Live Rock

What is Live Rock?

Live Rock is not in itself live, the description comes from the abundance of live organisms which is imported along with the rock the rock is basically coral skeletons and other calcareous material which settles on the sea bed and is then collected for use in marine aquariums.

Most of the life on the rock is microscopic marine life, aerobic and anaerobic nitrifying bacteria which forms a excellent base and kick-starts the home aquarium, taking over as the main filtration for the tank, most people run a live rock system in conjunction with a algae-based sump system, a skimmer and a sand bed, and no external filters are needed as the rock acts as a filter if enough live rock is used.

The abundance of reef creatures, good and bad, which is imported on the rock, becomes the main focus of interest to the hobbyist, worms, crabs, dusters and live coral can survive the journey and add excitement, where onlookers are confused at the owner on hands and knees looking at a chunk of rock instead of the television.

Live rock is sold as 'cured' or 'uncured', when the rock is imported some life on the rock dies in transit; some rock can sit around for days at point of collection until exported. When it arrives at it's destination a three or four week process happens where the rock is initially cleaned of any obvious problems, placed in tanks where it is heavily skimmed and goes through the 'cycle', where a nitrite spike happens as the natural bacteria build up until there is enough to cope with any waste, at this point the nitrite drops over a day or two, at this point the rock is 'cured'.

Short overnight deliveries, if kept warm and damp, does not make the rock go into another cycle and can be safely placed into an existing aquarium where the life can blossom.

Nigel Edmunds is owner of http://www.live-rock.co.uk