GOSKN5 September 8, 2015 Share September 8, 2015 Starting a new tank and would like to hear opinions on rock... if you were starting a new tank and wanted the absolute cleanest, no hitchhikers, low or no phosphate, algae free rock.. what would be the best option? What would you stay away from etc? Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM September 8, 2015 Share September 8, 2015 Real Reef or the Carib Sea stuff might be my choice. Very nice looking stuff seeing it from MACNA. All the tanks were full of Real Reef, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilRams September 8, 2015 Share September 8, 2015 After MACNA I can't wait to do a branch Reel Reef setup. It looked awesome in all the tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette September 8, 2015 Share September 8, 2015 I was looking at the real reef stuff the other day. I saw some broken pieces and it's very solid. It doesn't seem nearly as good as marco/brs/ or any other type of real rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSKN5 September 8, 2015 Author Share September 8, 2015 I was impressed with the real reef at MACNA.. I liked the Walt smith stuff even better.. I talked to the guy for a while about it... I'm leaning that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lutz123 September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 I think I had some real reef from Marine Scene bought a year or so ago - but I swear it was in one of the live rock bins and cycled. Does that sound right? Anyhow, my urchin scraped away at the purple in spots and it was very white underneath. It wouldn't necessarily deter me from buying it again but I didn't love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 I wouldn't want the cleanest.... Rock... I'd want the rock with the most life and coolest macros on it I could get but then again, aptasia and bristleworms don't bother me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 I like marco rocks a lot still. Real reef has them beat with the branch rock and flat pieces though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 (edited) Carib Sea's "Life Rock" is infused with dormant bacteria, which will revive and populate within about 2 or 3 days of being put in the tank. It looks like real live rock that has been in a tank for a good while. The Carib Sea guy gave me about 29 lbs of it (a piece on Saturday for a sample, then 4 large pieces on Sunday). I had been at that booth 3 times, and he decided I really wanted the rock enough that he wouldn't make me wait for the raffle to possibly not win.The reason I missed the Reef 2 Reef raffle was that I took too long picking through the rock for pieces I preferred. The cat seems to like it. Edited September 9, 2015 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 We use Real Reef in the majority of our set ups- it cycles easily, doesn't grow any nuisance algae and tends to grow reddish corallines. Branch, slab, shelf can make for interesting rock scapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpallas September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 I've been wanting to use Tampa Bay for some time now and just let it grow, nothing else. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSKN5 September 9, 2015 Author Share September 9, 2015 We use Real Reef in the majority of our set ups- it cycles easily, doesn't grow any nuisance algae and tends to grow reddish corallines. Branch, slab, shelf can make for interesting rock scapes.Any pics in tank? I saw some at macna but could use more impressions.. Carib Sea's "Life Rock" is infused with dormant bacteria, which will revive and populate within about 2 or 3 days of being put in the tank. It looks like real live rock that has been in a tank for a good while. The Carib Sea guy gave me about 29 lbs of it (a piece on Saturday for a sample, then 4 large pieces on Sunday). I had been at that booth 3 times, and he decided I really wanted the rock enough that he wouldn't make me wait for the raffle to possibly not win.The reason I missed the Reef 2 Reef raffle was that I took too long picking through the rock for pieces I preferred. The cat seems to like it. rocks.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leishman September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 Any pics in tank? I saw some at macna but could use more impressions.. http://wamas.org/forums/topic/74172-work-tank/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 reef cleaners or reefrock is what I use. http://reefrocks.net/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flexible_flypageV1_WIDE.tpl&product_id=4&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 http://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/rock and you can get dry branch rock at brs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSKN5 September 9, 2015 Author Share September 9, 2015 I'm more worried about curing it and having no phosphates or algae issues... I have had some rock go south quickly and I want a clean setup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 I'm more worried about curing it and having no phosphates or algae issues... I have had some rock go south quickly and I want a clean setup soak it in RO/DI water for a week changing the water twice during that time will solve the phosphate problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lutz123 September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 I've been wanting to use Tampa Bay for some time now and just let it grow, nothing else. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Me too! I was just looking at it again this morning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 So Real Reef rocks are actually fake rocks ? This confused the H-E-double hockey sticks out of me ..lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 So Real Reef rocks are actually fake rocks ? This confused the H-E-double hockey sticks out of me ..lol Yup realreef is araganite sand and cement and dye. And it's heavy. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I use reef cleaners rock, really porous clean rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSKN5 September 22, 2015 Author Share September 22, 2015 I ended up ordering 80 pounds of Caribsea Life Rock.. I had a coupon from Macna, and a credit on file with Dr Foster and Smith.. so I got 80 pounds delivered for $26... It arrived safe and sound and I'm pleased with the look and shape etc... it's thankfully not glaring purple.. looks pretty natural to me and I'm sure when wet even better... we will see how it functions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I ended up ordering 80 pounds of Caribsea Life Rock.. I had a coupon from Macna, and a credit on file with Dr Foster and Smith.. so I got 80 pounds delivered for $26... It arrived safe and sound and I'm pleased with the look and shape etc... it's thankfully not glaring purple.. looks pretty natural to me and I'm sure when wet even better... we will see how it functions... Make sure to soak it in rodi water Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSKN5 September 22, 2015 Author Share September 22, 2015 Make sure to soak it in rodi water Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk I plan to clean it well with RODI and then put in tank and cycle with some live rock in sump feed tank for a while and watch levels... Any thoughts on that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I plan to clean it well with RODI and then put in tank and cycle with some live rock in sump feed tank for a while and watch levels... Any thoughts on that? My bet is it will leach phosphates. Soak the rock in rodi water for 1-2 weeks. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstContact September 24, 2015 Share September 24, 2015 All the different types of rock are great. It really just depends on what you are trying to do and the look you are going for. Definitely picked up some rock from Caribsea and a lot of rock from Walt Smith at MACNA. The push in the hobby/industry seems to be more towards man made rather than from the sea. This is because many people attack the hobby for what is harvested directly from the ocean. I like starting with dry rock either way, because I like to know what is going in my tank, and don't like to pay for the extra added weight of water or fantastically high shipping rates with live wet rock. On the other hand live wet rock from the ocean maricultured or not comes with a lot of life which is always interesting, but you do gamble with what you get. I like to think of what I plan to keep in the tank first and then plan the look and rock structures around that. Also, I got tired of putting lots of little pieces together to make larger structures, so when I order, I try to get some larger pieces too. Also, order more than you need. That way you can choose from the extra pieces and play around with drills and make mistakes. I would stay away from the rock that is mined from the ground because IMHO, it just doesn't look like any underwater reef pics I have ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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