msjboy
04-18-2012, 10:15 PM
This is an interesting thread from another site....might be of interest for newbies especially
( I thought reseeding old rock was going to me just as good as new live rock, thought the older the liverock from another reefer was the best.. etc. )... also wish we had places to buy real liverock from place like tbsaltwater.com which ships in water ( watch their videos!)... so here it is i:
What is LIVE Rock, Anyway?
One of the important features of the aquarium for fish is how their nitrogen wastes are handled. In an aquarium full of corals, very little nitrogen waste is produced and the aquarist can almost ignore these kinds of wastes. But a marine aquarium stocked with fish, snails, crabs, shrimp, etc., has a large source of nitrogen wastes that need to be processed quickly in order to prevent harm to the fish and marine life.
The aquarist depends upon the microbes in the aquarium to enjoy the ability to maintain marine fishes. In essence, I like to think that the real hobby is how to keep and maintain microbial life!
The biological filter is the scene of the 'action' when it comes to processing nitrogen wastes (nitrification = converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate), but the bacteria that process wastes are everywhere in (and around) the aquarium. This should be made clear. These bacteria are everywhere. They are found in the air, in soil, in water, on human skin, etc. In the marine aquarium, they attach to any surface that will have them (the aquarium wall, substrate particles, equipment surface, pipes, filter media (floss, cloth, carbon, resins, etc.), decorations and of course, live; dead; or base rock). BUT (and this is important) the real value of real live rock is not as a surface area for these kinds of nitrifying bacteria, but as a home to another set of bacteria. Keep reading.
Live rock has some special characteristics that make it of particular value with regards to its role in handling nitrogen wastes. The aquarist that wants to keep fish and/or a reef aquarium with fish, needs to understand more about this value. First though, let's get on the same page for our names and definitions. There are different levels of life on the rock we use in the marine aquarium.
NOTE: The terms I use are not universally agreed upon. In fact if you go to your LFS and ask for 'LIVE rock' you might get any kind of rock. I mean by this that the LFS doesn't have to meet any standard on what LIVE means. So, I sort it out by giving different names to the different levels of what LIVE means -- my own kind of names and definitions. Don't get hung up on the words I've chosen, but do focus on the quality of the rock being described!
Rock doesn't live. So how can it be alive? It's the organisms on and IN the live rock that gives it that name. There are different levels of life on/in rock that qualify the value of the live rock.
A ROSE BY ANY NAME. . .
There is no national or international standard when it comes to naming marine aquarium rock. Even if you don't use my naming system (see below) keep in mind that when you communicate with someone regarding aquarium rock that the both of you are using words that you first define to each other. LIVE rock is expensive, so be sure you know what it is you're paying for. There are many people in the hobby that would mis-represent rock by carelessly tossing about words. Don't be fooled. Ask.
Rock with no life in or on it is called 'dead rock.' Some people call this 'base rock' but I don't. You'll find that the use of the phrase 'base rock' means different things to different people. Here I want to be clear and, whatever you choose to call it, make sure you and the person(s) you are communicating with are using the same definitions not words.
Rock with some coralline life on it, but nothing much else is called 'base rock' or maybe you're more comfortable calling it 'live dead rock?' It is more than dead rock, but isn't fully functional like live rock, as it relates to the handling of nitrogen wastes.
'Up' from the level of base rock, rock can have other organisms living on it (e.g., polyps, complex algae, pods, corals, etc.); or organisms living on and IN it. This is called 'live rock.' But there are different levels of life on and in live rock, which make live rock have different 'levels' of being alive.
HOW ALIVE IS LIVE?
Rock right out of the ocean/sea is true live rock and stands as the 'most alive' of the live rock. It has this distinction by virtue of the diversity of life on and in the rock. It has a grand diversity of life and lifeforms. It took decades to hundreds of years for that life to take up residence on and in that rock. But this rock can't be shipped to the user, without being submerged in water. Decades ago we used to get this kind of live rock from the sea. It was shipped in water and had ALL the lifeforms represented on and in it as if it was still in the ocean. Today, shipping rates and fuel costs prohibit this. So the rock ships without water. Often it is kept moist by wrapping it in paper/newspaper wet with saltwater.
