Live Rock or Not Please Help

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Memo

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
May 2, 2005
Messages
8
Location
MI
I am in a process of setting a 120 gal. Fish only saltwater tank with wet/dry filter, bio balls and protein skimmer. No corals just fish and maybe anemone for clowns, My LFS recommends not to use LR. This recommendation is based on if there is a bacterial of fungal problem with the fish chemical medication treatment would be uncomplicated. Also they are suggesting the survival rate of the fish would be greater. Is this true? The information I read suggests using LR. Can you please help…….I don’t know which way to go LR or not. :?
I would be most grateful for all suggestions and thank you in advance……….

Lori :wave:
 
no, this is not true. Their theory is flawed, for if you medicated the tank (which is a bad idea in general, a hospital tank should be used) then the bioballs would be affected in the same way that the liverock would be. Antibiotics kill good bacteria as well as bad, no matter where the location, rock or bioballs.

Now, if you were going strictly liverock for filtration, then you would not want to use bioballs. There is however, nothing wrong with you using liverock as a means to naturalize the look of your aquarium and fish habitat.

You mention an anemone, I will tell you in advance that you need more than basic lighting to care for these and also, they should not be put in a new tank.
 
WELCOME!!!

I agree with above. Never medicate a display tank. The cost alone of medicating a 120g would be prohibitive plus you limit yourself for future use because the tank may be contaminated and many inverts will not tolerate medication.

Another point would be that unless you are not going to have any rock all rock becomes LR over time.

If you are not sold on starting with LR then a suggestion would be to get enough base rock to decorate your tank and then seed it with LR. I went this rout because it was much less expensive.

I have never heard of LR affecting survival rate, in fact it usually only helps because it provides additional filtration.

Good luck,
 
most medications will kill shrimp, snails...any and all inverts really...and that's why you don't ever want to medicate the display tank, even if it's FO without any LR.

I would tell your LFS 'don't sell me sick fish' :)

j/k
 
Buy LR!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you buy your liverock from liverocks.com you will find that this becomes more interesting than the fish. I am constantly amazed at the creatures and things I se going on inside the rocks.

Yes, the fish are nice, but the rock and creatures are fascinating.

Z
 
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