# Go big or go home!



## Kimbersmama (Mar 29, 2014)

*How long until base rock becomes live?*

Ok, not really. I'm tinkering with the idea of turning this tank I just bought into a saltwater aquarium. I have ZERO experience with saltwater. The tank was set up as a sw tank previously. A friend of mine (who is relatively new to SW) suggested I buy 200lbs of dry rock and 20lbs of live. (220 gal) which my wallet loves, but how long would it take for the dry rock to become living? I'm researching saltwater like crazy right now because the tank is being restored. If it wasn't, it'd probably be filled with freshwater. I would rather have a saltwater though...


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Dry rock becoming live rock does not mean it has corals or other marine growth.It merely implies it is biologically active .So I would guess that the dry rock would become live rock within 2 months.That is assuming that the tank is safely cycled and some how fed whatever it needs.
You would be all good setting up saltwater with the rocks as you plan.You just need to be patient.FW tanks can be "stabilised" in a month or so,but for some of the more "delicate" species in marine(say an anenome) the tank needs to be running well(very stable and consistent) for 6-12 months.
Keeping salt water fish is as easy as fw fish.The corals and inverts have a higher demand(RO water,stable,stable stable conditions).
Cycling is as important as always,and disease issues can be 100 times worse!Ich in marine tanks can last 12 months and kill all quicker than you make the money to buy them(ask me how I know!?).
But don't be afraid of salt setups if you can afford it.Nothing about big tanks is cheap(except maybe the tank),but once running and cycled keeping fish is not that hard.The full blown reef is another story and can be great,or an expensive education(or realising the lack of).


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