Discussion of the Week(s): Live Rock!!

[Geoff]

We all need it, or do we.

what kinds are there? what are your favorites? do the different types make a difference? Do we need "Live" rock?

G~

[wharyat]

We don't need "live" rock, we can start with "dead" base rock and wait a few months till it becomes live. As in the question do we need any rock at all, yes, in a reef we do, not just cool looking but it acts as filtration, and we need somewhere to anchor all our corals.

Next tank I have decided to start out with 1/2 figi base rock, half live; tonga flat and lalo.

The different types do make a difference, Marshal Island (i think) is a lot more porous than others, so you only need . 75-1 lb/gallon. Figi, on the other hand, is very dense so you need a lot more to gain the amount of surface area needed to filter the tank 1.25-2 lbs/gallon.

Right now I have the good ol' figi in my 20H; I have pieces of "live" cinderblock in my 20L, looks pretty unique.

[skeety]

While I agree with wharyat, there is one point that I GUESS could be argued.

You don't REALLY need any rock at all. Some FO tanks just have BIO-BALLS in the sump, that provide that SAME surface area that rock would.

And I think there's even SOME nano-tanks that don't have LR OR bio-balls. They just have hang on back filters.

But like ALL discussions and questions posted here, the true answer is....DEPENDS!

Depends on your bio-load mainly (occupants vs tank size), but also on what look you are going for.

My tank has 69lb's of fiji, but we recently added a nice 13# piece of Soloman (tall-spikey looking rock) to cover the overflow box. It's kind of a nice contrast, and seems to fill a gap I had, as well as cover up/take attention away from the mega-flow box.

For the true reef-replication that most people go for, LR is necessary. Or at least SOME rock...but LR gets you all the other critters that definitely add to the realizm (both asthetically, and in concern with lifecycles).

But some want a system that resembles a reef, but not compeltely. They have a little son/daughter who's really set on the scuba-diver bubble machine, wives who really like the pretty fake coral with florescent neon colors, etc. So they add SOME Live rock, and other decorations.

All depends on the look your going for. But as far as filtration, I defintiely think LR is the most efficient method, and probably the most recommended.

[skeety]

Also, one thing I HAVE been curious about is:

Each rock we buy (LR), has life on it (at some level), right?

Also, any good critter keeper should know that each critter has a natural habitat. And it can be VERY harmfull to disturb that.

Along those lines, it's not good to release a creature from ONE habitat into another habitat. Bad things can happen.

In my area, DC, for example, someone had an exotic pet fish that they didn't want anymore, and threw in the potomac river. Problem is, that fish is from asia (not sure what kind), and this is not it's natual environment. So now it's having a field day and eating all the local fish in unnatural numbers. Throwing off the whole balance in the Potomac river here.

Anyways...I sometimes wonder if maybe I'm creating a monster (even if on a microscopic level) in my tank by mixing types of LR. The introduction of certain strains of critters with other strains...

Ever think maybe we're creating completely new types of marine diseases in the process?

Just wondering if anyone else has ever thought about this?

[Cosine]

Geoff - I'm sure you'll realize but just a heads up. You forgot to sticky this thread.

[wharyat]

Agreed with skeety, everything is relative.

As long as you have the minimal amount of nitrifying bacteria needed for your tank, not sure on numbers, need to look those up, your fine. Even then with a huge, efficient skimmer you may not need much in N based ion filtration.

[mwanttie]

I too have thought about potential problems with mixing different types of LR. But that was after I already did it.... Anyway, so far I haven't noticed a problem but who really knows. My LR was already pre-cured so I didn't have much for hitchhikers to cause problems. Maybe that would be an issue with mixing habitats. But don't we do that all the time anyway. I mean, we put corals and fish from different areas of the world together in a small area and expect them to co-exist and then panic when they don't.

Personally, I enjoy the diversity from the different types of rocks. I like the plate type structure and the bright red color of the coraline on the Carribean LR and I like the different shapes and pink/purple/green colors of the Fiji LR. I was thinking of getting some Tonga Branch LR for a different shape/color mix.

Just my thoughts....

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by Cosine

Geoff - I'm sure you'll realize but just a heads up. You forgot to sticky this thread.

luckily another one of our fearless leaders fixed it.

thanks,

G~

[XxN00bxX]

I'm gonna go with the florida TBS stuff as my fav I'm about to set up my first tank with that http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/

[Casey]

Your welcome Jeff!

[VWD]

I like figi and always have. I don't go with the 1 to 2 lbs per gallon rule. I alway feel it is the rock sellers that come up with that number and I fine that the wall effect is a thing of the past. as far as mixing more then one type of rock no problem,or some dead and live rock ok to. I like going with the all liverock. so I buy rock online as LFS wants double the price.


Vince

[tims]

Now you have some very porus Live rock out there and some very very heavy stuff too.. which is better for your tank and why?


Skeety, if you dont want to mix various critters from around the world water,woudl not the best thing to do is set up a tank that is that specfic type corals , substrate, temp, the whole nine yards?

[skeety]

Originally Posted by tims

Skeety, if you dont want to mix various critters from around the world water,woudl not the best thing to do is set up a tank that is that specfic type corals , substrate, temp, the whole nine yards?

It's not that I don't want to. I actually like the contrasting rocks. Just like no one really wants a tank of all the same coral, I think the variety looks nice.

So it's not that I don't want to. It's just that I WORRY if there's side-affects we don't think about. (i.e. Mixing of species, potential evolutionary mixes, etc)

Just curious if anyone had thought about it.

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by skeety

While I agree with wharyat, there is one point that I GUESS could be argued.

You don't REALLY need any rock at all. Some FO tanks just have BIO-BALLS in the sump, that provide that SAME surface area that rock would.

And I think there's even SOME nano-tanks that don't have LR OR bio-balls. They just have hang on back filters.

But like ALL discussions and questions posted here, the true answer is....DEPENDS!

Depends on your bio-load mainly (occupants vs tank size), but also on what look you are going for.

..........

All depends on the look your going for. But as far as filtration, I defintiely think LR is the most efficient method, and probably the most recommended.

it depends is always a safe answer in this hobby.

LR is the most efficient filter we have, why? does it really matter if it is "Live Rock" or cinder blocks?

G~

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by tims

Now you have some very porus Live rock out there and some very very heavy stuff too.. which is better for your tank and why?

now lets not get to far ahead here.

what is the LR doing?

G~