quality of live rock

[coym]

Being new to salt aquaria I have a question that I'm hoping an old hand can awnser. Up till now I have assumed that a sign of good quality rock would be signs of coralline algaes and even vestige corals ,sponges etc. I have been told recently that the real key is porisity where the bacteria that break down unwanted chemicals can reside. So even rock that looks like cement can be benificial ---what is the real story here? Are any of the names of LR clealy better than others? Thanks, Terry

 

[skinz78]

I think no matter what live rock you buy it will do what it is supposed to do for you. It is all going to aquire bactieria eventually. IMO you should just be very picky and buy the shapes you want to look at for a long time.

Some of the most successful tanks I have seen have started with dry or "dead" rock.

Just start with that and add a few nice live rocks to seed it and you will be off to the races.

 

[Myteemouse]

Right!
Thats what I'm doing!
I'm seeding like 30 lbs of live rock in the middle section of my sump/fuge to put in the 95 gallon when I get it set up in three months!
The rest of the rock will be DEAD DRY CLEAN (w muratic acid) rock that was once live rock! And also gonna start with dead, dry sand, and seed it with pods from the live rock in my sump!
NO hitch hickers except my own!!

 

[UnderDaSea]

All I know is dead rock is way cheaper. U gotta be careful with live rock cause of hitchhickers/pests. I am still fighting a battle with some Majano anenomes that i will say is a real pain and nothing i wish on anyone with a reef tank.

 

[coym]

LR

Thanks to all for their opinions and advise, Terry

 

[morgan]

i would not use acid on any rocks as hydrochloric acid is very good at eating calcium and could detierate the rocks

 

[G&NSalty425]

I started off with 80 pounds base rock (dead) and 20 pounds live and it's seeding nicely

 

[remowillams]

Start small, And think long term.