Newbie Here.

[alwayseight]

Hi All, sorry to ask... im new to this Hobby. Im learning and reading everyday. Sorry to ask... is it safe to buy used rock from reefers? Cos im trying to save cost. Best is from the shop? Will someone pls explain and advise me in details? Any difference? Wat are cured rocks? How to tell whether a rock is healthy? I have a 4 X 2 2.5 Tank.. currently only have 2 rocks inside... lol. Still going to buy soon. Sorry.. thanks.

[bugattilambo]

Hi All, sorry to ask... im new to this Hobby. Im learning and reading everyday. Sorry to ask... is it safe to buy used rock from reefers? Cos im trying to save cost. Best is from the shop? Will someone pls explain and advise me in details? Any difference? Wat are cured rocks? How to tell whether a rock is healthy? I have a 4 X 2 2.5 Tank.. currently only have 2 rocks inside... lol. Still going to buy soon. Sorry.. thanks.

Hellos welcome of couse its safe to buy life rocks from reefers

it doesnt mean that by getting from the shop is the best as reefers dose bacterial and stuff into their tank more than those in shops

so if you are gonna get from a decommed reefer should be pretty alright although some reefers still take extreme caution as they do not like pest in their rocks

I dunno how to tell if a rock is healthy all I know if the rock smells like the ocean haha it should be fine

[comycus]

I think this is one instance where I truly prefer to get from reefers unless LFS has a v, nice shaped rock. It's cheap and safe. No such thing as a 2nd hand life rock. If it's life, it's life, if it's dead, you can smell it from a mile away.

Glad you found this forum. Purchase more rocks to allow enough bio-filtration and let your tank cycle for the next 4-6 weeks. Take the time to find out more about this great hobby! We should have lots of materials here in src for most of your questions.

[alwayseight]

Thanks for the info...

[RockyBoy]

Still need to treat as if you are buying from the LFS.

I bought some rocks, and still can find a feet long worms, crabs, aiptasia, bla, bla bla...

Do freshwater dip just to ascertain, IMO.

[digibee]

Still need to treat as if you are buying from the LFS.

I bought some rocks, and still can find a feet long worms, crabs, aiptasia, bla, bla bla...

Do freshwater dip just to ascertain, IMO.

I was just wondering; will the freshwater dip kill the good bacteria etc?

And it became dead rocks?

Thanks!

[comycus]

I was just wondering; will the freshwater dip kill the good bacteria etc?

And it became dead rocks?

Thanks!

It won't kill all the bac and go to the extent of making your life rocks dead. Tt's why it's impt to go through the cycling process to ensure your bio filtration is properly set up.

[RockyBoy]

I was just wondering; will the freshwater dip kill the good bacteria etc?

And it became dead rocks?

Thanks!

If the freshwater is from the tap, it will kill all the bacteria if soak very long.

When I restarted my reefing a few years back, I bought mostly dead rocks. Damn cheap. And 1 or 2 good quality liverocks as seed. Then I cycle the tank for 2 months by putting lots of starter bacteria. Put a dead prawn after that to ensure that the rocks are fully cycled. Then started putting the livestock a little at a time.

No need to worry abt the coraline algae growing on the rocks or not. After 6-8months it will just appear and wont stop growing after that.

[fishiee]

Just a correction; its LIVE ROCK, not LIFE ROCK. Live rock is porus; its many holes and 'caves' serve as a refuge for many marine animals, such as small crabs, snails worms, and benificial bacteria. Live rock fresh from the sea has more 'sea life' in it than a rock used by a reefer (the 'sea life' tend to die off when kept in a tank). However, the disadvantages are that 1. It may harbour pests (e.g. mantis shrimp, which kill fish and can crack aquarium glass) 2. many of these animals die off, adding to the nitrate levels of your new fish tank. Live rock from a reefer would have the opposite benifits and disadvantages. I think you should be fine getting live rock from a reefer is fine, as long as it has not been kept out of the water.

[alwayseight]

Just a correction; its LIVE ROCK, not LIFE ROCK. Live rock is porus; its many holes and 'caves' serve as a refuge for many marine animals, such as small crabs, snails worms, and benificial bacteria. Live rock fresh from the sea has more 'sea life' in it than a rock used by a reefer (the 'sea life' tend to die off when kept in a tank). However, the disadvantages are that 1. It may harbour pests (e.g. mantis shrimp, which kill fish and can crack aquarium glass) 2. many of these animals die off, adding to the nitrate levels of your new fish tank. Live rock from a reefer would have the opposite benifits and disadvantages. I think you should be fine getting live rock from a reefer is fine, as long as it has not been kept out of the water.

Thanks for the info.

[FACLAN]

Hi Guys,

Its mean if we buy it from LFS, we have to dip into fresh water? aiya... i am a beginner also.. so dont know about this.. lucky i read today.

thanks a lot

[raydiative]

Hi Guys,

Its mean if we buy it from LFS, we have to dip into fresh water? aiya... i am a beginner also.. so dont know about this.. lucky i read today.

thanks a lot

If the LR are cured properly, you dun have to.. when you soak them in fresh water, you will kill all the bacteria...

