Rock questions

[Wilkes]

Has anyone ever used ocean rock as base rock for the live rock? Just wondering is this has been done or use only live rock? Also what's views on sand? Live sand or regular ? Thanks

 

[Sniperhank]

I believe in most places taking rock out of the ocean is illegal. If it wasn't, yes it could be used...would just soak in distilled water to take out unwanted critters...but due to pollutants in the ocean most places people would have access to the rock would be toxic. So, mostly a waste of time. This is especially true with how cheap base rock can be.

As for sand, bagged live sand is worthless pretty much. You can either use pool filter sand or aragornite. I like the later myself. And if you want to go for a different sand look, they have naturally different colored sands.
Fish & Aquarium Supplies: Marine Substrates, Sand, Crushed Coral, Live Sand

 

[MacDracor]

What he said! With one minor provision. Live sand is *usually* not worth the extra price. it usually costs more than straight aragonite because it's "live" when in reality, most of what is in the sand will have died long before it gets to your shopping cart.
Now, there is always the slim chance that you have a very short supply chain, and it's still somewhat live when you buy it, but the odds of this are very slim. Best bet is just what Sniperhank said. But if you want the "live sand" benthic organisms faster (they'll colonize the sand eventually no matter what you do), you can get a scoop of the top layer of sand from a friend's established tank and gently spread it over your sand.
It's a shortcut, but how useful it really is truly is quite debatable.
Best bet, most economical bet, is to buy base rock and seed with a few pieces of live rock, and just buy cheap sand. The critters that make it "live" will get there sooner or later.

 

[Wilkes]

When I say ocean rock I mean the stuff you get out of the Lfs not me actually taking rocks out of the ocean. Yeah that sounds like a good idea regarding the seeding of both live rock and sand. I can fully understand that it can't end live if it's been on a shelf for months unless there is dormant life? I think I'll ask nicely on a uk forum for a cup of sand from a fellow reefer

 

[MacDracor]

I'm confused as to what the difference is between Live Rock and Ocean Rock, if both are essentially high calcium carbonate content porous rock either taken from the ocean or seeded in ocean water, and sold by the pound in a fish store. Perhaps your LFS just calls Live Rock by two different names?
There is some dormant life. As long as the sand hasn't been bagged for months and months with wild temperature fluctuations, some of the Beneficial Bacteria will got dormant, and many benthic organisms' eggs will go through diapause (suspended development until conditions improve). For example, I got a pouch of Tisbe reef pods that was expired. Nothing alive in it. But two days after dumping it in, there were hundreds of them from eggs that hatched once in my tank.

 

[Wilkes]

Live rock is kept in tank with bits and pieces on them. Ocean rock is usually kept in a bucket or container is dry and dusty similar to what people use for Malawi tanks

 

[MacDracor]

We usually call that Base Rock. Though realistically, any porous rock can be used as base rock as long as it doesn't have high iron content, or any copper.

 

[Wilkes]

Ok that's great got a huge bag free from a guy at work will use that with live rock on top. Need a tank first !

 

[MacDracor]

Free is the second best price!

 

[Wilkes]

Free is the second best price!

I'd say it's the first best price!

 

[MacDracor]

Well, I was once paid $50 to take a lawnmower off someone's hands. Worked great, too. Ergo, free is the second best price. LOL
So what size tank are you going to go with?