bring rock back to life

[JoJo]

I have about 100# of LR(was) from my 90g that I stored in 2 large rubbermaid tubs. Everything has died off & the rock is completely white.

Should i just wait until the tank is ready & throw it on the bottom and stack LR on top OR rinse the rock off, put LR in the tub with skimmer, heater & PHs to kick off the seeding?

 

[kathywithbirds]

Did you store it dry or in water?

 

[JoJo]

all dry

 

[SJS]

I had some stored dry and some stored in tubs - used the dry for base rock...

 

[JoJo]

i'm not sure how long it would takes to turn base rock back into LR.

 

[SJS]

i'm not sure how long it would takes to turn base rock back into LR.

I'm not sure either - it's been in for a few weeks and starting to show some color. It may depend on how much live rock you add -but I really dont know...

 

[JoJo]

i guess i'll just hold off until its time to scape. do you have any pics of the BR recently?

 

[lcstorc]

Just put it in with LR and it will eventually gain more and more life. How long it takes will depend on how much LR you have and how good the conditions in the tank are.

 

[tbittner]

This discussion is one of the things that concerns me about buying Marco rock. I don't think that this rock should be applied to the "pound of rock per gallon" rule because it's not alive for quite some time. It doesn't have any nitrifying bacteria in it. It doesn't provide any use except for aquascaping.

True, eventually it will become live rock and be populated with the nitrifying bacteria, but how long does that take?

Am I missing something?

 

[Varga]

I used some dry base rock in my tank, mixed with LR. its been 2 months and some of them have dozens of purple spots.
I was told 4-6 months is how long it takes

 

[lcstorc]

Corraline is not the same. It is just an indication of good calcium levels and overall good parameters.
The real benefits are the bacteria deep inside the rock that you will never see.
Some people believe that base rock never becomes live. Some people believe it does at various lengths of time.
I am not aware of any true studies about the topic.
Personally I have added base rock to my tank but only in small amounts and after it has had 6 months or so in my fuge.

 

[JoJo]

Thanks Lynn. Terry, thats what we're trying to figure out. I understand what you're saying, for a certain amount of time i wouldnt have the correct amount of "LR" per gallon, but what am i going to do with 100# of base rock? I will have to see if the lfs will do some type of trade.

 

[JoJo]

i must be typing slow today, 2 post before i finish one.

 

[tbittner]

I think the rock will eventually become LR. After all, isn't that what Tampa Bay Saltwater does? They take rock out into the ocean and drop it off, give it 5 years to become alive, then go back and harvest it?

I honestly don't know, I'm just making what seems like logical observations. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, Patti complains about me being WAY to analytical too.

 

[rlcline76]

I think the rock will eventually become LR. After all, isn't that what Tampa Bay Saltwater does? They take rock out into the ocean and drop it off, give it 5 years to become alive, then go back and harvest it?

I honestly don't know, I'm just making what seems like logical observations. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, Patti complains about me being WAY to analytical too.

One of the MAS members out here got his rock that way. Good stuff. Said he had plenty of hitchhikers. A couple of sally light foot crabs, a gorgonian. I ought to go and scrounge up a photo!

 

[JoJo]

you're right Terry i forgot about that. I would just need to find some really seeded LR.

 

[tbittner]

It's not the hitchhikers that make it "live rock" imo. It's the nitrifying bacteria that allows us to keep corals. It's simply THE most effective way to go from waste material to nitrates without causing harm to the delicate animals we keep.

The hitchhikers are just an added bonus (or PITA depending on what they are).

 

[tbittner]

you're right Terry i forgot about that. I would just need to find some really seeded LR.

Yes, but you need to have enough TRUE live rock to sustain the nitrogen cycle with the load you have. Sure, eventually the base rock will help maintain that but it's probably not going to help anytime soon.

 

[BarbMazz]

JoJo, I don't have an answer to your question, but I'm using Marco dry rocks and Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock in combination. I have 50lbs of dry rock (don't know if I'll use all of it), and I'll have about 70lbs of the TBS LR. I'm getting TBS's "Package" so I'll be getting their live sand, too, which I think will help with getting things seeded because it's really alive with all sorts of critters. My tank is 65g.

Once I set up, I'm going to let the tank sit for a minimum of three months to let things percolate and grow. Maybe longer. I'm doing that because I want to prove that I'm patient :yehoo: , and also because from what I've read it's a really good way to make sure everything's growing the way it should bacteria-wise and pod and critter-wise before adding corals and fish. I think waiting to add things will help stuff grow on the rocks, too, since there won't be bigger animals feeding in there.

Does that make any sense?

 

[JoJo]

it makes perfect sense. hey terry, this explains where all our beach sand is going :LOL: hopefully i can get the lfs to trade some, if not i guess i will be buying all new LR.