Can I use my concrete background in a saltwater tank???

[we4wieners]

I think the background will grow and harvest some cool crap. Only problem it is 24" deep. I may have a problem supplying light to the bottom. May have to stock softies down on the botztom. I have a hamilton 175w mh pendant.

 

[FLESHY]

I think that 175w should work.

I am growing/keeping corals now for several weeks in my 125g with 150w MH's...and only two of them on the tank.

 

[Johnnybravo60025]

This is why you should only buy the pacific stuff if you are going to go the LR route...its basically made of old coral...parts of the reef that have broken off.

Like was mentioned before...hunks of dead coral look quite a bit different, but needless to say there are people in the LR business looking to make quick cash on suckers in more way than one!

Just curious, but how is having the concrete "LR" worse than having actual LR? It seems that as long as it has the BB and organisms on/in it, the effect would be the same. Also, I see it preventing people from going into the ocean, taking rock off of reefs and then shipping it out all over the world. I'm still somewhat new to the SW world, so I'm just looking to learn

 

[FLESHY]

Theres no way that it can possibly have the same kind of life. You can get bacteria just by putting it in a tank, and you will get stuff with frags and water, but the life will never be as complete as LR.

Lots of serious reefers are using dry rock, or fake rock these days because you dont need those things, and you dont risk bringing bad critters into your tank, I still like the old stuff, and recommend it.

Another thing is that the concrete is never going to be porous, and one thing about high quality LR is that it is super porous, which gives you that "filtration" that everyone is raving about with LR in sw tanks...the whole pound a gallon rule is for filtration sake.