keeping fish with live rock

[frosty42]

I recently spoke with a fish store owner who warned against placing live rock in a tank with fish, claiming they'll eat it. However, I've found that while fish may pick at it, this doesn't necessarily mean you should avoid combining the two.

What's your take on this? I've always been under the impression that live rock is beneficial when setting up a saltwater tank, but I could be mistaken since I'm still new to saltwater aquariums.

[frosty42]

I'd consider buying 40 pounds of used live rock, but the price would have to be right. It's being sold because the owner is breaking down their tank, so I'd think it's already established and has some good stuff on it. How much do you think is a fair price for that amount of used live rock?

[sweetie_22]

I think certain fish can't be kept with live rock due to fin nipping, but I don't think any would actually eat the rock itself. I got a good deal on mine, 5 quid a kilo on eBay, so 30 kilos only set me back 150 quid, which was a bargain considering what others charge. Now I go to the same guy for equipment, he's offered me some great deals in the past, like a 260 litre tank with equipment for 100 quid, and I got a twin Arcadia T5 starter for 10 quid - he pretty much gives me T5 tubes.

[brixo]

I recently spoke with a fish store owner who warned against placing live rock in a tank with fish, claiming they'll eat it. However, I've found that while fish may pick at it, this doesn't necessarily mean you should avoid combining the two.

What's your take on this? I've always been under the impression that live rock is beneficial when setting up a saltwater tank, but I could be mistaken since I'm still new to saltwater aquariums.

You've gotta love some fish stores, right. They say you can't put live rock with fish, but most of us here do it without any issues. Live rock is actually a brilliant natural filtration system - it's called the Berlin method and it's incredibly successful. Just make sure you've got a good powerhead creating plenty of movement and flow through the rock.

As for the price, it can vary quite a bit, but I'd say around £6 to £7 a kilo is a fair price. And it's definitely worth getting live rock from an established tank - it'll be fully cured and teeming with life. Just be careful not to keep it out of water for too long, or you'll start to see die-off.

[frosty42]

Thanks for the reassurance guys, I thought the store owner was way off base with that comment. I've had my doubts about that store before, like when they sell nurse sharks and sturgeons to anyone who walks in - it just doesn't seem right.

[luminox]

Sounds like you need to find a better fish store, to be honest. As for the 40lbs of live rock, I've gotten it for $5 per pound where I'm from, so that would be around $200 for 40lbs. However, when buying in bulk, you can usually negotiate a better price.

[coral8]

I would never not put LR in - it's the best natural filtration system out there.

[flame9x]

I've seen setups with minimal live rock and they still thrive, like this one guy in my LRC with a huge tank but only one decent cave. Fish seem to get along just fine, guess it really depends on the type of fish you're keeping.

[Florixio]

I'd say if you can't put live rock with fish, then you can't put any rock with them - most rock with some porosity will eventually become live. Honestly, find a new LFS, theirs seems a bit off.