live rock questions

I found "70lbs" of live rock on craigslist, he is willing to sell, tote, rock, heater, and powerhead for $150..

Any insight as to what I should look for, if what is in the photo is worth it, etc..

Looks more like 7 lbs in the pic and one base rock

Why is he selling it for $2 per pound, why is he trying to unload it? I would bleach it all anyway and start over with it so $2 a pound is good for base rock.

He is selling his 90 & stand.. apparently the buyer is making it freshwater, so he doesn't need the rock.. I thought it looked "light" also, and I have no experience.. ill add photos of the tank he tore down, but it doesn't add up..

My only thought is that the rock is better than fake concrete diy stuff

Here is the tank prior to tear down

In that pic it looks more like 70. Is it tore down already?

Yes, the rock is in a tote, with a heater and powerhead, I've made an appointment to check it out tomorrow.. also has a 29 gallon sump & skimmer for sale, but I don't have any details on either..

first picture doesnt look like 70 l bs of rock to me neither

I'm thinking maybe just a few pieces were taken out of the tote to photograph. If the rest of it looks like the pic I would snatch it up.

How long can I store it in the tote with heater and powerhead?? Also should I set salinity and heat at a certain parameter??

I'm have all the plumbing, but have to wait two weeks for skimmer & return pump..

Can I start my cycle with rodi water, & live rock adjusted to proper salinity, and temperatures, without live sand, chedomorpha, or maricle mud??

First don't waste your money on live sand, just get aragonite it will save you money and become live sand in your tank in no time.

And yes you can cycle your tank without sand also you don't want chato during your cycle it will die

Most people agree that miracle mud is a waste of money.

Ok, so plumb the system, fill with rodi, proper salinity, & temp, water flow, after ageing salt add rock, start cycle?? Does anyone know a link for cycling??

When you get the tank up and running throw a raw shrimp in there and let the nitrogen cycle begin;)

Live rock is rock that has been aged and has living organism contained inside. When a person takes down a tank and removes the rock and places the rock in dry storage it no longer is "live rock." The rock is now base rock. I would be sure that you are buying rock straight from a tank and not a tank that has been dismantled. As for the sand issue, I think there are some good arguments for buying new live sand as it has bacteria and organisms that one would find in a marine setting. I would not sell myself short on the sand either. do not buy used sand, that is a problem, but new live sand is worth the money from the start, in my opinion.

Old Tom said:

Live rock is rock that has been aged and has living organism contained inside. When a person takes down a tank and removes the rock and places the rock in dry storage it no longer is "live rock." The rock is now base rock. I would be sure that you are buying rock straight from a tank and not a tank that has been dismantled. As for the sand issue, I think there are some good arguments for buying new live sand as it has bacteria and organisms that one would find in a marine setting. I would not sell myself short on the sand either. do not buy used sand, that is a problem, but new live sand is worth the money from the start, in my opinion.

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I respectfully disagree. I have used live sand and I have used sand that was stored from a tank tear down that was properly rinsed. I couldn't tell a difference between the two as far as cycling or maturity of the tank. I also consider base rock as rock that is much less (oxy moron) porous. What you are describing is uncured rock which will become live again in the proper environment.

I do understand your disagreement, I too have used old sand and have rinsed the sand. from my experience and it is just my experience and a N of one that I would go with new sand and throw my old sand away. Old sand has some benefits no doubt, but the cost of rinsing out the debris is almost as costly as purchasing new. My point was not to buy dry sand, but use live sand. And I do respect your opinion as we can all learn from each other and what we have done well and inn my case what I have not done so well.

I do love the look of black sand because I plan to add plenty of color with corals.. because I am new I plan on buying new, and would be skeptical of buying "live sand" from an unknown craigslist seller.. I probably wouldn't be considering buying live rock from craigslist except since I am just setting up and cycling, I will not put livestock in jeopardy..

I do not know the seller of the live rock, and I am worried about ending up with hitchhikers, or some type of disease.. should I run a bleach ratio, kill everything, make it dead rock, and purchase a few pieces of live rock from petco/lfs to reculture??

Tifoez said:

I do not know the seller of the live rock, and I am worried about ending up with hitchhikers, or some type of disease.. should I run a bleach ratio, kill everything, make it dead rock, and purchase a few pieces of live rock from petco/lfs to reculture??

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That is why I would bleach. There are so many unknowns.

Nature's Ocean is a brand of live Bio Active live Aragonite Black sand. With about two pounds of sand per gallon in your tank you will have enough to cycle the tank in a week or so with the rock you want to "Bleach." From my experience, and again it is just a N of one bleaching is not a good idea. The rock will become completely sterile and thereby can and will leach out a greater amount of phosphates into your water with time, the bleach (chlorine) can become entrapped in the crevices of the live rock and cause short term issues in your tank and cycling, The chlorine in the bleach will not remain a stable ion in the water and will combine with other chemicals in the water and "can" become toxic, again short term to any live stock.

While bleaching is a common practice, so is unexplained sudden deaths in our tanks after a few weeks or months into the hobby, please proceed with caution and be sure to rinse very well and rinse with fresh clean water and soak the bleached corals in clean water then place in salt water for a few days and rinse in salt water if you do decide to go the bleach route. I will say this the bleached white rocks against the black sand so pretty and breath taking. So i do understand why you would want to go this way, the white rocks will only stay white a little while until they first turn start to age. You can expect an algae growth on the rocks from phosphate release, about four to six weeks after you add some live stock, just beware of this, it is very common with bleached rocks, at least from my limited experience.

YOu are worried about finding something bad in/ on the rock you are buying from this guy. I would just give it a good rinse in salt water if its still alive and set up your tank and let it run for a couple wks to month before adding stock. Watch for hitchhikers day and NITE. You will be surprised at what comes out at nite. You are running the same risk when you go buy some new live rock from a store. Sometimes you get good, sometimes you get bad. You never know

It's easy to look at a pic and say bleach it or don't bleach it just cycle it.

But the reality is that it depends on your comfort level with the person you are buying from and the condition of his rock. Did he have a problem with parasites, or predation, or hydroids, does the rock smell like it's rotting? Why is he breaking down his tank? And do you trust what he is telling you?

If the rock smells good and looks good and I was comfortable in the conversation I had with the seller I would simply start a cycle in my new setup. But if I had any doubts at all I would cure or bleach, bleaching is quicker and less messy if you will.
Yes there is a process to bleaching but there is a process to everything you just have to fallow the steps.