Live Rock and
What's It All About
Live rock is more than just for a reef tank. In the ocean fish live on the reef which is comprised of a basic structure of rock and corals. If you don't want a true reef aquarium, live rock provides much more than you realize for the "fish only" tank.
Bacteria for filtration - much better than bioballs
Natural foods - copepods, worms
Habitat - the more rock the more fish you can have
pH control - very important for water quality
Natural looks - Fish and other creatures know what home looks like
Basis for a biosystem - combining all of the above, your aquarium becomes a living ecosystem - not just a fish tank.
Live rock hosts a wide variety of ting creatures: worms, copepods, feather dusters, shrimp, starfish, urchins, snails, crabs and tiny corals. Different types of rock host different creatures. Some rock, like Fiji, have the most crevasses and holes and thus have the most little creatures. Marshall Island rock is more open that provides hiding places. There is no real formula to adding rock to your tank. Landscape it to your satisfaction. Build overhangs, caves, arches, slopes and piles. If you're going to have corals, remember that many corals grow on sandy bottoms so leave open sand space. Above all, you cannot have everything you want in a single tank......................See my page on substrates
Marshall Island
Very low density
Very light purple/pink coralline
Not many life forms
Super branching - great for fish and corals
Tonga
Very high density
Not much coralline
Not many life forms
Fiji - round type
High density,
Dark red corallline
Many tiny life forms
Fiji - open type
Medium density
Various colors of coralline,
Many tiny life forms
Below are photos of 5 types of rock that we carry. Each has its own characteristics and life forms. WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THESE TYPES IN STOCK.
Very light, cool shapes, some coralline
