Pure Limestone in a reef: Good or Bad?

[Kregg]

Perhaps even topical with your new article...... Limewater....Limestone... Your article said that is was not water soluable, so it could not hurt... right?

I have some nice Texas Holey Rock that I would like to use un my reef system. I have plenty of LR and BR so I do not need it for bacteria. I like the looks of it and it will serve my BB starboard purposes very well.

My question is LIMESTONE good or bad in a reef tank? I have read that it helps boost PH and also read about it being a naturam calcium buffer in real reef environments.

What do you think?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/77182HolyRock1-med.jpg

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There are lots of different limestones of different purity, but I'd say that if it is white, as that appears to be, and has not been soaking in contaminated water (like a fish tank using copper), it is likely fine to use it. :)

However, I do not believe that it will help pH, alkalinity, or calcium, in a marine environement. It just won't dissolve much. Think of it as more live rock or sand.

[Kregg]

Your comments are much apreciated. I just wanted to make sure before I re aranged my aquascape this evening. Sorry about the double post.

Happy New Year

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck with it! :)

[Skipper]

Glad to hear this. I've been using that rock for years now. :D

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Glad to hear this. I've been using that rock for years now.

Thanks, Skipper. I'm glad too. I'd hate to have to tell you that you've been unsuccessful with your reef. :D

Hey, by the way, have you noticed it get more porous or roughed up on the surface, or change in other ways?

[Skipper]

No, but what I've noticed is that it takes much longer for coralline to grow on it compared to other rocks in the tank.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Huh. I wonder why that is.

For that matter, I wonder why plastic gets covered faster than glass, at least IME.

[ScooterGuitar]

Gonna jump in here if you don't mind. I too want to use some of the above metioend rock, but what I need to know is...
I was at LFS, they had rock they were actually throwing out, no idea why. I am pretty sure it is the Caribsea reefbones type rock,a t leats it looks like it, or another type of dead LR. Anyway, I noticed on thsi thread "contaminated water, tank w/copper". I personlly have no idea if it was! I washed it very good, soaked in freshwater for 2 days, scrubbed, rinsed again, etc. Now most of it is in my tank. There was soem of the light green type algae on it that I could not crub off btw.
So, how would I know if it had been in a medicated tank, without being able to speak to LFS (out of business). Can just runa copper test on my tank, take it out ans soak, then copepr test? HELP! I am suepr scared now.
Thanks!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally wouldn't use rock that was in a tank that may well ahve run continuous high copper levels. After the fact, there is no easy way to tell if it is contaminated.

If you did choose to use it, I'd put it in muriatic acid (diluted) or undilted vinegar for a while (bubbling for an hour?) to dissolve off the outer later of rock and hopefully take any precipitated copper along with it.

If already in your tank: you can't really test low enough with a copper kit, but perhaps running extra carbon and/or a polyfilter is a worthwhile activity. :)

[Justjoe]

Hello,
I have 30,000 pounds of Holey Boulder as base rock in the my reef tank from so it better be ok!!:

http://www.edenstone.net

Specifically I used their weathered holey boulder:

http://www.edenstone.net/stonemenu.asp?seg=&cid=1&scid=101

It is very dense, about 150 pounds/ cubic foot. I went with it for the cost, lack of porosity (minimize detritus accumulation) and its rock that won't degrade/collapse over time.
I ordered a tractor trailer of it, all different specific sizes including some that took 6 of us to move, and we could just barely move them.
Its ancient rock, so when people ask how old is the reef tank, well parts of it are 300 million years old.

Your Texas rock is more ornamental and very nice.
Joe

[ScooterGuitar]

Thanks Randy, I already run carbon and Polytiler (newer tank, always do for awhile), so that eases my mind! Iw as sweating bullets last night when I read this thread...Almost tore my tank apart!

[Kregg]

Great responces! I guess I might not have said that if you told me I needed to break down my just assembled tank and remove the rock! I will not be using quite 30,000 pounds, but thaks for the comfort factor. The lack of ditrus collection in the dense rock is a great plus since I'm going very high flow (30x capasity per hour) to keep the ditrus in suspension for my monster skimmer to remove it. This bare bottom system will be mainly for SPS.

Thx!

BTW: The new aquascaping looks great with the Texas Holey Rock mixed in.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You guys are welcome. :)

Good luck!