Hey, I'm John and I am new to marine aquariums. In fact setting up my first one now. The problem is, here in Mt. Sterling, Ky, there are no experts or well informed sources in which to turn to. I am getting lots of conflicting information as far as substrates and live rock and I am less than a month into planning my set-up. All I ask for is the best course to take in this endevour. It is extremely expensive and I want to do it correctly the first time. I know that, if done correctly, it will be wellworth the effort.
Hello
- Thread starter johno1973
- Start date
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Hello John! Welcome to the site. You've come to the right place for info.
Substrates -- use aragonite sand, not crushed coral. You don't have to pay extra for the bagged live sand either. Save your cash and just get the bags of dry aragonite sand.
What's your question about live rock? To save money, you can can get live rock and some dry rock. Once put in your tank together, the live rock will seed the dry rock, making it live.
Substrates -- use aragonite sand, not crushed coral. You don't have to pay extra for the bagged live sand either. Save your cash and just get the bags of dry aragonite sand.
What's your question about live rock? To save money, you can can get live rock and some dry rock. Once put in your tank together, the live rock will seed the dry rock, making it live.
yote
In Memoriam
Welcome to the most addictive hobby and site known to man.:D
Biffs got you covered on the sand and rock.If you use mostly base rock and some live to seed,you wont be able to tell the difference in 3 or 4 months,except you'll have a bit more cash for corals and fish.
Biffs got you covered on the sand and rock.If you use mostly base rock and some live to seed,you wont be able to tell the difference in 3 or 4 months,except you'll have a bit more cash for corals and fish.
dcantucson
Reef pro
WeLcome to the site John. Yote and Biff have you covered.
Thanks guys. My question about the live rock is this: I had a good deal on some live rock that was taken out of an established aquarium and allowed to dry. It is dry now. Will it regrow by itself if placed in the tank or should I go ahead and purchace some already growing live rock (i.e. wet)? And if so, where can I purchace small amounts of live rock, maybe ten pounds? Everywhere I look is 25 lb minimum and there is nowhere close by to go purchace it.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
If it's dry, it's now dead rock, not live. If you buy that rock, don't pay the price that they would have charged for live rock, because it's not live anymore.
If you want to buy it, you will need to purchase some live (wet) rock to seed it with.
If you want to buy it, you will need to purchase some live (wet) rock to seed it with.
The one pet shop here that has a very small amout of marine supplies told me that crushed coral is fine. I have it in the tank now and was told today, before Biff confirmed, that coral is absolutely the wrong way to go. I will be removing this and replacing it with aragonite very soon.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yeah. Crushed coral can lead to water quality problems. The particles are big enough to trap detritus, but too big to clean. So waste gets stuck in it and rots. Also, animals that live in the substrate won't do well in crushed coral.
reeffreak
Reef pro
Welcome to site John!
You will only need to seed the dry rocks with a few pounds of live to get it started live again.Crush coral also looses its buffering capacity in time is another reason to ditch cc.
You will only need to seed the dry rocks with a few pounds of live to get it started live again.Crush coral also looses its buffering capacity in time is another reason to ditch cc.
Smitty
Reef pro
Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you. Everyone has you covered.
Ok, another question. I am going to purchace live sand next week to replace the crushed coral. Will the bacteria and organisms in the sand seed the rocks I have or should I go ahead and get a live rock at the same time? I am not being cheap, just ask my wife who sees the cost of this project piling up, I just don't want to be redundant if I don't have to.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Don't waste your money on live sand. It will be colonized by the bacteria living in live rock. Spend your money on the live rock instead. You don't have to get it at the same time. Just eventually. Just use dry aragonite sand.
brendar7639
Reefing newb
Hi, I am a new member of forum. Would a newcomer be warmly welcome here? Good day you guys!!!
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Bifferwine
I am a girl
That depends. Are you here to get us to visit the website you are linking to in your signature, or are you here to discuss saltwater aquariums?
