Live rock

[adam_anzivino]

Is there an article or something I can read on live rock to explain how it comes to be? The difference between cured and uncured rock and whether or not any porous rock can become live rock?
thank you,
-Adam

[Iconz]

Gimme a sec... *Digging*

[jojo22]

Heres a sneak preview of an article I am writing to be posted on the site later!!! Just because you where so direct!

Live rock is just that. It is peaces of rock that came from natural coral reefs and has been collected for use in the hobby. On and inside the rock there are thousands and possibly millions of living creatures and bacteria that will help you to keep your tank parameters at an optimum level. Live rock or LR is an essential part of any reef aquarium. While most of the things that come on LR are desirable there are on occasion nasty little hitchickers that you will want to remove from your tank. These would include mantis shrimp, some types of nudibranches, along with many others that you will learn about along the way. The other basic and very esential function that live rock serves is that it IS your filter. Water flows through the live rock which contains millions of tiny little crevices and passages that catch debris and serve as breeding grounds for you aerobic and anaerobic bacterias.
You will HAVE TO HAVE LR to have a successful reef, as a general rule of thumb 1 or 2 pounds a gallon will work. But this is a case of the more the better, as long as your fish have room to swim.

[carpenterwrasse]

I have heard that you can have too much rock any truth to this?

[RHAPALA]

HMMMM WELL MY UNDERSTANDING IS LIMITED THOUGH I HAVE READ ALOT AND WILL TRY TO EXPLAIN SOME OF IT. YES porous rock can become live rock.BUT YOU MUST WATCH WHAT YA USE EXAMPLE DO NOT USE LAVA AS STATED ELSE WHERE ON THIS WONDERFUL WEB SITE LAVA IS MELTED ROCK THERE FOR MELTED METALS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE ROCK LIKE COPPER WHICH IS A BAD THING (FROM MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING THAT IS) AND LIVE ROCK IS ROCK FROM THE OCEAN THAT HAS THOUSANDS OF CRITTERS ALGE PODS STARFISH AND WHAT EVER ELSE IF YA MIX LIVE ROCK WITH LACE ROCK (DEAD ROCK) IT WILL BE SEADED AND BECOME ALIVE. AS FOR CURED AND UNCURED AGAIN I HAVE A LIMITED UNDERSTANDING BUT I WILL SHARE WHAT I KNOW. UNCURED IS LIKE YA JUST TAKE IT OUT OF THE SEA.IT IS COVERED WITH TONS OF STUFF SPONGES ALGE GOOD AND BAD YOU CURE IT BY SCURBING IT UP IN SALT WATER (NOT FRESH FRESH WATER WILL KILL EVERYTHING OFF BAD THING TO DO) ONCE ITS DONE YA PLACE IT IN YOUR TANK AND LET IT REGROW . I HAVE A BOOK AT HOME BUT LIKE MANY KNOW WHEN I TYPE IN CAPPS I'M WORKING I'LL TAG YA LATER WITH THE NAME OF THE BOOK THAT WILL EXPLAIN IT 200% BETTER THAN I CAN BUT I HOPE WHAT LIMITED KNOW HOW I HAVE HAS HELPED

[jojo22]

I believe that you could have too much rock but I think that it would be hard to do. At that the worst I could see happening is that some of it dies but if you have that much it shouldn't hurt your tank because you would have a bio filter on steroids.

[Iconz]

Well, I can't find the article... But here's some info for you...

Live rock becomes live simply by organisims taking up residence in its pores. These organisims are de-nitrifing bacteria in almost ALL cases.

Curing live rock happens by putting the rock in saltwater with a heater and a flow source, then allowing it time for all of the dead organisims on it to decompose. Often, this is done in a plastic rubbermaid tub. This often calls for lots of sizeable water changes. 75% every 4 days to a week.

Uncured LR is rock that still has dead, un-decomposed organisims on it.

Putting uncured LR in your tank usually makes for a longer nitro. cycle. This is because the decomposing bacteria produces ammonia, which, as you probably know, is the first stage of the infamous "cycle".

Sometimes, uncured LR needs scrubbing. This is often done with a toothbrush.

Any porous rock can become live. However there are a few things to watch for...

For example, Lava Rock often times contains various metals in it due to it being melting hot lava that absorbs the metals in the ground that it comes in contact with. It cools, and the metals are in the rock.... You put that rock in your tank, and all of your inverts start dying off, and you don't know why. The odds are that the lava rock contained some copper. That copper bled into your water column, and copper kills inverts.

If you start with some "base" or dead rock, wash it THROUGHLY!!!! VERY, VERY throughly! First with tap water, then with RO water. How you ask?

Get 4 or 5 5-gallon buckets.
Each filled 3/4 of the way with water.
The first two with tap water, the last two or 3 with RO water.
Take your rock, dip it in the first bucket. Swish it around, take it out, and put it in the next bucket.
After several rocks, replace the water, especially the last 2 or 3 buckets.

You can "seed" some dead rock with some live rock. I would strongly reccommend using at least a 50:50 Live rock to dead rock. But, 70:30 or 60:40 would be even better. This is done often times because dead rock is cheaper. I really wouldn't bother using much dead rock in a nano setup.

This should get you started. Hope it helps!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

-JD

[Iconz]

Yeah, so everyone replied while i was digging for the article, and then decided to write my own, lol.

[jojo22]

Iconz just so you know the bacteria that turns ammonia to nitrate to nitrite is nitrifing bacteria. the bacteria that turns nitrate into nitrogen gases id de- nitrifing bacteria.

[adam_anzivino]

wow thanks for the plentiful info! I've had a rock in my freshwater tank for a year and it looks exactly like the LR i have in my nano except for all the little colorful tiny dots on it. Maybe sometime down the line i'll consider seeding it since it is about a 15 lb rock and the cheapest place around here sells LR for 8$ a pound... thats 120$ i can save if I seed it right... :-p