To ship moist like this without 'rotting' along the way, the rock first has to be cleaned of organisms that would die when they are exposed to air (e.g., sponges). During this process, most (if not all) crabs, shrimp, etc. are also cleaned off.
Many but not all things in and on the rock die during moist transport. So the wholesaler/LFS or aquarist gets the harvested rock and has to further cure it. After curing, this is about as alive the live rock will ever be for the aquarist. It's a considerable difference from the rock that was in the sea as far as diversity of lifeforms is concerned. But this is what we call and mean by 'live rock.'
But, even more cleaning and curing can be done along the way which further reduces the diversity of life on and in the rock so that the aquarist gets various levels of life on and in the live rock. Although curing makes the rock less polluting for the aquarium, it may also destroy and may remove more of the natural lifeforms in and on the rock.
Ever read or hear of fully cured live rock? Seems like an oxymoron. If the rock is fully cured, then it should be dead rock, right? A misnomer for sure, but we accept it. In general, this term means the live rock is ready to be put into the aquarium, but the aquarist should ask just how cured it is. Is there any lifeforms still in and on the live rock? Have any of those lifeforms died and will require further curing? If so, find out what they are. If you're told it is 'live rock' because it has coralline growing on it, don't pay a premium price for it. Offer to buy it as base rock until other life forms on and in the rock are known to be present...
A JOB WELL DONE
In order for the rock to do the best job it can as far as nitrification and denitrification is for the nitrogen waste products to get to the rock. This is where the aquarium system plays a role. Specifically, it is about circulation. The fundamental minimum circulation for live rock is 8 to 10 system volume turnovers per hour. Above this figure, circulation may be needed (e.g., in reef tanks) for certain sessile invertebrates, corals, etc. that depend upon greater circulation to carry off their wastes and/or to bring nutrients to them. So for a FOWLR aquarium, without special marine life needing additional circulation, the target is 8 to 10 system volume turnovers per hour. The "8 to 10" is 'calculated' by adding up all the gallons/hour flow rates of: powerheads, internal pumps, and external pumps (used for systems with sumps and/or refugium).
Now that the right turnover is achieved, the flow must be evenly distributed over and around the live rock. No dead places. All exposed surfaces of the live need to have some flow around them. Adjust and direct the various flows to achieve this goal. Make sure you read this post: What Is Water Quality?
Will dead and base rock also harbor the bacteria that perform denitrification (nitrates converted to nitrogen gas and other chemicals)? The answer is, "YES." However, it doesn't reach any kind of high beneficial level. Also, live rock seems to have a positive impact on marine aquariums beyond just these bacteria. The scientists are still trying to figure it out. Remember these denitrifying bacteria are also everywhere, but they only thrive where oxygen is low. So if the rock is pourous, some dentirifying bacteria will survive there, maybe even thrive to some extent. BUT this isn't enough to control nitrates in a reef aquarium.
ALTERNATIVES
There are other means to perform denitrification. A deep sand bed is used for this purpose. Special filters are made to house denitrifying bacteria in low oxygen areas. Special media exists to also provide a place for these bacteria to grow. But nothing is as efficient as live rock, even after it's been cured so much by the time it got into the aquarium.
Then there are also chemical means to remove nitrates (absorbing and reacting compounds).
LASTLY -- WHAT'S NECESSARY
If you're building a marine system just for fish and some clean up crew invertebrates, live rock isn't needed. Any decoration or rock suitable for marine life forms can be used to create surface area for the nitrification bacteria. You don't need the denitrification bacteria because these marine organisms (fish and most clean up crew lifeforms) are not sensitive to high levels of nitrates. However, a reef tank containing immobile invertebrates is another thing.
A reef tank with immobile invertebrates needs either live rock or a means to remove nitrates from the water as soon as they are made by the nitrification bacteria, or a combination of these. This can be LIVE rock or a chemical filter or huge and frequent water changes (which we tend to avoid).
Finally, live rock looks good! It brings with it all sorts of interesting creatures which adds to the marine aquarium experience. It also provides a positive yet somewhat mysterious advantage to a successful marine aquarium. These are very good additional reasons to use it. It also does give a type of natural look to the landscape -- but so does artificial rock!
