live rock from the ocean

[darrin34]

Hello all i have a 125g tank i am going to do into a salt tank i was wondering since i live on the coast if i can use live rock from the ocean for my fish tank? And if i can do i have to cure it??? and how do you cure live rock ?? And would it be ok to get a few live rock and mix it in with some base rock? for my filtration i was thinking of using a good skimmer and power head .. what else would i need to get beside a good heater and lighting ??? any input will greatly be appreciated

 

[Ziggy953]

Where on the coast do you live? LR that we use for the most part comes out of the ocean. I would be very careful about taking rock out of the ocean and putting it into a tank. There are a lot of critters in the ocean that you don't want in your tank.

As for what all you need for your tank go hear and read these articles...they will help you out. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_cat.php?fldAuto=2/

The equipment that you need depends on what you plan to have in your tank. Basically you need 1.5 to 2lbs per gallon of LR, a 3" or so sand bed, a good skimmer, lighting to match the animals you want to keep and good water flow.

 

[produceb]

I would be careful in many places you need some type of permit if you are allowed to take live rock at all. If you are in the US it is illegal. I am sure you could get away with a few pieces but we just recently had a guy busted in my area of florida for taking large amounts of live rock. Big fines and jail time are possible. I would just check into first, I dive for my fish but leave everything else alone.

 

[Ziggy953]

That too is a very good point!!!!!

 

[roka64]

I agree with the above, not to mention the pollution that is absorbed by the rock (you could try about 1-5 miles past the shore to be safe). I bought 150 Lbs of Base Rockwww.marcorocks.com for my 125 and now I just select nice looking pieces of cured LR from my LFS, when they get interesting chunks.

 

[melosu58]

I agree that most places dont allow you to take LR. Yes the BR-LR combo will work. There is an article in those that Ziggy gave you on curing LR. LR and skimmer is the only filtration I have used except the last two which I added a refuge.

 

[darrin34]

i live in northern b.c right around prince rupert ... cool thank you for the feedback is there some brand names of skimmers i should look at also and what lighting is good to get could i get away with using marine glow bulbs my tank came with a canopy with connections for 4 bulbs

 

[melosu58]

What type tank are you looking at. FO or FOWLR or reef. Your lighting will depend on what type tank you want. There are several brand skimmers out there. I personally use the excalibur brand skimmer. I love it and would use it again but there are better ones out there also.

 

[darrin34]

i am looking at doing a reef tank i like all the little critters you can get ...ex shrimp ,crabs,oysters ,worms and such

 

[melosu58]

I have a 125 gallon tank also. LR/BR and skimmer is the way to go. A refuge is great also. I have a 40 gallon refuge under my tank.

 

[Ziggy953]

Skimmers.....Euro-Reef, AquaC EV, ATI Bubble Master those are 3 that I personally believe to be top-notch. Most who have them are very pleased with the performance. That is not to say that other skimmers aren't equally good.

If you are wanting a reef then I would suggest adding a sump with a fuge to your system. More water volume and nutrient export along with a safe haven for your pods to reproduce just adds to the overall health of your tank.

 

[MT79]

live in northern b.c right around prince rupert

Any laws aside, the water is cool or cold there isn't it? Any animals on the rock will most likely die in the warmer conditions generally found in aquariums. Is the rock porous or more dense? Porous rock is needed for good biological filtration. The LR commonly used, as you probably know, comes from tropical oceans and is very porous.

 

[MT79]

Any laws aside, the water is cool or cold there isn't it? Any animals on the rock will most likely die in the warmer conditions generally found in aquariums. Is the rock porous or more dense? Porous rock is needed for good biological filtration. The LR commonly used, as you probably know, comes from tropical oceans and is very porous.

 

[darrin34]

well thank you all for your input i am verry sad to say that my 125g tank now is not a 125g tank it is a big heap of broken glass. and let me tell you it is not fun to clean up a 125g worth of water .so my reef tank is now a no go all i am left with now is my 55g cichlid tank so all say a little prayer for me that i get all the water and that it does not reck my place for i am renting and i hate to pay for damadges to another persons house once again thank you all for your inputs

 

[Ziggy953]

Wow dude that sucks!!!

 

[roka64]

Wow, what happened?

 

[darrin34]

furniture delivery guys were fooling around when the deliverd my dtuff and the one guy fell into the tank and broke it and also ruined a new leather couch so i am now fighting with the furniture store