LBTR / Utah Oolitic Sand:Good or Bad

I have seen the excitement from many people on this board annd from members about the usage on the LBTR and the Oolitic sand but I want to here first hand from you all what your thoughts are about using this stuff. What success and/or troubles you have seen with it!  The reason I am wondering is because of some opinions expressed by workers from various LFS. They have told me, and other people that I know not use any of it because it could be contaminated or contain ash. What do you all think?

Thanks

Justin

 

Edited by coche

My tank is 50% LBTR.  You really have to know what you are looking for in order to tell the difference between it and the live rock I got from the LFS.  I really like it.

I haven't used the oolitic sand but I wished that I knew about it before I bought the the expensive live sand.

Greatest thing about LBTR and oolitic sand is that it is free, which means you can spend the savings on the fun stuff (coral!!) and you can get a nice selection of pieces to aquascape your tank with (the stuff breaks easily to make just about any shape).  

 

Mark said it all. I use 90% both sand and rock with great results. Mark was the pioneer on where and how to find and utilize this rescource by posting his findings on this message board. You cannot tell the difference today from purchased or found sand or rock. Actually I have found rock that in my eyes is better then what I have purchased. What I mean by that , it is very pourus and to me adds to the bio filtration in my tanks. Let me add, seed your beds and rock from fellow members or LFS for a great looking and fully functioning bio filter using oolitic sand and utah rock. If you do it as Mark said you will not have any problems. All my future tanks will be set up this way, and I have confidence it the method. We are blessed here in Utah to have a piece of the ocean thousands of years old landlocked in the middle of the U.S.A.     

Hi Justin,

I use both the Utah rock and the oolitic sand in my 75 gal. setup. I have not had any problems and no (you heard it right), no hair algae or any other problems that I have heard other people talk about. In fact, the Utah rock has more corline (sp) algae on it now and looks better than the rest of the so-called "live rock" I payed big bucks for in the local reef stores!

I think the key is cleaning the rock well. I took the Utah rock to the car wash and blasted it 2 different times with just clean (not recylcled) water. The oolitic sand was screened before I washed it to get out the dirt clods, rocks, wood, etc. Then it was washed real well. When I added it to my tank I also put it some small gravel from the pet store as well as some live sand from several other tanks. No problems 1 year later!

My tank is filled with a variety of inverts, soft and hard coral, as well as a few fish. Everyone is happy and growing fast. No outbreakes of disease, diatoms, algae, high phosphate readings, or unexpected fish/coral/invert deaths either.

Certainally use caution in all you do, and it does not matter if it is advise from the local pet store or if you are trying something new on your own like using oolitic sand. However I have not had any problems with the Utah sand or rock.

Jody

All the rock in my 55G is LBTR, it has all turned a nice shade of purple in the last year. Corraline covered it much quicker than I recall the 'real' live rock in my other tank. My sand is 90% oolitic. I have had no problems that I can attribute to the use of either. When setting up my next tank I will definitely use both again.

Question: If LBTR can be contaminated, can't we say the same about other live rock. Can these LFS employees guarantee that live rock purchased from them be completely free from contaminates, or detrimental hitchhikers? I doubt it, considering the amount of waste that is pumped into our oceans.

Holdencraft 33 wrote: The nice thing about Utah rock other than its free is the fact that there are no mantis shrimp or rock crabs on it.

You said it!  Both times I have set up my tank I have had such problems with the "live rock". First time it was a mantis shrimp, the 2nd time it was rock crabs. By the way....Other than a few bacteria I think the only live things on the rock I bought at the store was the shrimp or the rock crabs!

Although I don't have anything new to add, for the record I am one more
person who has used it with no problems. My tank has been up for a year
and a half with 100% Utah sand, and 90% Utah rock. My rock was covered in
coraline within 6-8 months, and looks much better than many tanks I've
seen with live rock. I'd recommend it to anyone.

jfinch wrote: Am I the only person who prefers live rock? Cost is the only reason I would use LBTR.

Now that my LBTR has been in my tank for a couple years I like it better than the Fiji live rock I've got.  The live rock was "better" for about a year.  Also, I've got many of the really early pieces that were collected. Most of the stuff I see now isn't any where near as good as the old stuff.  Has any one found a better collection site yet?

jfinch wrote: Am I the only person who prefers live rock? Cost is the only reason I would use LBTR.

I agree.

Adam

Wow, I guess that nobody uses live rock anymore, I collected some LBTR almost 10 years ago only to throw it out because I could not find any info on it, Now everyone uses it. I THINK that live rock is better than LBTR, I mean from a simple point of view it was grown in the ocean how can it not be better for our "mini oceans"? than rock we get from the desert? if you cure it right and examine it before it goes in your tank you won't have a problem with it, I mean really if both were free what would you use?

Jon, where is the results from that chemical tests you ran on the sand I gave you? I remember that the utah oolitic had considerabley less calciums etc, in it. Not to say that oolitic is bad but is it the best?

This is my point of view....Would I use utah rock? Sure if I needed to stock a tank with more rock than I could afford in live rock...but I sure would put in some live rock to get all the stuff that has been growing on it for the past 10,000 years.