Will Live Rock Colinize Dead Coral?

Question

Im buying some live rock and am wondering if it would colinize, or move to a large piece of dead coral I have in my tank.

Would colinies form on coral substrate/ gravel in the bottom of the aquarium? I have a Reverse Undergravel filter if that makes a difference regarding how the liverock critters will live.

Thank you

Thanks for the answers. Im getting some fiji live rock with purple and pink alge. I was mostly courious about if the purple and pink would move over to my dead coral. The dead coral is a piece I purchased for a saltwater aquarium. It's the white bleached color coral you can get from your local petstore. Size is about 6in by 6in with the open pores. Im using multiple filters on this aquarium. A standard hang on the back box filter. Protien skimmer. Underground filter with reverse flow powerheads wich include the ventri air / oxygen mixer and water agitator. Im hopeing the rock I get will not have very many bad hitchikers.

The closest saltwater petstore near me is Petco so im taking my chances and haveing the liverock shipped to me from Florida. Should take 3 days and ive only read good things about them.

Thanks again

Answer 1

Yes it will - especially bacteria and coralline algae. I often advise people who want to do saltwater on a budget to buy dry base rock (around $1.50/lb) and use it in the bottom and back of the tank, putting quality live rock ($6-8) in front and on top.

Other answerers here are correct in that the "live" part of live rock refers to bacteria. But you'll probably find other organisms on it as well. I personally like Atlantic or Carribean aquacultured rock - it's had sponges, corals, macroalgae, bivalves, shrimp, snails, urchins, seastars, featherworms, coralline algae, and others. The bacteria will spread to the cheap rock and the others will spread as their lighting and water movement permits. In six months to a year, you won't be able to tell the difference between the expensive stuff and the cheap stuff.

In my experience, not much will actually grow on the substrate - your tank inhabitants will cause too much disturbance by sifting, mouthing, or burrowing. You may get some bristle worms that take up residence, or an anemone that will bury it's base. I've had some pulsing Xenia try and grow on some larger substrate, but not well.

I'm not really a fan of under gravel filters in marine tanks, although I use them in larger freshwater tanks. If you're using one, reverse-flow would be the way to go to keep dead areas from forming under the filter plate. I think you might find this a problem when you add the substrate - the dust from the coral or shell will be blown up into the tank (and you'll have dust no matter how well you wash the gravel - calcium carbonate is soft so any amount of movement, like pouring it out of a bag, is going to create more dust).

Answer 2

Yes it will. The coralline from the dead rock will cover dead corals. The bacteria will spread through your substrate, the rocks, and some in your water column. I've never used an undergravel filter in saltwater because of the junk that can build up under the filter plate and mess up your water quality. I've never used a reverse flow at all but would think if you keep it cleaned out enough it would be ok, maybe. I wouldn't recommend anyone use an undergravel in a saltwater aquarium but I know people who do and make them work.

Answer 3

Live rock suggests that there are living creatures in some form in the rock. Depending upon what kind of dead coral you have, it might some day be colonized. But nobody is coming in from the ocean. :)

Answer 4

If you're planning on buying live rock, anything dry (dead) in your aquarium has a chance to bloom or grow. The term "live" simply means there are beneficial bacteria living and growing on it.

I guess I don't know what you're asking. You say colonize, but what exactly are you colonizing? Are these corals you're trying to reproduce? Then they will do that on their own if you already have some on previous live rock. Please add more info and I wold love to help you out.

Answer 5

The term "live rock" means that there are a myriad of tiny creatures living in all of the nooks and crannys of the rock, it does not mean that the rock itself is alive.

Yes, the small creatures will eventually move into the dead coral also. As they breed and multiply, they will spread out into the tank and colonize other areas. Some will even burrow into the sand and then you will have "live sand." Yes, you can buy live sand also.