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live rock vs reef


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KISS is my goal, but, I'm having trouble finding an accurate picture of what a LR aquarium looks like vs. coral.

 

Can someone link me or post images of each so I can get a proper idea of what to expect in my travels?

 

my humble thanks! :blush:

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Live rock is what we use as a base for growing corals on. It used to be living, growing coral but the reason we call it "live" is the fact that it's very porous and can therefore provide lots of surface area for bacteria to grow. Said bacteria is what breaks down wastes in the aquarium.

 

There are lots of different types.

 

Scope out this vid:

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Try to find a local club in your area. Most major cities have them. Many of the members are willing to sell Soft corals on the cheap as they grow quite fast. Also you will be able to save a grip of cash on used tanks and lighting which are great for beginners.

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okay, so how would reef saver get the necessary starters for simple soft corals?

 

What do you mean by starters?

 

Glad someone saw the KISS thread :)

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What do you mean by starters?

 

Glad someone saw the KISS thread :)

I think I figured out that's what a frag is for. to introduce coral to your live rock?

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Do you have a LFS or like they said, local club you can get some good, purple, live rock from an active tank? Add that (even 1:5 or 1:10 ratio) to mostly clean dry rock (BRS is really good and reefcleaners is even better - i've gotten both)

 

check out my tank thread to see what the dry rock will look like after a while.

 

That tank thread you linked is totally amazing and covered in so much coral you can't even see the rocks, but they are there ;)

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I think I figured out that's what a frag is for. to introduce coral to your live rock?

 

Yes, a frag is a clipping of a coral that will grow.

 

Be sure you cycle your rock/tank first.

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hey all, while I am a total noob to SW, I have had FW tanks in the past, so I know the basics and the importance of controlling the water variables, filtration, etc.

 

however, I'm seeing that I need to do more research on the the types of softies I wish to have.

 

I'm going to keep this simple, my first venture into SW, so live rock, softies and CUC. :)

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Do you have a LFS or like they said, local club you can get some good, purple, live rock from an active tank? Add that (even 1:5 or 1:10 ratio) to mostly clean dry rock (BRS is really good and reefcleaners is even better - i've gotten both)

 

check out my tank thread to see what the dry rock will look like after a while.

 

That tank thread you linked is totally amazing and covered in so much coral you can't even see the rocks, but they are there ;)

I'm looking over your thread now cruiZe.

 

and yes, we have a good store, Aquariums West nearby and the VAH club.

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FW and SW are very different.

 

I've had turtles, tropical tank, betta's, angels, and cichlid tanks- nothing comparable to the knowledge and dedication required for reef keeping.

 

The best advice is research and go slow. Make the decision of what you want and set up for that and possible changes in future. Its cheaper to do it once than upgrading later. We all say softies only and end up with lps and sps later on.

 

Frags are fragmented parts off a "mother" coral. These are often secured to frag plugs, rubble, rock, even seashells.

 

You can also buy coral pieces that aren't frags- these are larger pces which can be fragged into many pieces or not.

 

 

You will want to set up the tank and cycle it properly prior to adding cuc, fish, or corals.

The cycle can take 2-6 weeks depending on cycle method.

 

 

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/cycling-a-saltwater-aquarium/

 

This is a good article on cycling a SW.

 

Liverock- is what is used for biological filteration in SW.

 

You can have a fo(fish only), no liverock is used.

 

You can then do fowlr(fish only with liverock)

 

Then a reef tank - liverock, corals, fish.

 

Ask lots of questions, no question is stupid :)

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I'm looking over your thread now cruiZe.

 

and yes, we have a good store, Aquariums West nearby and the VAH club.

 

 

end%20tank%20comparison.jpg

 

this is what I'm talking about... i need to use a real camera, but this is why I like dry rock

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yeah, I plan on starting with dry rock and letting the tank mature naturally. I'm in no rush. I don't want to have to deal with pests if I get LR from the LFS or other SW aquarist.

 

cycling is no issue...been there done that. and again, not in a hurry.

 

right now, I'm gonna go low tech. soft corals and a CUC with maybe a fish or two in the long term (juvenile clown or something mebe).

 

I just need to read up on the soft corals that are good for beginners as there are bazillions of options and I don't know the names of any of them.

 

I'll likely go buy a couple hun in marine books and read up like recommended. get a foundation to understand all the speak on here. :D

 

and debbeach, that example I wish to be inspired by would be a long term project and something I'd start with a 20 or 30 gallon tank. :)

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