-----------
I hope this post has clarified and enlightened the reader on live rock. All rock has its place. Just be sure you know what you're buying, buy what you want it to do, and buy enough!
more of article:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/61875-what-live-rock-anyway.html
msjboy
( I thought reseeding old rock was going to me just as good as new live rock, thought the older the liverock from another reefer was the best.. etc. )... also wish we had places to buy real liverock from place like tbsaltwater.com which ships in water ( watch their videos!)... so here it is i:
What is LIVE Rock, Anyway?
One of the important features of the aquarium for fish is how their nitrogen wastes are handled. In an aquarium full of corals, very little nitrogen waste is produced and the aquarist can almost ignore these kinds of wastes. But a marine aquarium stocked with fish, snails, crabs, shrimp, etc., has a large source of nitrogen wastes that need to be processed quickly in order to prevent harm to the fish and marine life.
The aquarist depends upon the microbes in the aquarium to enjoy the ability to maintain marine fishes. In essence, I like to think that the real hobby is how to keep and maintain microbial life!
The biological filter is the scene of the 'action' when it comes to processing nitrogen wastes (nitrification = converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate), but the bacteria that process wastes are everywhere in (and around) the aquarium. This should be made clear. These bacteria are everywhere. They are found in the air, in soil, in water, on human skin, etc. In the marine aquarium, they attach to any surface that will have them (the aquarium wall, substrate particles, equipment surface, pipes, filter media (floss, cloth, carbon, resins, etc.), decorations and of course, live; dead; or base rock). BUT (and this is important) the real value of real live rock is not as a surface area for these kinds of nitrifying bacteria, but as a home to another set of bacteria. Keep reading.
Live rock has some special characteristics that make it of particular value with regards to its role in handling nitrogen wastes. The aquarist that wants to keep fish and/or a reef aquarium with fish, needs to understand more about this value. First though, let's get on the same page for our names and definitions. There are different levels of life on the rock we use in the marine aquarium.
NOTE: The terms I use are not universally agreed upon. In fact if you go to your LFS and ask for 'LIVE rock' you might get any kind of rock. I mean by this that the LFS doesn't have to meet any standard on what LIVE means. So, I sort it out by giving different names to the different levels of what LIVE means -- my own kind of names and definitions. Don't get hung up on the words I've chosen, but do focus on the quality of the rock being described!
Rock doesn't live. So how can it be alive? It's the organisms on and IN the live rock that gives it that name. There are different levels of life on/in rock that qualify the value of the live rock.
A ROSE BY ANY NAME. . .
There is no national or international standard when it comes to naming marine aquarium rock. Even if you don't use my naming system (see below) keep in mind that when you communicate with someone regarding aquarium rock that the both of you are using words that you first define to each other. LIVE rock is expensive, so be sure you know what it is you're paying for. There are many people in the hobby that would mis-represent rock by carelessly tossing about words. Don't be fooled. Ask.
Rock with no life in or on it is called 'dead rock.' Some people call this 'base rock' but I don't. You'll find that the use of the phrase 'base rock' means different things to different people. Here I want to be clear and, whatever you choose to call it, make sure you and the person(s) you are communicating with are using the same definitions not words.
Rock with some coralline life on it, but nothing much else is called 'base rock' or maybe you're more comfortable calling it 'live dead rock?' It is more than dead rock, but isn't fully functional like live rock, as it relates to the handling of nitrogen wastes.
'Up' from the level of base rock, rock can have other organisms living on it (e.g., polyps, complex algae, pods, corals, etc.); or organisms living on and IN it. This is called 'live rock.' But there are different levels of life on and in live rock, which make live rock have different 'levels' of being alive.
HOW ALIVE IS LIVE?
Rock right out of the ocean/sea is true live rock and stands as the 'most alive' of the live rock. It has this distinction by virtue of the diversity of life on and in the rock. It has a grand diversity of life and lifeforms. It took decades to hundreds of years for that life to take up residence on and in that rock. But this rock can't be shipped to the user, without being submerged in water. Decades ago we used to get this kind of live rock from the sea. It was shipped in water and had ALL the lifeforms represented on and in it as if it was still in the ocean. Today, shipping rates and fuel costs prohibit this. So the rock ships without water. Often it is kept moist by wrapping it in paper/newspaper wet with saltwater.
To ship moist like this without 'rotting' along the way, the rock first has to be cleaned of organisms that would die when they are exposed to air (e.g., sponges). During this process, most (if not all) crabs, shrimp, etc. are also cleaned off.
