2015, 05:36 PM   #5
Monte26
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I vote BRS dry rock. I'll never go back to live rock. Plus live rock is so dang expensive around here.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 05:58 PM   #6
DesertReefT4r
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Yeah i have ahd unwanted pests come into my tanks from live rock, this is one reason i am considering dry rock with a few small seed pieces of LR.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 06:11 PM   #7
Kingsixx
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So it seems as though dry rock is the preferred method due to less chance of hitchhikers. How would one go about seeding the dry rock? Is that what the shrimp method is for or is the dead shrimp thing only for the sand bed?


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Unread 10/22/2015, 06:16 PM   #8
ColinAbi
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I think it depends on if you want diversity with a chance of pests or no pests or diversity.


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Last edited by ColinAbi; 10/22/2015 at 06:37 PM.
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Unread 10/22/2015, 06:37 PM   #9
MBMAX
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I have done it both ways before and I wiould advise you to use DRY ROCK . No pets and only takes a little longer to cycle.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 06:37 PM   #10
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http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2509664

You can thank me later when you have almost no cycle, tons of life and an ultra healthy tank.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 07:16 PM   #11
seamonster124
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+1 Dry rock. I am on my first Dry rock tank and while cycle took 44 days, parameters are pristine,zero pests, & no surprises. There is also the whole not raping our oceans thing... Just a theory but I think a lot of those threads with people complaining about crap growing in their tank with great water is related to unknown life forms coming from the ocean.


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Unread 10/22/2015, 09:05 PM   #12
uncleL
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Well I know I'm going against the grain......but I bleach all my rock for 24hrs and tripple rinse with prime! Add live bacteria, two clowns and start adding a small amount of live rock every month. I have never lost a fish!! I only add corals after 6 months. One or two fish a month.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 07:02 AM   #13
BrandonFlorida
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I used all dry rock in my 180 but eventually got a few small pieces of live rock to seed it with life. I also bought some TBS rock and I kinda wish all my rock looked like it.. One day you wont be able to tell but its really cool rock with lots of nooks and crannies..


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Unread 10/23/2015, 09:14 AM   #14
Bill Nye
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Would never use live rock again. The best thing about dry rock is that once you start using it you are creating your own super well quarantined live rock after a while. I have dry rock that started in an 8 gallon tank 7 years ago that I use to seed my newer tanks dry rock when I upgrade.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 09:15 AM   #15
Derekjon35
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I've run three tanks on LR and after battling the aiptasia, majano and worms.. Im done with a full LR set up. I would rather wait an extra month and never have to worry about the headaches I could have avoided.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 09:20 AM   #16
d2mini
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The problem with the people who used live rock and had problems, didn't get it from a reliable source. Forget craigslist, forget your LFS, forget live aquaria.

Use Tampa Bay Saltwater and trust me... you will have the most interesting and healthiest tank, setup for long term success right from the start. And it's eco friendly to boot!


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Unread 10/23/2015, 09:33 AM   #17
Mayberry
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I agree, Tampa Bay Saltwater is the very best rock you can buy. Instant reef tank that is gorgeous! Best service around as well! Check out pics of my tank under TBS's thread.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 09:47 AM   #18
DOGGIE750
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both works........ if u aint got the cash then DR otherwise LR (from local reefers), my preference.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 10:10 AM   #19
Bill Nye
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Quote:
Originally Posted by d2mini View Post
The problem with the people who used live rock and had problems, didn't get it from a reliable source. Forget craigslist, forget your LFS, forget live aquaria.

Use Tampa Bay Saltwater and trust me... you will have the most interesting and healthiest tank, setup for long term success right from the start. And it's eco friendly to boot!
I don't see the difference as far as the number of pests you will have on your rock? There are tons of predatory crabs and shrimp, algae, anemone and other pests in the ocean that will be living on the rock.

If you are willing to deal with these I can see the allure of TBS rock since it actually has interesting things living on it as well. The live rock you get from the LFS is just pest anemone and algae with no beneficial life other than bacteria on it.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 10:17 AM   #20
Bent
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Listen, I love my tbs rock, but full disclosure here.

Live rock has pests. It all has pests, even TBS. I'm still picking off gorilla crabs at night, plus I had that big polyclad which may or may not have been on the rock, and a slew of whelks.

BUT...

My tank is also loaded with other things I would not be able to have had I gone with dry rock.

Here's a list of things I have thanks to TBS:
1: a huge rock flower nem, a species I've never seen sold at that.
2: diverse coraline
3: about 20 purple porcelain crabs.
4: some really cool sponges
5: lots of tunicates
6: copepod population explosion
7: barnacles that are still living

So it just all depends on if you think the trade off is worth it. Some do, some don't. Neither way is wrong.

Personally I can't wait to get a 120g and buy more.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 10:33 AM   #21
d2mini
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Originally Posted by Bill Nye View Post
I don't see the difference as far as the number of pests you will have on your rock? There are tons of predatory crabs and shrimp, algae, anemone and other pests in the ocean that will be living on the rock.
The difference is that any "pests" from TBS are easy to deal with and usually not detrimental to your reef. It's not a big deal to pick off a crab here and there.
I have set up several TBS tanks and have never ended up with nuisance algae, aiptasia, anemones, etc. And no phosphate issues.

As pointed out above, you can go dry or live and have a nice reef, but we can't lump all live rock into one barrel so to speak. And most find that the benefits of TBS rock far outweigh a few unwanted critters.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 11:04 AM   #22
skp
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After many years of dealing with every unwanted thingsin my tanks, I have decided that the worst are:

1. Colonial hydroids (the kind that are in the flexible tubes).
2. Vermatid snails
3. Feather dusters

The Colonial hydroids are invasive. The vermatid snails will cover your tank in slime strings. The feather dusters will cover your equipment.

I'm also assuming that the vermatid snails and feather dusters, once there are a lot of them, will strip the water column of food and calcium which you probably want to make the most available for your sps.

This time I went dead rock, live sand (just because I didn't want to wash it) and microbacter7 and seeded with a small rock for coralline. The small rock or live sand brought in the tiny feather dusters.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 11:07 AM   #23
brett559
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Live rock all the way. My last tank had live rock - I added fish quicker, but it was a huge pain - mojanos, aiptasia, worms, etc. You name it, it had it.

Some may not like this approach, but I bought dry rock from BRS, added a bottle of bio-spira and added fish after a few days. Cycling was painless and easy. Tank has done great ever since. DRY ROCK!


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Unread 10/23/2015, 11:17 AM   #24
FarmerTy
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My vote is dry rock. You get to control to some extent what goes into the tank from that point.


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Unread 10/23/2015, 08:44 PM   #25
mcozad829
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Comes down to completely opinion with this topic, both certainly have their merit. For ME dry rock is the only way to go for two reasons... 1. hitchhikers 2. cost,
you will save enough money buy going dry rock you can buy a nice reef diversity CUC from LA that doesn't have pests in it. Just my .02


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