Limestone In A Reef Aquarium

[Panzer2C]

I am about to set up a new reef tank. I live in Florida and have discovered limestone rock is plentiful and cheap. I would like to use the limestone rocks available from my local bulk landscape materials supplier to build the reef in my aquarium. Does anyone have any experience with using limestone to build their reef? I would like to know what I should do to the rock to prepare it for use in my reef tank.

My plan is to use the limestone for most of the reef and to supplement it/top it off with live rock from an existing tank and from my local aquarium shop.

Thanks for any advice you have.

 

[TriggerThis]

Is live rock or base rock that expensive in Florida???
And if limestone is the only option that's affordable for your rock, I'm scared to ask what you're gonna use for your equipment...
These tanks are extremely expensive to setup and maintain. If your already trying to cut corners, you're setting yourself up for failure. Unfortunately there are no short cuts in this hobby.

Back to the question:
I've never seen it used in a saltwater tank before, I don't think it would look good, it would be too smooth and the rock on top would slide off I would imagine and I would be afraid of what it would leech out into the tank and how it would affect the chemistry of the water.
Also what size tank are we talking about?

 

[Papadovak]

I've got a few pieces in mine. I haven't seen any I'll effects yet. My lfs sells it and told me it works as a ph buffer. But Idk about ONLY using limestone...

 

[Velodog2]

Whao trigger! Lol. That was kinda harsh yeah? Maybe he is being Eco-friendly. Anyway limestone is calcium carbonate in different forms, primarily aragonite just like you would put in a calcium reactor. It is sedimentary and is formed from the skeletons of sea life and corals. In other words it is basically the same stuff we all have in our tanks.

I suppose there could be contamination of some sort but it's a small risk. Be sure it is clean.

 

[Panzer2C]

Thanks for the info. When I first got into this hobby with fish-only tanks crushed limestone and crushed shell were the 2 bedding materials most often used because they provided a pH buffering effect and they are white. The large (2-5 lb) rocks I saw at the landscape supply place have visible shells embedded in the rocks and after looking up limestone I found pretty much the same description as provided by Velodog2; ...calcium carbonate...formed from the skeletons of sea life and corals. Therefore a more natural rock than what I have now.

I was just wondering how many reefs out there have used it and if there were any tips I could pick up.

 

[TriggerThis]

No malice intended, just wanted to make sure they weren't going down a slippery slope of cutting corners.

The limestone as long as it's clean will work in a tank, but the purpose of the live rock is to house bacteria and organisms in all it's never ending holes, tunnels and crevices.
The limestone will have virtually none of these, thus defeating the purpose of rock in the tank.

 

[Velodog2]

No problem I partly just wanted to say "whoa Trigger" lol. That's a really good point about the limestone lacking the pore structure of real reef rock tho.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

Also with limestone you never know if there may be some contaminants.

 

[oceanhealing4us]

I live on a lime stone lake!!! Its one big dead sea here their are all sorta of crazy holes in our lime stone just like my fugi live rock looks just the same when im walkin on the cliffs their even purple in some spots!!!! I got lots of lake rocks sittin around and I see them sometime and like what the heck how did u get out the tank!! Keep in mind tho it changes some of it has more marble and has no holes. But im not a scientist hahaha

 

[oceanhealing4us]

Just went and some some to show everyone it still has color from bein alive I belive.. but if their is a geologists here id love to find out for sure

 

[AlexStinson]

The problem with limestone would definitely be the porosity. As base stone it would be, in most circumstances, fine but I would worry, however, about it potentially adding silica or iron to the tank. Those are just two off the top of my head. Rock like that it popular in cichlid tanks iirc. Fwiw I have a BS in geology, but I won't come here and say that makes me an expert, as it surely doesn't! I would look up laws for collecting your own rock, you may be able to collect it off of the beach if there is nothing alive on it.

 

[PatW]

Any limestone you get in FL is likely to be old coral reef. There are a number of venders in FL who go out, take rock out of a quarry, clean it up and sell it as dry rock. Marco Rocks is probably the best known of these venders.

You can probably do fine using landscape rock. I would advise extensively cleaning it and curing it to eliminate possible contaminants. Acid washing the rock would be a good idea also.

 

[Willie Phillips]

Is live rock or base rock that expensive in Florida???
And if limestone is the only option that's affordable for your rock, I'm scared to ask what you're gonna use for your equipment...
These tanks are extremely expensive to setup and maintain. If your already trying to cut corners, you're setting yourself up for failure. Unfortunately there are no short cuts in this hobby.

Back to the question:
I've never seen it used in a saltwater tank before, I don't think it would look good, it would be too smooth and the rock on top would slide off I would imagine and I would be afraid of what it would leech out into the tank and how it would affect the chemistry of the water.
Also what size tank are we talking about?

I have used limestone in SALTWATER aquarium back in the 70s when it was used. I had no problems. IT WAS ON TOP OF THE UNDERGEAVEL FILTERS THEN THEIR WAS CRHUSHED CORAL ON TO OF THE LIMESTONE. I have some in my sump now it helps MY PH.8.2.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have used limestone in SALTWATER aquarium back in the 70s when it was used. I had no problems. IT WAS ON TOP OF THE UNDERGEAVEL FILTERS THEN THEIR WAS CRHUSHED CORAL ON TO OF THE LIMESTONE. I have some in my sump now it helps MY PH.8.2.

Welcome to reef2Reef!

FWIW, limestone won't help the pH until it drops well down into the 7's. Aragonite and calcite do not dissolve in normal seawater at pH 7.9.