The Proper Selection of Live Rock for a Marine Aquarium

Yes, their are many key ingredients to creating and maintaining a beautiful, thriving and enjoyable marine aquarium. Live rock is one of these main ingredients that can be as important as the spices that you add to create that an exotic meal or the garnish used to put the finishing touches on the dessert. With the addition of live rock comes a pertinent decision to make and some informational tidbits that could save you money as well as increase not only the surface area of the biological filtration provided by your tank but also the endemic life forms that may be present.

OK, the decision is the first step and that is whether to purchase "uncured" or "cured" live rock for the tank! For those of you that do not know the difference uncured rock is simply rock that has arrived from place of origin without proper time for dead and decaying animals to be removed from the rock before purchase. Cured rock is rock that has had the time to settle and cure in a designated tank so as the dead and decaying matter has had the chance to fall off the rock for the most part to reduce the chances of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates becoming eminent. Though the uncured rock is normally less expensive, the price paid could counteract this in the long run so care needs to be given to this part of the equation before deciding whether to go with cured or uncured rock.

Live rock comes from all over the world in sub tropical regions. Far away locales such as Tonga, Fiji, Marshall Islands and French Polynesia to the Caribbean and Florida contribute to the live rock we can purchase as marine aquarists. Having said this however, I must add that much of the rock is illegal to take from surrounding waters where this rock may be found. Legal and protective laws have been placed in effect in efforts of aiding in the conservative efforts outlined and expressed by local governments and agencies. Throughout these areas it is illegal to collect or remove many, if not all, corals, rock, sand or any other lifeforms that are deemed endemic of these regions such as state parks and other protected reefs and waters. Because of this companies such as Walt Smith Enterprises have instilled an underwater aquacultural facility...a.k.a. Underwater FARMING to combat the rules and regulations in much of the sub tropical areas where much of our livestock hails from for the marine aquarium hobby. It is now common for man made rock and fragmented corals to be harvested on tracts of loaned space in lagoons and other neighboring reef locales so that the natural diversity and delicate nature of the natural reefs is not harmed in any way through careless harvesting and collection techniques or over harvesting. Cyanide, dynamite, destruction of corals and rock that provide homes to the plethora of life within a reef biotope are now being protected and monitored as well as these damaging and careless techniques being outlawed once and for all.

For the most part this rock is a collection of various species of coral that have been broken down and damaged through mother nature's powerful force in the form of waves, monsoons, earthquakes and hurricanes. Through time, these fragments of so called "rock" have had the opportunity to season and seed themselves with various forms of life. Bacteria, micro crustaceans, polychaete worms, small corals and algae represent just a few of the living animals that can be found on and in the rock itself. Thorough inspection and care, need to be addressed in the live rock selection! Failure to perform this could cause a spiraling effect to occur in your main tank in a short period of time. Unwanted and potential dangerous hitch hikers such as Mantis shrimp, Bristle worms, carnivorous crabs plus snails such as the Sundial, Cone and Whelk need to be carefully removed before adding the rock to your tank. Failure to take this necessary precaution could lead to the death of not only fish life but, beneficial sessile invertebrates and corals.

Live rock can be characterized as porous or non porous. Porous rock is ideal rock, in my opinion. The reasons for this are quite simple, actually. Porous rock provides more surface area for a greater amount of bacteria and other life forms to populate and thrive upon. This porous rock, often times, is less expensive as most rock is sold as a per pound quantity. Tonga rock is a good representation of this form of rock. On the other side of the spectrum is the heavier rock such as much of the rock that hails from the Caribbean, Florida and Fiji. This rock, often times, contains a greater diversity of life though the weight of the rock normally is associated with a larger price tag. It makes sense to try and collect pieces from each location since their is a great amount of diversity and fact that much of the living masses that congregate on the rock from these various areas contain life that is endemic to that specific location. To have this unique and diverse population of life residing within your tank, can provide many added benefits that far exceed that of the main reason for having live rock in the first place...and that being as a biological filter. Being able to view and explore the diversity of life that exists on rock from far away regions of the world is not only entertaining and pertinent to your overall tanks symmetry, but it can also provide enjoyment and fascination as well as you learn and are able to see first hand, the plethora of life that exists in other parts of the reefs of the world...