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Setting up a new 75-gallon reef tank and debating between live rock and dry rock. Heard live rock can introduce pests but has beneficial bacteria. Dry rock seems safer but might take longer to cycle. What's your experience with both for coral growth?

I've used dry rock in my 40-gallon and it took forever to cycle, like 8 weeks. But no pests, which was a plus. My Zoanthids finally started spreading after 3 months. Live rock might've sped things up, but I didn't wanna risk hitchhikers.

Kolada wrote: ↑Sun May 11, 2025 3:53 pm I've used dry rock in my 40-gallon and it took forever to cycle, like 8 weeks. But no pests, which was a plus. My Zoanthids finally started spreading after 3 months. Live rock might've sped things up, but I didn't wanna risk hitchhikers.

Yep, dry rock's a slow burn. I dumped in some bottled bacteria and ghost-fed for a month. Now my Acros are thriving. Live rock's sketchy unless it's from a trusted source. Ever dealt with flatworms? Nope, thanks.

My LFS sells 'pest-free' live rock cured in-house. Grabbed some for my 60-gallon and my Duncan's doubled in size in 2 months. Tank cycled in 2 weeks. Maybe try a mix? Start with dry, then add a piece of live to seed it.

Live rock's a gamble. Got some from a buddy's tank and ended up with bubble algae. Took months to cut it out. Dry rock's boring but predictable. My Torches didn't care either way once the water stabilized. What's your lighting setup, brazier?

Thanks for the input, everyone. Leaning toward dry rock with bottled bacteria now. Appreciate the real-world experiences.

brazier wrote: ↑Sun May 11, 2025 9:44 pm Thanks for the input, everyone. Leaning toward dry rock with bottled bacteria now. Appreciate the real-world experiences.

Smart move. Just keep testing ammonia and nitrite daily. My cycle stalled at week 6, then boom, overnight it was done. Patience pays off.

If you're gonna ghost-feed, use a pinch of flake every other day. Overdid it once and my nitrates spiked to 50. Had to do a 50% water change. Not fun. What salt mix you running?

I swear by Red Sea Coral Pro for my mixed reef. Alk stays steady at 8.5 dKH. Dry rock's cheap, so splurge on good salt and lights. My Radions are set at 60% intensity for 8 hours. Corals dig it.

forestlyn wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 1:37 am I swear by Red Sea Coral Pro for my mixed reef. Alk stays steady at 8.5 dKH. Dry rock's cheap, so splurge on good salt and lights. My Radions are set at 60% intensity for 8 hours. Corals dig it.

Same salt here. Consistency's key. My montis started encrusting after I dialed in the alk. Started with dry rock 2 years ago, now the tank's packed. Just gotta chill through the ugly phase.