Dead Rock vs. Live Rock

[Dre]

How do you determine dead rock from live rock ?And what's better for a reef tank dead or live your input here will be appreciated thank you.
Another question do you think if live rock been in a tank for 10 years or more is it just as beneficial as freshly cured rock .Do you think you should change some of your live rock occasionaly with freshly cured rocks?
:tub:

 

[Dre]

:tub:

 

[Dre]

Dead Rock Or Live Rock

:tub:

 

[mray]

Live rock is usually darker in appearance because bacteria has been growing on it. Base rock is usually very white but over time it usually looks very similar.

 

[albano]

'live' rock should be from a saltwater tank so that it has 'life' on it, (it might come to you out of water, but still damp)..dead rock would be dry and lifeless, BUT, can come back to life, once placed in an established tank (given time)

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

One thread per topic is enough. Please do not start another one on this topic, build the discussion here so it can be in one place for your reference and for future reefers that may benefit from the info in this thread.

 

[sef20]

live rock usually smells pretty bad. dead cured rock almost has a sweet smell to it

 

[junglebase]

Moved!

 

[Dre]

:tub:

 

[SevTT]

live rock usually smells pretty bad. dead cured rock almost has a sweet smell to it

That needs to be qualified. Uncured, shipped live rock smells pretty bad, 'cause it's got lots of dead stuff on it. Cured live rock, right out of someone's system? It should smell like the sea, basically. And not at low tide.

Dead rock is usually bleached white. Good live rock is grungy, covered with and inhabited by crusts of colorful algae, tubeworms, sponges, bristleworms, etc.

 

[Marteen]

Dead rock is bleached white. Live rock should be wet, and have growth on it.

As for good or not for a reef. If you are starting a reef tank dead rock is the way to go since it's cheaper and you don't run the risk of bringing in any nasty hitchhikers. Seed with some good quality Live Rock and you are good to go.

For an established system if you are adding rock ALWAYS fully cure any rock going in. Dead or Live you need to cure it yourself. Dead rock can have detritus lurking in it's crevices that can cause an ammonia spike and Live rock can have a lot of die off in just the few hours it takes to transport it from your LFS or whereve to home.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Live rock could be very white too if there is no algae and started off white. If you cure rock long enough in tank with no addition of nutrients the rocks could be very white. Of course, they will not be as white as rocks that are bleached, dried under the sun and rinsed.

If you are buying rocks from a vendor who has the rock in water, the best way is to test water condition of the tank to see if the rocks are fully cured or not. Not fully cured ones will give tace of ammonia or nitrite. If a rock smell bad, it is not fully cured. If a rock does not smell, it does not necessarily mean it's cured either. It could be one of the two-fully cured or so new in the water that nothing has started to decay yet.

 

[Dre]

:tub:

 

[Dre]

:tub:

 

[Galantra]

When you say bs what do you mean?

 

[SevTT]

For an established system if you are adding rock ALWAYS fully cure any rock going in. Dead or Live you need to cure it yourself. Dead rock can have detritus lurking in it's crevices that can cause an ammonia spike and Live rock can have a lot of die off in just the few hours it takes to transport it from your LFS or whereve to home.

I guess it depends on the time in shipment and whether or not you keep it wet, but fully-cured LR shouldn't need to be re-cured if the transit time is low, the rock is kept wet or moist (I'd prefer wet, in a bucket, covered with water, if you're transporting more than for a half-hour-or-an-hour-or-so-ride-from-the-LFS,) and the rock doesn't experience very high or very cold temperatures. It can also help to acclimate the rock as you would any other invertebrate to prevent additional die-off.

If you're adding rock from another established system, I see no reason for curing, so long as the rock has been kept wet and hasn't been in transit for more than a couple hours. Any of the organisms you find on live rock would survive a trip home from the fish store in a bag, so it seems silly to expect massive die-off. (The exception to this is sponges that've been allowed to suck in air, of course.)

Of course, I'm talking about adding relatively small quantities to established systems, and you have to use common sense, but I think you'd agree that it's kinda ridiculous to stew a few pounds of (established, cured) LR for a month before you added it to a tank. After all, you do the same thing when you add a piece of coral attached to LR to a tank.

 

[Dre]

:tub:

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I think "live rock" is a band playing in the concert

and

"dead rock" is when the band is still playing their music even though everyone have left early.

 

[Dre]

When you say bs what do you mean?

:tub:
I bought some live rock from a member there was mostly white rocks in the bottom of the bucket that didn't seem live INO. and the weight didn't add up either.When i complained they said [but you got it at a good price.]

 

[Galantra]

Well how much off was it? you are paying for water weight as well how long did he said he had it and was it used on the bottom ?
I always do a mix of both i just bleach my rock and want to start off with white rock. Then i will seed it when i am ready. IMO Its all about cycle time as long as you like the shape of your rock its A.O.K