Hey folks I am looking for advice on some dry rock., I have narrowed it down to 2 types pukani from BRS and Reef Rocks http://www.reefrocks.net/. I have read that the pukani leeches phosphate sometimes and I have read great reviews about reef rocks. Any one have any advice.
Hiya, You may want to go check the for sale thread. There's some folks that are selling dry rock. Saves on shipping costs, plus you get to see it before you buy it. Kim/Benton, AR
If you by Reef Rock you mean mean the purple died concrete you will get a number of differing opinions. I got my dry rock from Reef Cleaners. It's light, full of holes and has a large surface area. Don't get caught up in hype. Look for rock that is esthetically pleasing to you, light weight and POROUS. These are the characteristics that make good rock.
I like my Real Reef Rock; but I think you need a combination of rock. base rock and live rock. You can start from base rock or real reef but it seems to take a loger period to establish a tank. I think that was part of my issue when i pulled all my rock out of the sump and replaced with my real reef. I also think you should change out some of your live rock to get a spectrum of bacteria.
All real dead rock will leach something. I am a fan of buying dead rock (formerly live rock) and using it for my base rock. I then get a little live rock to get some life and biodiversity. I actually like pukani, that is what I used to set up my sons 20 gallon. I did spend a few days cleaning it first though before it went in his tank. First I used a set of tweezers to pull off/out anything that used to be alive. His rock had several sponges inside the crevices that took a while to get out. Next I rinsed it off in the sink to get the dust off and small pieces of the sponge out. I then used a toothbrush to brush off other visible impurities. His rock had some weird black/dark purple sponge like item that had died and dried to the rock. It was thin like red slime algae but the texture of a sponge. It had changed the color of the rock under it to a purple-ish color. I brushed as much of that off as I could and then soaked the rock in a big rubbermaid tub with a powerhead in it overnight. The next day I pulled more of that black stuff off and repeated the process. I think the key to having less phosphates is cleaning the rock really well. I doubt you can ever make it phosphate free initially. It just takes patience. Remember, nothing good happens fast in a saltwater tank. John
Marcos leaches too. Again, all natural dry rock will leach something. Heck, the plastic tub that people store their water in can leach phosphates.
Besides the leaching, if you startup your system right and take your time it will all be good. Marco hooked me up with more rock than i needed, gave me an extra piller, very light,porous, beautiful rock and its cheap. Washed it off with warm water,dryed it, set it in the tank,cycled. I have had no problems, mixed reef. Also call the guy and tell him what you want.
Thanks everyone for the responses, tried to call macro rocks this morning and left a message I do like the cherry pics they have available but they are out right now. I am in no hurry to get the tank up and running still have to get a rodi filter so i dont have to tote water around.
I've used the dry rock from BRS and have been very happy with it. Just cure it some saltwater and you'll have less phosphates leach. It's not a must do though, I soaked mine overnight and then put in to tank. A little phosphate never killed anything.
Thats an issue I am working through, being a newb and never being around a saltwater tank I dont know which info is good and which is stretching it out, not saying your wrong or anything but thats what ive been pondering I would think some is ok but I have no clue whats too much
If you are new to this hobby and just setting up a tank just remember, NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS FAST. Patience is a virtue. I learned a lot from my first tank. I listened to the guys at pet stores and bought the tank, salt, a little bit of rock and some fish all at the same time. That was late 2004. The tank I have now I set up in August 2008 and didn't put a fish in it until November 2008. By the time I was ready for fish all of my tank parameters were pretty steady and my tank was full of small life like copepods and other little hitchhikers. Slow is smooth. John
Thanks again for everyones comments, I do appreciate your advice. Through my research I have learned to go slowwwww and even with that approach I do expect some issues.
