Best Dry Live Rock of 2019

Marco Rocks Reef Saver

Most popular and lowest cost per pound

Reef Saver was a clear winner because it outsells the competition by a long shot and is the best priced rock on the market. It is a brilliant white color at first but within just a few months of being in your tank, Coralline Algae and other organisms will colonize the rock. Before long you will have very natural looking aquascape more akin to the wild collected live rock of days past but without the headaches. In fact, the biggest benefit of using Marco Rocks Reef Saver is eliminating any chance of introducing parasites, bacteria and disease or pesky hitchhikers.

Caribsea Life Rock

Best looking day one and great for unique aquascapes

Caribsea’s calcium carbonate based Life Rock is available in a few different varieties based on the formation: original, shapes, shelf, arches, caves and branch rock. This gives you the power to choose the pieces that best suit your tank while also creating a functional aquascape. The rock is colored with various shades of purple to mimic Coralline algae growth and created with natural textures that make it easy for encrusting organisms to grow and take hold. Beneficial bacteria will begin to populate the surfaces and vast internal pore structure upon submersion in saltwater because it is coated with spored bacteria to support a fast and healthy cycle of your new tank.

Real Reef Rock

Easiest to cycle and best in show

Real Reef Rock is eco-friendly and one of the best looking live rock alternatives you can get your salty hands on. It will instantly give you a very natural looking canvas to grow out corals with its varying shades of purple, red and pink that also camouflage the dreaded “brown phase”. The rock is alive when you use it because it is cured for a minimum of 12 weeks in clean saltwater before even being boxed for shipment. It is packaged in moist paper and shipped while still damp and flourishing with bacteria which quickly establishes a biological foundation in your aquarium.

Marco Rocks Reef Saver Shelf

Easiest to aquascape

Manicure the perfect garden of corals using Marco’s shelf rock. The flat shapes make it easy to create prime real estate for any type of coral and when stacked together the pieces interlock to create a structurally stable terracing style aquascape. All of the Reef Saver rock is mined from natural limestone deposited by ancient coral reefs and is 100% reef safe with no risk of pests or disease.

Marco Rocks Foundation Rock

Best for bare bottom tanks

The best thing since sliced.. rock. An ordinary rock is cut with a single slice creating a unique rock with one perfectly flat side to lay on the bottom of your tank. Using multiple foundation rocks then creates a natural set of legs for your aquascape to rest upon which opens up the underside of your rock structure for water and detritus to pass through freely. It really shines when used inside bare bottom tanks with the flat edge giving a sort of “buried rock” effect and is less of a distraction.