How I make my live Rock. (it works)

Ninja Spear

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I hope this Helps......
After Reading a Thread Yesterday, I figured I would Share some of the Success I have had with making Live Rock from Rocks that I have found. I must say that I am not Responsible for what happened if you us a rock that is from a toxic waste site or found in a Storm Drain and is full of oil.
First Off, you got to find Rocks that look cool and will fit in your Tank. This was the hardest part for me. Luckily I found some agatized coral in a Creek Bed here in North Florida. Since then I have Harvested about 3000 Pounds of it, (I only made about 100 pounds for tanks.) I myself have placed this stuff all around my house in the flower gardens.
I don’t think the tank will do so hot if you use a rock that is full or iron or copper veins. So be careful for Minerals or Metals in the rocks you choose. I have always wanted to use a Big Piece of Quartz in my tank.
Second, Clean the Rocks Off. I used a Hose and Scrub Brush to get all the Dirt out of it. (Its common Sense) I also used a Small amount of Bleach to clean the rock and then washed it off.
Third, I then soaked the rocks in Fresh water for a week’s time dumping the water out once in the middle and refilling it.
Fourth, we are getting close! Change out the Fresh water for tank Change water. Also I placed a Small Power head in the Buckets to keep the water moving (since the tanks water had Bacterial and living stuff in it.) This last part may seem a little silly but I kept the rocks in the saltwater for about a month. And every water change I would add the new water and take away the old. I figured this would allow for My New Rocks to become live rock instead of Dead rock. If you want algae on the rocks place the buckets in the sun or a lighted source. I kept mine outside.
Whatever I did Worked, I have placed some really trick Pieces of Rock in my tanks and have had the same few Fish for the last 4 years why I have added rock and taken some out.

 

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Oh yea, I found the Coral in the Pictures Looking for Arrowheads. The Points are out of this world. You can see Polyps and they are Translucent too.
 

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That is a great success story! It is always recommended that you avoid taking rocks from the wild as you have no way of knowing what heavy metals could be present and will leach into your system but it sounds like in your case everything worked out well. The heavy metal issue becomes substantially more important if you are keeping coral or inverts. You are fortunate to live where you do and have access to rock like that. Those are some beautiful pieces you collected!
 
Are your fish glowing from the toxic stuff in your rocks?

LOL just kidding :) That's awesome that you were able to make it work in your tank. I only have small pebbles around here (our community is only 10 years old, so freshly dug up compared to other places -- we didn't even have any cicadas cuz they were probably all dug up 10 years ago :) )
 
Thats how TBSW gets their rock.Its fossilized corals that they mine and then dump off the coast and let nature work on it.
 
I have given most of my rock away or traded it to the local shop for corals that i ended up Killing. I do have a few Pieces that are in my tanks. I will try to snap a shot.

Hell I might as well make a new batch and get rid of a small bit of my other rocks.
 
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