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FAQs about "Base" Rock 2 Related Articles: Live Rock, Reef
Systems, Refugiums,
Related FAQs: Base Rock 1, Live Rock 1, LR
2, LR 3, LR 4, LR
5, Curing
Live Rock, LR Life Identification, Live Rock Selection, Shipping/Moving,
Placement, Lighting,
Water Quality, Live
Rock Studies in Fiji Collaboration & Charts, Copper
Use, Marine Landscaping, Marine
Biotope, Sumps, Refugiums, Faux
Rock,
Is there anything here to nibble on?
Chaetodon speculum Cuvier 1831, the Mirror or
Oval-Spot Butterflyfish.
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CORAL BASE ROCK - ETC – 07/11/08
Dear Bob,
<Marty>
Just back from the San Antonio COA (Conchologists of America Convention) and see
your friends possible need of a quantity of coral base rock. We have some stock
here – but are low. A container just left yesterday with 2000 kg of coral rock –
so suggest it best to wait for this to arrive (around mid August). Just let us
know – or have your friend contact us.
<Was an open query on WWM. Did you write them directly? I hope so>
Re Charlie Vernon’s newest work A REEF IN TIME and ocean acidification – earlier
this week there was a short blurb on exactly that – it was on either channels 2
or 4 late news. At least it’s starting to become recognized as a real and
immediate problem that needs addressing ASAP!
<Ah yes... the carbonate sink... again... but now, we happen to be here while
it's happening... Well, we did our bit... didn't reproduce>
All for now –
Regards, Marty
Marty Beals
Tideline
<BobF>
Refugium Technical Help / Copper Removal from Rock Please
7/11/08
Hello Bob and the great Crew at WWM-I'd like to start off by
thanking you for the valuable knowledge you have shared with the
reef aquarium community and the helping me create an amazing
ecosystem (my super sized Rose Tip BTA just split into two to much
amusement to my gold-striped mated pair maroon clowns who have
spawned since).
<Gorgeous!>
I have been battling hair algae in my reef tank for over a year now
since adding some live rock about a year ago (55 gallon, t-5
lighting, Eheim filter, red sea protein skimmer). Its a mature tank
3 yrs+ and I dare say is overstocked (see attached pics I have
higher resolution too but I wasn't sure if they'd go through email).
<They're here>
My nitrates, phosphates are at continuously at zero (im sure their
higher just not picking them up in the tests).
<Mmm, no... much more likely these are being "scarfed up" by your
photosynthetic, chemotrophic life/processes here>
I try to perform bi-monthly water changes at 10%. I tried reduced
lighting from 12 hours to 8 hours six months ago but then my BTA and
corals don't seem as full or bright so I returned to 12 hour
lighting and the hair algae has been growing. So I have finally
purchased a sump which I am converting to a Refugium and have some
technical questions which I could not find the answers to in the
library: 1) I scored about 40 lbs of gorgeous Marshall Island dead
rock from a former reefer who had used a large amount of copper in
his main FOWLR tank. The rock looks okay from afar, but on close
inspection there is a slight green tint of copper on all the rocks.
<!?>
I tried boiling it but the tint is still there. What can I do to
remove all copper from this rock before I cure it into Live Rock?
<Perhaps melt a good deal off with dilute (inorganic likely) acid...
I'd try Muriatic (3 molar HCl)... diluted by at least five times...
do take care to do this with eye protection, doing as you "outta,
adding acid to water"... outdoors where there is good air
circulation>
(the least expensive method would be most suitable for me) 2) Should
I place rocks that are heavily infested with Hair Algae in the
refugium or keep them in the main tank?
<In the refugium>
Or will the Hair Algae go away in due time if I leave it in the main
tank and add the refugium?
<More likely in the 'fuge...>
3) Should I place Rock or Macro Algae in the first chamber where the
water comes into the refugium from the overflow?
<Yes>
(I will also have an ideal mud bed with live rock and macro algae in
the main refugium chamber area but I want to maximize all chambers).
Thank you so much for your help. It is greatly appreciated. F.
Alserri
<Welcome. You might peruse this area:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
the second tray down; when you want a bit more re refugiums.
Bob Fenner> |
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Re: No question just thanks... Follow on... Chalk as base rock – 05/27/08
Hi crew
<Hello Garry.>
Sorry just sent an Email to Bob and somebody has just asked me a question which
I have no answer for, and I wondered if you guys could come up with an answer.
<Sure.>
Local to where I live we have cliffs of Chalk rock (just like the White Cliffs
of Dover)
<Nice, I’m a geologist.>
being that they are 99.97 to 99.99% pure very soft (for rock anyway) Calcium
Carbonate, would it be possible to use this as a base rock for a Reef aquarium.
