"Creating" Live Rock

[rwynn]

Hey all,

I am about to start my first marine aquarium and am trying to get a plan of action for how I want to do everything.

To save money I have read it is possible to convert dead porous rock into live rock.

I will be doing this all in my main 40g tank and adding fish/inverts as I get the tank cycled properly and the dead rock alive.

I am primarily wondering how much total live rock I will eventually need, and to start the seeding process how much do I need to purchase and put in the tank with my dead rock, also are there additives that can be purchased to accelerate the process?

As yall can tell I am brand new so please, as much description as possible is appreciated.

Thanks,
Robert

 

[yote]

Welcome to the site and the hobby Robert.
Some folks will say that you'll need at least 40 pounds of live rock.I think that as long as your within a few pounds that you'll be good.Just get yourself 30 to 35 pounds of good dry base rock,then add 2 or 3 good looking pieces of live rock.Then once the tank is cycled,the base should be becoming live.Its the bacteria that makes live rock live any way.

 

[rwynn]

Thanks, that is about what I had picked up from other forum posts and websites should cut the rock costs down significantly!

 

[yote]

It will.And its also one of the few places where you can cut the cost and get away with it.

 

[rwynn]

Indeed, I am getting the tank from my brother who is upgrading but was just using this one as a freshwater headboard on his bed.

The idea here is to afford a good enough lighting system for my fish/rock with enough intensity to add coral later once I get the tank stable and have some on the job experience with the tank.

I was looking at d2mini's build thread and plan to move in that general direction long term.

 

[dcantucson]

Hi Robert. Welcome to the site.
Yote is the one eyed wise man here, so nothing to add.:)