I have heard lots of people talking about them, but i have no idea what they are! are they saltwater or freshwater? where could I get one? what is the point of having one and how is a rock alive??????????
2007-11-27 12:46:18 · 5 answers · asked by somebody 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
What you hear people talking about is for saltwater, but you could technically have freshwater live rock as well.
It's not the rock itself that's alive, but bacteria that live on the rock (same as with live sand, the "live" is bacteria that are alive and attached to the sand particles). The bacteria involved are the ones that convert the ammonia and nitrite to nitrate, so having the bacteria is beneficial to the tank, and the rock involved is typically very porous, so it has the maximum amount of surface are for the bacteria to colonize.
In saltwater, you not only get the bacteria, but lots of other marine organisms that come along as "hitchhikers" - I've found corals, sponges, clams/bivalves, shrimp, snails, marine worms, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, brittlestars, sea stars (starfish), tunicates, and macroalgae on pieces I've bought.
Really, though, since the bacteria involved in the conversion of nitrogenous wastes to nitrate adhere to surfaces, and are present in any tank that's been set up for a while, any rock in a freshwater, saltwater, or brackish tank would be "live".
2007-11-27 13:01:58 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Live rock is rock from the ocean, usually formed by dead coral skeletons over a long time but there's also manmade limestone live rock. It's called live because it is full of bacteria, worms, pods, etc. Lots of little critters that clean your water and tank. It's used in saltwater as a form of filtration, about a pound per gallon with good flow is all the filter you need in a properly stocked tank.
2007-11-27 21:11:39 · answer #2 · answered by goingpostal85 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Live rock is a term- essentially it is a chunk of a coral type substance- very heavy and rock like. On it, there are living organisms- aneomes, polyps, algae, etc. They are for salt water and help purify and aerate your tank.
Most salt water stores sell them. If you do get one, make sure to keep it in good salt water. If the water quality is not good, the things growing on the rock (thus the live part) will die.
2007-11-27 20:52:28 · answer #3 · answered by D 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
live rock is for saltwater only.
It is basically rock that is covered in algaes and mirco organismes which help in sturctures for corals and it helps with bio-filteration.
If you dont have a saltwater tank, then u cant have it.
2007-11-27 21:40:59 · answer #4 · answered by Coral Reef Forum 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all things in the universe have life but not as we know it, live rock or dead rock hmm that is the question
2007-11-27 20:49:37 · answer #5 · answered by bilbobagsend 6 · 0⤊ 5⤋