<I would not do that. These rocks (if comparable to Dover) consist of the
skeletons of green algae and to a minor extent of foraminifera, ostracods and
some molluscs. Whenever sedimentation stopped due to various reasons the
sediment layers were in part encrusted with phosphate minerals (the natural way
of removing phosphates from the water), which while being pretty much dissoluble
in water can easily be dissolved with the help of the life in a reef tank.
Phosphates inhibit the growth of the corals’ skeletal elements, obviously
stony
corals are more sensitive. Even if phosphate composes only 0.01-0.03% of the
rock (while possible, these numbers seem low to me) and 10 kg (about 20 pounds)
are used you’ll have a phosphate reservoir of a little less than 1-3 grams.
Depending on the specific solution kinetics in your tank this may inhibit stony
coral growth. This problem occurs with a lot of calcareous rocks used as base
rock.>
From watching the effects of the local sea water on the rock pools there is
always a degree of erosion and solubility (the water has a slightly milky look)
and if this was filtered out would the effect of this rock be beneficial upon
pH, calcium content etc. I have done some research into this type of limestone
and it is very porous with millions of channels holes etc all the way through it
so from the point of view of bacterial "infestation" it seems an ideal base
rock, especially as it can be obtained in a very clean non polluted form Anyway
your thoughts etc would be appreciated. Garry (in the UK).
<In my opinion and experience no rock compares to the real thing re
denitrification: live rock. Maybe if put into natural tropical water other
porous rocks like the ones you consider might develop similar characteristics,
but it will take months at least and is rather unlikely to happen in an aquarium
to the same extent it can happen in nature. If you still wish to use the chalk
be prepared to also use some phosphate adsorbing media in the future. Cheers,
Marco.>
Re: No question just thanks... Follow on
5/27/2008
Hi Marco
<Hello Garry.>
Thank you for your reply (it's nice to meet another ologist - I'm an Ecologist
). Your reply makes sense to me, however, the percentages of Calcium Carbonate
are correct (please read Ecology of the English Chalk by C.J.Smith pub: Academic
Press Inc. (American publication) pages 1-17). According to this book and
several others the composition of English Chalk is Calcium Carbonate 97.89%
<I can agree with that. The last mail spoke of 99.97-99.99, which makes a
difference with regard to phosphates.>
Magnesium Carbonate 0.75% Silica 0,65% Calcium Phosphate 0.22%
<My original calculation was for only 0.01-0.03%. So with this more exact number
10 kg (about 20 pounds) of chalk will introduce a little less than 20 g of
phosphates into the system! A concentration of only 0.3 mg/litre, which can
easily be reached with this rock and a little time, can seriously inhibit stony
coral growth.>
Iron oxides 0.14% Water (combined) 0.35% Work done by Dr N.Walsh (sorry not sure
when or where published) showed English Chalks to have a purity of between
96.77% and 99.09%. But hey I'm getting pedantic here.
<You are not being pedantic at all, these numbers are very useful and as you see
one digit here and there makes quite a difference. It’s ten times the amount of
Phosphates, that’s not pedantic.>
I agree that the only real rock suitable for Reef aquaria use is or should be
Live Rock but we pay a lot for a very little here in the UK (try fuel at over
$12 a gallon) and I guess we have to try and spread our costs whilst still
providing the absolute best conditions for whatever we keep in those little (or
not so little) glass or acrylic boxes in our homes.
<I totally agree with you here (I’m in Germany and our gasoline and live rock
prices are practically the same as in Britain. I used various types of rock as
base rock, too, but often ended with serious phosphate problems when growing
stony corals and sensitive soft corals. Those problems had to be addressed with
phosphate adsorbing media and water changes, which also cost some money and
should to be considered. For fish only tanks it does not matter too much, just
less denitrification. For coral tanks I often use "second hand live rock" from
well running systems with low phosphate concentrations as a cheap alternative
when some hobbyist is giving up due to whatever reason, it typically costs about
1/5 - 1/3 of the commercially sold rock and often has already some soft coral
growth.>
Your comments have been noted and I will pass them on. Cheers Garry.
<Happy reefing! Marco.>
Re: No question just thanks... Follow
on... Chalk as base rock III – 05/27/08
Hi Marco
<Hello Garry.>
Well, that will annoy my friend who thought he had a cheaper alternative to
second hand base rock (he has a garden full of it with a small cliff (the garden
was part of an old quarry) I will pass your comments on and await the results of
his deliberations, no doubt he will go the live rock route but I think he is
aggrieved at the cost. Personally I would pay whatever I had to get the
results I would want but this is an expensive hobby (lifestyle?!) and for some
the price can be just too much.
<I totally agree with the above.>
Can I say that if you are German by birth, your English is very very good,
<Thank you very much, I’m trying.>
and I appreciate your time and energies confirming what I knew but could not
convince my friend of. Happy Reefing to you Garry.
<Cheers, Marco.>
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