Tropical Fish Forums

[allmost]

can I add Lace rock (DRY) to my established reef tank ?

I'm gonna be moving, so its best time to add some more rocks to my tank, but I don't want to 9 bucks a pound on live, can I use lace as the base rock ?

will it be seeded after a while and become live ??

does lace rock have any chemical effects ? KH, pH, ... ?
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65 Gallon tank FW
1 shovel-nose catfish
1 Motoro Stingray
20 Gallon SW
2 clown fish
1 blenny
3 anemones
3 coral

[FloridaBoy]

Maybe.
Over the years, I have seen all types of rocks end up in marine aquaria, from various igneous and sedimentary sources. The term "Lace Rock" is not a trade name that I know of, there are various websites offering one form or another; it's often used as a loose industry term for different forms of rocks from volcanic origin (also called "igneous," Latin for fire). So it's hard to answer your questions without seeing it or being a geologist. One general question you might ask; "did it come from the ocean?"

In general, some aquarists prefer to shy away from lava rocks or any volcanic material; not saying it's always bad (I have used it), but I personally prefer calcareous limestone (also called "sedimentary") or dead rock that originated on or near the reef if possible.

As to chemical effects; some claim there is a higher risk of metal poisoning associated with rock born of lava.

From Robert Fenner:
"Tramp metals, contaminants brought is accidentally as part of your substrate and aquascaping are a slight possibility with naturally collected materials. Iron, in particular may be a problem, from metal cans, crushing or processing tools, shipping... Be suspicious of 'rust' stains from coral sands, gravel and any volcanic rock. Other soluble minerals that include zinc, copper, arsenic, lead, et al. can get into a system the same way. My experience has been that these are far and away unusual sources of poisoning except for folks that utilize 'rocks' from other than marine origins. Oh sure that geode, quartzite, even petrified wood looks great underwater, but is it worth the risk of poisoning your system?"

Back to your question;
Can it be seeded? Yes, truth is; many materials can be seeded and encrusted with corallines; including your aquarium glass and your powerheads. On the reef, I have seen everything from bottles to crab traps covered with it from top to bottom, even boat propellers. So, can you add more rock to your system? Sure, just use discretion!
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Keepin' marines happy for 25 years