What is Live Rock?
Live rock is a rock that has its origin in the oceans or seas and is introduced into freshwater aquariums. In an aquarium, along with Live sand, the live rock constitutes the artificially constructed a small scale marine ecosystem providing various benefits to the aquarium organisms. Live rock is disintegrated pieces of old coral reefs that may have broken down as a result of some storm or wave action. These disintegrated pieces are then washed into shallower water, where they were naturally inhabited by marine organisms such as invertebrates, corals, sponges, and millions of nanoscale nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Is Live Rock Dead or Alive?
The fish hobbyists ask the question that the live rock they place in their aquariums is alive as the name implies? So, the live rock itself is not alive, but it is made from the crystalline calcium carbonate skeletons of dead corals or other calcium-enriched aquatic organisms. The live rocks have many micros and macro scaled marine organisms that live onto or inside the live rocks, so the name implies alive. When taken from the ocean and introduced into the artificial mini-oceans; the aquariums, the live rock become a habitat of so many water organisms like fishes that live on and inside of the rock, which acts as an ideal habitat, giving it the name live rock.
Where Does Live Rock Come From?
Live rock is found anywhere in the vast ocean life where natural reefs occur. You will experience different characteristics in the live rock that you gather from various areas or places. They vary in form, density, porosity, as well as the type of organisms that inhabitant them. However, all live rock perform important beneficiary functions to the aquatic or marine environment; they serve the functions of providing supplemental biological filtration, increased biological heterogeneity, structure, and asylum to micro and macro level organisms.
Cure Live Rock Before Implementing in the Aquarium
Before implanting the live rock into your aquarium, it is very obligatory to cure and purify it. While in the ocean, many micro and macro scale organisms inhabit the Live rock, thus leading to various remains, debris, toxins and pollutants, and other wastes. So without proper curing and purifying, live rock can result in the addition of pollutants and toxic compounds such as ammonia into your aquariums. The matter can infect your fishes and disrupt your entire aquarium system.
Importance of Live Rock in the Aquarium
The presence of live rock in your aquariums not only provides serenity in the aquarium but also offers various benefits:
As the Biological Filtration for Your Aquarium:
Aquariums are closed systems, trying its best to provide the environment of marine and ocean life to its inhabitants. Live Rock eases how the food is broken down and exited out of the tank. Thus it manages the entire filtration process taking place in your aquarium. For maintaining the health, durability, and endurance of your aquarium inhabitants, timely biological filtration must be done. You may ask how in this world simply a rock can do the biological filtration. But actually, it happens. The process of breaking down the food from the time it is entered to the till it exists accounts for several steps and is part of the nitrogen cycle that is always occurring inside your aquarium as it occurs in any marine or ocean life.
Additional Steps
- In the very first step, the uneaten food residues and other fish waste are engulfed by various small filter eaters and cleanup crews like emerald crabs, spaghetti worms, and other invertebrates that live on and within the Live Rock. With the disintegration of the waste material, it is then converted to ammonia, nitrite, and phosphate. The conversion of these toxic chemicals into less harmful products such as nitrate is all that is done by the marvelous Live rock.
- In the second step, the different algae and nitrogen-fixing bacteria absorb the entire nitrate accumulated in the aquarium by both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
- In the third and last step, most of the nitrates are transformed into another form i.e., nitrogen gas, and then they escape the aquarium through gas exchange. It mostly happened at the surface of the aquarium.
In terms of filtration, no artificial powered aquarium filters can surpass the Live Rock as the former doesn’t contain any anaerobic bacteria for waste conversion. The reason behind this marvel is that the anaerobic bacteria species only vest in the oxygen-deficient places, where the amount of oxygen is not that much like it is inside the Live Rock and other sand beds. Hence, Live rock performs the obligatory roles of biological nitrification and biological filtration in your aquariums. Not only do they perform these biological and ecological roles, but they also impart beauty and enchantress to your aquariums.
Coralline Algae and the Role on Live Rock:
Coralline Algae is red algae in the order Corallinales. It is an encrusting algae.
- It acts as the cement material, which helps in binding the reef materials into a sturdy structure.
- It’s unique features make it surpass other nuisance algae like hair algae, green algae, diatoms, and matt algae in a normal reef environment with proper water chemistry.
- Due to its eye-catching looks, it usually gives coloring to your aquarium and adds beauty to the aquariums.
Types of Live Rock Available
There are many various types of well enriched live rock available in the market for your aquarium;
It is the most common type of live rock available in the market. It is highly porous and light in weight. All Fiji live rock requires curing before use. They come in different shapes, sizes, and pore sizes.
- Tonga Branch Live Rock:
This type of live rock is usually very dense which reduces the variety of life that can live within it. They come in interesting shapes and good for incorporating vertically in the aquarium.
This is another type of Live rock that has its close affiliation with the Fiji Live Rock. It is highly porous and light in weight. It comes in captivating shapes and usually available in larger pieces. They discharge out the surplus amount of phosphates back into the tank. This trait makes it stand different from the rest of others. The only slight disadvantage of this Live rock is that its purification may take up to 6 months usually.
This type of Live rock is regarded as the most environment-friendly Live rock when it comes to aquariums. This type of Live Rock generally comes in all possible shapes, sizes, pore sizes, and densities.
Introduction of Life and Diversity
As the Live Rock is the inhabitants of the variety of various micro and macro scale organisms that live onto them or inside them, so by incorporating these Live Rock into the aquariums, we get a chance of introducing a vast diversity of species into a closed ecosystem like the aquarium.
The various micro and macro scale organisms residing onto and inside the Live Rock include; Coralline algae, beneficial bacteria, filter feeders, pods, corals, and other small invertebrates. All micro and macro scale organisms are inculcated into an aquarium through Live Rock accord to the overall water quality of the aquarium, thus improving the quality and standard of water of the aquarium.
Live Rock: An Ideal Habitat for Your Fish
Live Rock serves the work of an abode and habitat to all the aquarium life that you have placed. The live rock does marvels by providing protection, shade, food, and even acts as a nursery to your aquarium life. Live Rock acts as a foundation on which all your corals will grow, and plenty of holes for your frag plugs to fit nicely in an aquarium. In absence of proper habitat in your aquarium, your fish will be more stressed and vulnerable to diseases. The prime aim of the live rock is to provide an ideal alternative of the natural marines and oceans to the aquarium life.
Steps to Follow While Introducing Live Rock to Your Aquarium
While implanting the live rock into your aquarium, you may need to follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Carefully examine the rock and remove any prominent dead organisms or waste material if present onto or in the rock.
- Before introducing Live Rock into the aquarium, do mark the position in your aquarium where you want it to be placed in the final setup. You may need the aquarium putty to secure the position of live rock if required.
- Adjust your protein skimmer to produce a wet skim. The specifics on how to adjust it will vary depending on your exact model of the skimmer. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- To conduct the test for the water regulation daily for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You should see ammonia piercing first, then the nitrite. Then the factor will drop. It’s necessary to conduct the pH and calcium levels if the optimum range of ammonia and nitrite is constant for several days. The optimum range of pH is between 8.2 and 8.4. The concentration of the calcium element in the aquarium water must be in the range of 380 to 450 mg per liter.
- You need to change the water of your aquarium by 50 percent if the level of the ammonia and nitrite hits zero. Now that the rock is cured, you may add fish and invertebrates.