Many but not all things in and on the rock die during moist transport. So the wholesaler/LFS or aquarist gets the harvested rock and has to further cure it. After curing, this is about as alive the live rock will ever be for the aquarist. It's a considerable difference from the rock that was in the sea as far as diversity of lifeforms is concerned. But this is what we call and mean by 'live rock.'
But, even more cleaning and curing can be done along the way which further reduces the diversity of life on and in the rock so that the aquarist gets various levels of life on and in the live rock. Although curing makes the rock less polluting for the aquarium, it may also destroy and may remove more of the natural lifeforms in and on the rock.
Ever read or hear of fully cured live rock? Seems like an oxymoron. If the rock is fully cured, then it should be dead rock, right? A misnomer for sure, but we accept it. In general, this term means the live rock is ready to be put into the aquarium, but the aquarist should ask just how cured it is. Is there any lifeforms still in and on the live rock? Have any of those lifeforms died and will require further curing? If so, find out what they are. If you're told it is 'live rock' because it has coralline growing on it, don't pay a premium price for it. Offer to buy it as base rock until other life forms on and in the rock are known to be present...
A JOB WELL DONE
In order for the rock to do the best job it can as far as nitrification and denitrification is for the nitrogen waste products to get to the rock. This is where the aquarium system plays a role. Specifically, it is about circulation. The fundamental minimum circulation for live rock is 8 to 10 system volume turnovers per hour. Above this figure, circulation may be needed (e.g., in reef tanks) for certain sessile invertebrates, corals, etc. that depend upon greater circulation to carry off their wastes and/or to bring nutrients to them. So for a FOWLR aquarium, without special marine life needing additional circulation, the target is 8 to 10 system volume turnovers per hour. The "8 to 10" is 'calculated' by adding up all the gallons/hour flow rates of: powerheads, internal pumps, and external pumps (used for systems with sumps and/or refugium).
Now that the right turnover is achieved, the flow must be evenly distributed over and around the live rock. No dead places. All exposed surfaces of the live need to have some flow around them. Adjust and direct the various flows to achieve this goal. Make sure you read this post: What Is Water Quality?
Will dead and base rock also harbor the bacteria that perform denitrification (nitrates converted to nitrogen gas and other chemicals)? The answer is, "YES." However, it doesn't reach any kind of high beneficial level. Also, live rock seems to have a positive impact on marine aquariums beyond just these bacteria. The scientists are still trying to figure it out. Remember these denitrifying bacteria are also everywhere, but they only thrive where oxygen is low. So if the rock is pourous, some dentirifying bacteria will survive there, maybe even thrive to some extent. BUT this isn't enough to control nitrates in a reef aquarium.
ALTERNATIVES
There are other means to perform denitrification. A deep sand bed is used for this purpose. Special filters are made to house denitrifying bacteria in low oxygen areas. Special media exists to also provide a place for these bacteria to grow. But nothing is as efficient as live rock, even after it's been cured so much by the time it got into the aquarium.
Then there are also chemical means to remove nitrates (absorbing and reacting compounds).
LASTLY -- WHAT'S NECESSARY
If you're building a marine system just for fish and some clean up crew invertebrates, live rock isn't needed. Any decoration or rock suitable for marine life forms can be used to create surface area for the nitrification bacteria. You don't need the denitrification bacteria because these marine organisms (fish and most clean up crew lifeforms) are not sensitive to high levels of nitrates. However, a reef tank containing immobile invertebrates is another thing.
A reef tank with immobile invertebrates needs either live rock or a means to remove nitrates from the water as soon as they are made by the nitrification bacteria, or a combination of these. This can be LIVE rock or a chemical filter or huge and frequent water changes (which we tend to avoid).
Finally, live rock looks good! It brings with it all sorts of interesting creatures which adds to the marine aquarium experience. It also provides a positive yet somewhat mysterious advantage to a successful marine aquarium. These are very good additional reasons to use it. It also does give a type of natural look to the landscape -- but so does artificial rock!
-----------
I hope this post has clarified and enlightened the reader on live rock. All rock has its place. Just be sure you know what you're buying, buy what you want it to do, and buy enough!
more of article:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/61875-what-live-rock-anyway.html
msjboy