Live Rock

[mfuchs]

I am in the process of setting up my 180gal aquarium. I eventually want to make it a reef tank, but am going to start out slow. I want to purchase LR but am not sure which one to get.

I am not sure which kind to get. I have seen FIJI LR (Scleractinia pcs. - from Fiji), Lalo LR ( Scleractinia pcs. - from Tonga)), and Kaelini LR (Scleractinia sp. - from South Pacific).

Does anyone have any recommendations on which I should get. Do you think that I can mix these types. I believe that Fiji and Lalo are the same, but Lalo is a more premium LR. Kaelini is very expensive, but I am willing to get some of it if it will be beneficial to my reef tank in the future. However, I do not want to get my complete amount of LR as Kaelini so that is why I am curious if it can be mixed.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Guest]

I don't see any reason why you can't mix it, unless yu are going for a particular look or region specific tank. Any LR you get is going to benefit you. I like the looks of the Kaelini rock over others, but I do not have the $$$ to get it so I choose Fiji and Florida Aquaculture. The only problem I have with the FA LR, is that it is very heavy and you don't get much volume for pound. I have about 100lbs now in a 55 gal and I swear it doesn't look like more than 50lbs. I would go with Fiji if I had to purchase all over again, because it is somewhat lighter and more pourous...

 

[loganj]

Something to think about to save you some $$$. Get a hundred lbs of dry base rock and put it on the bottom...even 150 lbs. You can get base rock from online suppliers for as little at $1.00 per lb. Or, if you're DIY'er, go to the GARF site ( www.garf.org ), and check out the section on making your own rock. They call it aragocrete. Anyway, you can put all this in the tank and top it off with some premium LR. Your base rock, over time, will become LR. If you can get some good live sand with pieces of coraline algae in it, that will accelerate the process some. I agree with Timbo about the Florida rock...it's good stuff, but it's very dense and heavy. I'd go with the Fiji if possible. I set up a 180 very similar to what you're talking about maybe a month ago and I'm already seeing coraline growth starting on the base rock. It'll just take more patience to do it this way. Whether you mix up the different kinds of rock is a matter of personal preference.
Logan J