Live Rock Questions ?

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Steven A

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
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I am eventually considering a small s/w tank but not for a very very long time but I have started my research regarding live rock. Over here in England the prices are extremely high. 8O for example £6.00 (uk) wich is about ($10.00) per pound 8O . When I have checked Sites in the UuaS. the prices are much much more cheaper. Any way if any one knows any sites that deliver to England and the prices are better than mine lol please could you post them :D .

And another question
Do you have to actually buy Live rock. Am I right to believe that rocks such as tufa and oceanic can become "living rock" when the tank has matured and "friendly bacteria" has grown on the rocks. The only ddifferenceis that you dont get all the "extra life" i.e. crabs ect ..... (that you can buy for cheap) lol.
Is this the same with crushed coral (substrate) ?
 
90 percent of the live rock I have in my tank was white base rock a year ago, So my opinion is why buy a expensive stuff when you can watch it grow cheaper, In my tank I have bought frags attached to golf ball size live rocks and I have found several hitchhikers including corals,baby serpent stars and starfish, snails, As far as the bacteria it will develope regardless of whether or not you seed the tank but coralline needs to be seeded in order for it to grow from what I have read
 
So I could buy the rock wich I stated above and a little bit of live rock and my normal rock will in a way turn to live rock (filtration system) 8). I plan having live sand, and 2 box filters. Along with my rock which will become "live rock" So I think this will be an OK filtration system. Thank you ... you have just saved me sooooo much money lol.
 
I picked up (literally by hand) about 300lbs of Texas holy rock.. it was all white after I rinsed it off in tap and let it dry out. Just dumped it in (not suggested). Now my tank is full of rock that, personally, looks 10x more appealing than Fiji/Tonga/Keys rock and helps maintain my cal, pH and alk as it is calcium based rock (limestone).... its taken about 1.5 mo for it to start to appear slightly purple and covered in algae. Plus is prevents me from getting any sort of negative hitchhikers... I get enough on the frags I pick up from the LFS.
 
So i do not need to purchase live rock as such if I allow my tank to cycle for longer i.e. allow the micro organisms spread and grow. This will also allow algea to grow on the rocks and become "living rock"
 
I started my tank with a 75/25 split base to live rock. It was a perfect combination of rock and the coraline has taken over all of my previously base rock. I wouldn't think twice about starting that way. Good luck.
 
So Idea ....

If I were to set up a s/w tank it would be 10 gals.
This would include a light, heater, theremometer, hydrometer and a machanical box filter (internal).
20 pounds of live sand.
Then I would Purchase 10 pounds of base rock and 2 pound live rock so eventually I would end up with 12 pounds of "live rock"
 
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