live rock question

[chizzle]

so im starting a SW tank (55 gal, i havent gotten around to doin a profile, IM NEW =] ). ive got the water mixed & sand down & the salinity is correct & all the equipment i need. my question is does the type of live rock matter? or is it all just personal preference? what do you all recommend?

 

[tecwzrd]

Welcome to AA

If you’re new to keeping a SW tank then checkout my ”Stock list and tips for maintaining your SW tank” post that has all the equipment listed that you will need and maintenance tips to help you enjoy your SW tank. It’s a long read but will help answer all the basic questions.

my question is does the type of live rock matter? or is it all just personal preference? what do you all recommend?

The “type” of lr you buy varies greatly as far as quality and you can also mix base rock with lr but in the long run they all serve the same purpose as far as providing a biological natural filter for your tank. It really depends on how much money you want to spend.

$$$ for quality colorful Fiji Premium rock from liveaquaria.com or very little for mostly ugly base rock and a little bit of lr. Main thing is to stock 1.5+ lbs per gal for adequate filtration. Even if stocking with base rock mostly it will all “look” live within a year with proper lighting and if you seed it with at least 20%-30% lr.

If looking for cheap live rock checkout intmarinefish.com which has lr for as little as $3-$4 per lb shipped.

Couple of more places with quality lr:
www.liverocknreef.com
www.liveaquaria.com
www.tampabaysaltwater.com

For base rock checkout www.hirocks.com

Post on feeding requirements of SW fish.

 

[roka64]

WELCOME TO AA!!!

Please do not cycle your tank with live critters.

LR is very important for natural filtration. You can start with some LR and mix it with some base rock (cheaper than LR), which will eventually become LR. It is recommended to have 1.5-2LBs per gallon of your tank, for proper biofiltration.

my question is does the type of live rock matter? or is it all just personal preference?

For me, I have no preference, I just go to the LFS and pick what ever ones look cool. Other's, I'm sure will give their preferences as well.

 

[chizzle]

thanks for the help & quick responses!

 

[roka64]

Heh, tec beat me to it.....I'm a slow typer, but he definitely said it all.

Tec, have you purchased from there?