carlos413

Ok so I am finally getting my 55 gallon tank next. My question is can I use 20 lbs of live rock and some decorative rock from my LFS? I would do all live rock but the cost of $8 a lbs is a bit high for me. I know I can get it for less online. I read somewere that alot of the rock will die off causeing the foul dead smell in the hause. I have a newborn child and my wife is such a neet freak that she would not tolarete the smell. It took me 3 months of begging just to get her to agree to me getting the tank. If I buy the rock localy, lfs is only 5 min away, will I save more live organisems in the rock to privent the smell.

harpua2002

Uncured live rock doesn't really smell once you get it in the tank. It's just when you take it out of the box. You can mix LR with base rock and the base will become live in time. Many LFS's have rock that is labeled base rock. It should be very porous and not too dense- this will allow for maximum surface area for beneficial bacteria and other organisms. And yes, if you get cured live rock locally, there will be much less die-off than if you have it shipped. However, you'll save money ordering online and curing the rock in your tank will cycle it.

sirdarksol

Yes, you can use regular rock (presuming it is safe for the aquarium, which it should be if it's from your aquarium store) and live rock together. With time, the organisms in the live rock will spread to the rest.
You will be starting out with less biological filtration, so keep a close eye on your parameters and be patient when stocking the tank.