questions about live rock

I am new to the hobby and I have two tanks these are both my first tanks I am about to start. What do you suggest I look for in live rock before purchasing it? Is there anything I should know before I buy this live rock? Any suggestions are more than welcome lol


-Travis

 

You might want to consider using dry rock. Its cheaper and you don't have to worry about hitchhikers. I used it and seeded my tank with Dr. Tims "one and only" bacteria.

 

If you are doing a reef tank, I would use at least half LR, half dry. If it is a fish only, then you can go with almost all dry. I personally like the diversity of life that comes with LR, between inverts & macroalgae. 7 months in and I still find something new each week. And there really have not been any bad hitchhikers (for me anyways) besides a mantis shrimp, who is now living in my refugium.

 

everyone is going to answer differently here, but basically you want to look for shapes you like. Have you decided what kind of aquascape you want? keep that in mind when you are looking for rock. I agree with marshall, I personally like getting all the surprises that LR brings, but you can do half live and half dry rock. much cheaper

 

Whenever possible it is best to purchase live rock from a local fish store or wholesaler, because most have live rock in stock that is cured and ready to go, and you can physically see it before buying. Here are some buying points on what to look for and questions you should ask:

Tips For Buying Live Rock From A Local Fish Store

-If you are not able to have a separate set up for curing fresh live rock, buy it cured.

-Don't allow yourself to be talked into purchasing mass quantities that you cannot handle. Only buy what you really need, and remember, don't overload your system.

-Inspect the rock visually, as well as smell it. If any growth on it appears to be dying off or any detection of a foul odor is present, it is wise not to buy it, as it is probably still curing and may present you with problems you don't need.

-Inspect the live rock for any unwanted pests or hitchhikers, such as bristleworms and aiptasia anemones.

-How long have they been curing the live rock in their system? What geographic location did the rock come from? (i.e. Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, etc.?)

-What supplemental additives have they been using in their system, if any, while curing the live rock?

-If you run across "must have rock" that may not be ready, understand that and accept the responsibility and possible consequences of complications that may arise if you choose to buy it.

If you find you do not have a good reliable local source where you can purchase live rock you may need to mail order it, which means it could be in transit up to 24 hours or so.

Tips For Buying Live Rock From An Online Supplier

-Exactly what kind of live rock will you be receiving? You'll find live rock labeled with names like cured, seeded, precured, fully cured and cycled, which usually means it can be placed directly into a main aquarium with minimal concern, but only under certain Guidelines. Names like uncured, fresh and transhipped usually means that it is live rock that should not be placed directly into a main aquarium, and you should fully cure it first.

-What type of live rock will you be receiving? Some types are denser (heavier) than others and much less porous, and some will have ample live growth on them, while others may have minimal growth.

Once again, don't allow yourself to be talked into purchasing mass quantities that you cannot handle. Only buy what you really need, and remember, don't overload your system.

-How does the supplier pack their live rock for shipping?

-How does the supplier ship their live rock? Remember, transit time is one of the most important points. The longer the transit time, die off levels increase.

-Where is the supplier physically located? Choosing a mail order store that is relatively close to your geographic location can cut down on transit time.

-Does the supplier have a guarantee? Does it protect you against possible complications that may arise from shipping, i.e. lost, delayed, or damaged orders?

-If you have never done business with a particular mail order supplier before, get input from other aquarists if they have. This can be accomplished through emails, message boards, and chat rooms. Were they pleased with product, service, quality, etc., and would they do business with them again?

Ok, so what if you don't want to spend or have a lot of money to buy live rock. IMO buy your bulk of the rock as Dry Rock then get a piece of Live/Cured Rock to seed your dry rock. Takes a little more time but saves you loads of cash in the long run.

Resources from: LiveRock

 

My 2 cents as I've been doing this for a long time. I say get dry rock because you can sculpt it. Take a look a google aquascape images, the best scapes are those done with acrylic rods and mortar with dry rock.
Dry rock allows you to take your time and really build something you like. I dont believe stacking rock can make a really striking aquascape. I spent years trying to make something special, and while I think I did a really good job on my 125g, my new 125g's scape will be AMAZING. Why? Because im using dry rock.

 

very interesting for sure. I am in no way shape or form the kind to custom make the scape for it so live rock to me seems like the direction I am going with just because to me thats something I would like to do and one day I would like to add some anens

how much does live rock typically cost

 

At the LFS in my area, dry rock is $2.99 per pound, live is $9.99 per pound. Adds up rather quickly when purchasing large amounts.

BTW, while seeing critters crawl out of the rockwork might give one a warm, fuzzy feeling about their tank, the benefits are minimal... enough so that any tank could survive without them. IMHO, it's not worth the risk of getting bad hitchhikers. Dry rock will cure during the cycle, and you can keep anything you want. You don't need to buy LR just so you can add corals or anemones later.

 

so you are saying buying dry rock will end up turning into live rock on the down the line it will just take some time to get to that point? If so how long

 

+1 to most on here, Buy dry rock and get it placed right with acrylic rods, trust me its worth it. Cooler scapes and safer for the critters you plan to get, most can topple unsecure rockwork.

And yes, dry rock becomes live pretty quick. a few months. and will save ya 75%. IMO not much advantage in using live anymore. Just get mostly dry and add a little 2-5 pound live rock from your LFS and a little scoop of live sand and be dine with it. No aiptasia/majanos that way.... or at least not as big of a risk.

check out reefrocks.net, they have a deal for free sand with rock purchase.

Rule 1 in this hobby is to not rush and do it right, it'll save ya a ton of cash