[rsteece40]

hi i have a 55 gallon that i set up (saltwater) with two clown fish ,, i want to put live rock in after some base rock ,, what is the best kind of live rock fuji, ?,?,? tank is great so far all numbers are right where they need to be ,, just curious to see what you all think about the live rock ,, thanks

[Froike]

Live Rock: Many opinions on this subject....But here's a few views:

Live Rock provides natural Biological Filtration and adds Bio-Diversity to your tank. The type and amount of rock you buy is based on your budget, patience, and of course, the size of your tank.

Live Rock can be quite costly, generally ranging from $4.00-12.00/lb average. You can see that if you want to do your entire aquarium with live rock, this can be very costly. Additionally, when you acquire your rock, if it is not "cured" or "seasoned" you will have some die-off, which can do your tank harm. So, when you acquire your live rock, you may want to cure it outside your aquarium (non-toxic plastic vats would do fine).

Bio-Diversity: Live Rock/Sand will hopefully add beneficial algae and bacteria to your system and hopefully, some beneficial life forms (larval invertebrates) to your tank. However, there is a down side, namely, you can also introduce some nasty critters to your tank as well: Red Bugs, Mantis Shrimp, Aptasia Anemones, to name a few.

You can always "seed" your live rock with filter grunge from an established reef tank, or break up a few pounds of live rock and spread it over your base rock. This method takes a bit longer for cycling, but will probably give the same results as spending a lot of money on Tonga or Fiji Rock.

Mind you, many people will disagree with me, it doesn't make them wrong or me correct. There are many approaches to the truth and a successful reef tank!

[rsteece40]

Well Thank You I Did Buy A Protein Skimmer From A Friend ,whos Had It On His 75 Gallon Tank To Help Mine Cycle Better. So It Would Be Ok To Put Live Rock In Before My Tank Has Cycled ?

[Froike]

Protein Skimmers help reduce amount of nitrogenous wastes in your tank. Most Reef Keepers I know consider them essential for good water quality. Test your water....see what levels your Nitrogenous Wastes are at. Some would say the Protein Skimmer would be alright now, others might suggest you wait. Whatever your choice is, I suggest you change at least ten percent of your water per month. The solution to pollution is dilution!
Best of luck!

[dphilbert]

tonga/marshall are usually more expensive because they have more nooks and crannies and they tonga branches just look cool. all live rock is going to do the same thing, but tonga and marshall will have more diverse algae growth (usually)

[rsteece40]

Thank You For The Info ,,,

[rsteece40]

i can have to totes full of old live rock that has been sitting for 3 years ,, would this be ok to use for base rock or do u think it would ruin what ive got started already as far as water quality ,, thank u