Lace Rock a Good Base Rock?

[davenia7]

I'm upgrading from a 10 gal. with 13lbs. of LR to a 20L. I have a bunch of lace rock laying around from my cichlid tank that isn't being used bc I use it to add to the tank when I remove existing rock to bleach it annually. Could I use a few lbs. of the lace rock in the tank as base rock and let it seed with my current stuff. I would think that this process would really keep the tank from cycling, since I would at that point only be shifting tanks, and everything else would be the same as before.
Ideas?

 

[tmd77]

unfortunately no as the rock is not porous enough for the anaerobic bacteria to get in and do their stuff.

best things are old pieces of live rock or dead coral

 

[funkngroovy]

That's right.

Live rock is basically dead coral. The coral structure is extremely porous, this is why it works.

 

[davenia7]

That's cool. A member of my local club is gonna sell me some from his old tank for $3/lb. so it's all good.

 

[funkngroovy]

Bargain!

 

[tmd77]

well that depends... what is the price of liverock in US?

when 1 kilo is 2.2 pounds at $3 per pound makes $US6.60/kg or $A10.40/kg...

in aus we can pick up live rock for $10/kg

 

[davenia7]

I've heard prices from $7/ lb. and up.... do it's a sweet score.

 

[tmd77]

wow :shock: id definately need to be a surgeon or CEO to maintain a tank over there haha

in that case go for it, and post pics when you get it :mrgreen:

 

[TimSchmidt]

Cheapest I've seen at a LFS is 5.99 a pound for decent sized pieces and 3.00 a pound for rubble.