replacing most of my live rock with LifeRock...

[CTaylor]

Hi,

I feel I need to do this because I have an infestation of feather caulerpa. I was able to keep this out of my seahorse tank by using only LifeRock. The tank looks great, and the only plants in there are my purporseful grape caulerpa, which is a lot easier to control also.

For my reef, I'm getting rid of 80% of my current live rock. To avoid spikes in NH3, etc, I thought to put as much of my old live rock in the fuge. But I know algae/caulerpa spores etc can still infect the new rock from spillover from the fuge.
**Should I just dump all the rock with any caulerpa on it? And replace immediately with the LifeRock? And do minimal feedings from that point for a while?
I really feel the caulerpa and other pest algae are over time killing my corals. I feel like this b/c coincidentally when my acros are looking worse, there is more and more caulerpa, etc. I know both can be related to one root issue, but I dont think so.
**Also is there a reason to worry about the 'color' added to liferock doing harm to the tank?

[Bluefish9]

Tagging along. Im in the middle of a build using life rock exclusively so this is interesting to me. I havent heard of anyone having ill effects from life rock which is encouraging...


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[CTaylor]

I havent either.. but I havent done a lot of research on it. One of my acros is starting to go down hill, and there is a lot of caulerpa and other macro alage in tank now (with zero ppBilion phosphate). So I figure I have nothing to lose coral-wise by a near complete change over. Maybe my 10-20% of the remaining rock + the bacteria in the LifeRock can pick up the slack. I have no idea, but I know I have to exterminate the caulerpa (and other).

[Bluefish9]

I hear ya. Best of luck and I'll def be following along. Do you have any pics of the life rock in your sea horse tank? Would love to see...


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[CTaylor]

I'll get pics.. but it's full of grape caulepra, which I'm fine with, as it's easy to prune. Way better than feather fine caulerpa. But i Have so much right now you cant see the rocks, but the SH's love it. Will get pics after I prune it off :)

[Bluefish9]

Hey forgive me if Im not allowed to do this but...I picked up a case of life rock branch rock today at my LFS. I used exactly half of it. If you're interested I can make you a deal on the remainder... In inbox me if interested.


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[CTaylor]

Hi BLue,
Thanks, but I'm trying to put only non-live rock in the tank to lessen any future outbreaks of either caulerpa, other macro algae, or aptaisia, mantis shrimp, etc etc..
**AND is that the branching rock variety? or a mix of regular and branching?

[Bluefish9]

Branching. And its dry. Brand new still in the box.

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[CTaylor]

hey blue,
I totally misread your last post. I thought is said live, not life :) .. I already ordered some. But I'll PM you

[GimpyFin]

The purple pigment on the Caribsea life rock is completely safe in your tank. (I have a bunch of it in my tank and fuge and it is quite nice.) The rock comes dry but has spored bacteria in it that supposedly begins to colonize once the rock gets wet. Sort of in between dry rock and established live rock.