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Live RockThe many forms of micro and macroscopic marine life that live on and inside of the rock, and which acts as an ideal habitat, give it the name "live rock." Bleached coral skeletons, which can be inhabited by micro- and macro-organisms to form live rock. For the aquarium trade this rock is highly valued not only for the diversity of life it can bring to the closed marine environment, but its function as a superior biological filter that hosts both aerobic and anaerobic nitrifying bacteria required for the nitrogen cycle that processes waste . To better understand what purpose live rock serves in an aquarium, remember that the use of live rock immediately introduces into the aquarium numerous algae, bacteria and small invertebrates all of which contribute to the overall quality of the aquarium water. Live rock and live sand are full of beneficial organisms that add biodiversity to your aquarium, provide a food source for certain species, and help clarify your water. Lastly, live rock, especially when encrusted with multiple colors of coralline algae, becomes a major decorative element of the aquarium and provides shelter for the inhabitants. Live rock is harvested for use in the aquarium trade from collections in the wild near reefs , where parts may become detached from the main body of coral by storms. With the growth of the saltwater aquarium hobby, live rock farms, acres of ocean floor seeded with tons of rock are becoming a viable business and a reliable source of live rock. It is very important to have the correct amount of live rock. The correct amount of live rock to have in a reef tank is between a minimum of 1 pound per gallon and a maximum of 1.75 pounds per gallon. Do not exceed 1.75, unless you want to turn some quality live rock into base rock, which would take at least a year to recover and resemble what it was before other rock was stacked on top of it. If you dont have enough live rock, natural internal filtration will be ineffective, because the bacterial colony on the rock will be inadequate to perform the task. Beginning a reef tank using seeded base live rock as the center stones of the aquarium is not a bad idea. Live rock can also be seeded by adding base rock to an active reef aquarium that already has live rock. This is rock that is devoid of external life that probably won't see much light, so you can put other forms of more advanced live rock and corals on top of it to build your reef system base, once your tank has settled and the base rock is seeded or cured. Once the base rock is established, then you can begin to add, slowly, more advanced types of live rock. The different live names refer to the island location where it is collected from, and the type of rock. Two popular types of live rock for finishing off a nice reef tank are branch rock and shelf rock. Florida Keys base rock , noted for its lacey appearance and mass quantities of holes and crevices increases its ability to host beneficial surface area nitrifying bacteria, due to their pure calcium carbonate properties with a ph of 8.5 (Fiji 8.0). Stumble It! • Submit To Netscape • del.icio.us • Y! MyWeb |
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