Replacing my live rock

[Tom Berry]

I want to replace my live rock. I am thinking about cured Marshall Island from Premium Aquatics, but I'm wondering if dry rock, like reef bones, would be a better choice? It certainly would be cheaper.

I want to pull out the old rock and put the new right in. Cooking the new rock is not an option, so I am looking for rock that will leach minimal nutrients.

Tom

[GTR]

Tom... Is "Reef Bones" a dry land mined rock?
SteveU

[Tom Berry]

It's dry live rock.

http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.....asp?E+scstore

Tom

[GTR]

In some cases I'd be concerned with all that surface with no growth on it at all. In a high nutrient system that I think would lead to a lot of HA at least at first. It looks like they suggest that it still be "cooked" for 1-3 weeks so the only advantage I see is price. Disadvantage would be you won't be adding any diversity to the system with it.
JMO
SteveU

[mikester]

Steve's right - when I moved everything over to my new system I had a hair algae outbreak, and my new Tunze rocks were hit hardest, I'm guessing because they had no other growth (coralline algae, etc.) on them to ward off the HA.

[Tom Berry]

I think I am going to go with the Marshall Island rock from Premium Aquatics. Here is Premium's description of how they cure the rock:

"We have 3 - 1000 gallon pools that are connected via a common 150 gallon sump. On the sump we have a HUGE HSA3000 protein skimmer running off an Iwaki 100RLT and a Premium Aquatics GEO Calcium Reactor. The return pump from the sump is approx 5500 gph that feds all 3 pools. Then each pool carries it's own type of rock. Our 3rd pool is dedicated to Marshall Island rock. In the center of the pool we have a mangrove mini-farm and a 400watt 10K halide to provide light for the mangroves and the rock. We also installed a Dolphin 5500 gph pump and plumbed it with 6 jets 3/4", so we have good water flow going all around the rock. This not only cures the rock faster for us, but keeps the rock clean and we have noticed a much faster grow back on coralline algae. End result is a really nice cured rock with minimal loss of life from the original long shipping trip from Marshall."

I would have the rock shipped over night to minimize die off. To be on the safe side, I will cure the rock for a few days more, before I put it in my tank.

Does this sound like a good plan? Do you see any problems with it?

Tom

[Aged Salt]

Hi Tom, I've got some of PA's fully cured Marshall Island LR in my reef--there's nothing to die off unless they've changed vendors. Any cooking may actually contaminate it's pureness--you decide once you see it if it needs any further curing. Bob

[GTR]

Live rock is so hit and miss. I've unpacked boxes of rock covered with life while others don't even have coralline.
You may not have the option Tom but if possible pay more locally and get your pick of the best.
JMO though and not everyone is looking for stray corals on the LR.
SteveU

[Tom Berry]

Bob,

so you think I could just put in my tank without any problem? That would be great.

Tom

[Adam]

Tampa Bay Saltwater has good LR ive read, but it's loaded...with life...sponges, crabs,shrimp, snails and urchins and plants and corals I am sure....but it is not the kind of rock for a low-nutrient SPS tank I think...with all the stuff on it. Reefermadness seems to have good-priced LR, ...I dont know your decision...

[Tom Berry]

I actually don't want any "life" on my rock (other than coralline algae), because life=nutrients. I basically want something to put my sps on, that looks good, will provide surface area for beneficial bacteria, and won't leach nutrients.

Tom

[Aged Salt]

Tom, their Marsh. Is. LR has no life-forms hanging on--I just put it right in w/o missing a beat.

Adam, those are all good sources. In Tom's situation, he wants fully cured w/o life-forms. In other systems, especially mixed reefs, many desire partially-cured LR with life-forms Bob