[teebs]

Hi Guys,

Its mean if we buy it from LFS, we have to dip into fresh water? aiya... i am a beginner also.. so dont know about this.. lucky i read today.

thanks a lot

if you want to get rid of all the pests in the live rocks, then it would be best to dip them into Coral RX solution. Coral RX will kill off most of the pests in the rocks but whether it will kill the bacteria I do not know.

[FACLAN]

i dun want to kill the bacteria, but just want to make sure that there is nothing else.. like worm..so how? thanks for the info

[kanegan]

i dun want to kill the bacteria, but just want to make sure that there is nothing else.. like worm..so how? thanks for the info

Your question is very difficult to answer since we never really know whether the bacteria is alive or dead after dips/soaks.

However, coralrx will not kill corals so it may be 'milder' on some organisms than freshwater?

I usually kill my worms with freshwater soak. I don't mind bacteria dying as they will repopulate back.

Note that dead bacteria will not kill your tank, but release of toxins like hydrogen sulphite?? from DSB and deoxygenated live rocks will...

[FACLAN]

Your question is very difficult to answer since we never really know whether the bacteria is alive or dead after dips/soaks.

However, coralrx will not kill corals so it may be 'milder' on some organisms than freshwater?

I usually kill my worms with freshwater soak. I don't mind bacteria dying as they will repopulate back.

Note that dead bacteria will not kill your tank, but release of toxins like hydrogen sulphite?? from DSB and deoxygenated live rocks will...

Hmmmm ok.. so its mean its best to soak in the fresh water to kill the worms... thanks bro.. will do so when i get a set for myself

[jackywongto]

Hmmmm ok.. so its mean its best to soak in the fresh water to kill the worms... thanks bro.. will do so when i get a set for myself

Faclan

If you soak in fresh water, there will be massive dieoffs..... very troublesome and stinks quite badly.

you can buy live rocks, sock it in Coral RX like what Peter mentioned.

If kiasu, after soaking, rinse it and you can leave it in open air (not under hot sun), occassionally sprinkling water to the rocks to keep them damp. Some of the surviving worms/ crabs should crawl out after a couple of hrs. Then take the rock, rinse with saltwater and put in your tank and cycle.

Dosing bacteria will help.

[FACLAN]

Faclan

If you soak in fresh water, there will be massive dieoffs..... very troublesome and stinks quite badly.

you can buy live rocks, sock it in Coral RX like what Peter mentioned.

If kiasu, after soaking, rinse it and you can leave it in open air (not under hot sun), occassionally sprinkling water to the rocks to keep them damp. Some of the surviving worms/ crabs should crawl out after a couple of hrs. Then take the rock, rinse with saltwater and put in your tank and cycle.

Dosing bacteria will help.

OK GET IT... will do as per all the bro mention....thanks again

[teebs]

OK GET IT... will do as per all the bro mention....thanks again

Just to add on...if you really kiasu, then use 2x concentration of Coral RX Pro and dip your live rocks for 30 mins. Confirmed all your worms and other hitch hikers will up the lorry. After that shake the rock in the coral RX solution, transfer the rock to a new pail of salt mix and shake it again to make sure all the dead stuff is dislodged from the rock and you can put the rock back into your tank.

[FuEl]

Check the tank condition before committing to the rocks. If the rock has a lot of algae/cyanobacteria growing off it I would not suggest getting the rock. Phosphates can leach into rocks from the water. If you buy such rocks and put in your tank, phosphates will leach back out and you will get an algae problem to deal with. If you do buy such rock, keep them in a bucket of water and aerate the rocks. Change water weekly until the water in the bucket has an insignificant phosphate reading.

Also check if the rocks have been used for fish-only tanks or in a reef setting. Fish-only tanks are often dosed with medication like copper, which can become deposited in the rocks.

[nettian]

Just to add on...if you really kiasu, then use 2x concentration of Coral RX Pro and dip your live rocks for 30 mins. Confirmed all your worms and other hitch hikers will up the lorry. After that shake the rock in the coral RX solution, transfer the rock to a new pail of salt mix and shake it again to make sure all the dead stuff is dislodged from the rock and you can put the rock back into your tank.

very details, learn a lot.

[navyseal09]

Hi guys

i just started my cycling process yesterday . Are external filter good enough for a Fish with live rock tank?? and do i need chiller for most of the tang(eg. blue n yellow) ?

[tribe172]

Hi All, sorry to ask... im new to this Hobby. Im learning and reading everyday. Sorry to ask... is it safe to buy used rock from reefers? Cos im trying to save cost. Best is from the shop? Will someone pls explain and advise me in details? Any difference? Wat are cured rocks? How to tell whether a rock is healthy? I have a 4 X 2 2.5 Tank.. currently only have 2 rocks inside... lol. Still going to buy soon. Sorry.. thanks.

why not? there are a couple of really nice reefers here who would help you out with the live rocks! just ask!