Its really a complicated decision on which rock to use. Live rock has the potential for introducing pests but it will also provide lots of micro fauna, some macro algaes and plenty of bacteria to get your tank started. It also looks more authentic. Dry rock is essentially the same rock but is sterile. In your tank it will look stark and unnatural. Having said that, there is a place for both, and when I start a new tank I use plenty of both types.
Obviously dry rock is much cheaper so what I like to do is build up my aquascaping with the dry rock and then add well cured live rock in the front, where it will be seen. If you go with live rock, cure it outside of your tank for a month at least. I think the best way to cure it is put it into large rubbermaid tubs with a heater, powerhead and some lighting. Predators will eventually come out of the rock to look for food or die off, worms, bugs and algae will survive the process. Some of the common live rock pests are aiptasia, and mantis shrimp. Observing the rock during the curing process gives you time to deal with removing them.
Since the process of curing and cycling your tank should take months, you really should be able to deal with any undesirables before adding your livestock.
