LR ?

[utahcutter]

If you put a small amount of LR in your take would the organisms ever adventure to other rocks that were placed near it? I'm sure it would take quite a while if they did. I was just curious if you can seed other rocks with a smaller one.

 

[captivereefs]

Yes you can. And it happens faster than you think!

 

[utahcutter]

Really. I think I would like to try that when I finally add LR to my tank. Which is a bit farther down the line. Still purchasing equipment one tiny piece at a time. I like to make my own stuff grow so I think that would be cool. Will it work with any type of rock?

 

[jackdp]

I would look for "dead" rock that is made for SW aquariums. Other rocks may have chemicals in them that could leach out into the water or the rocks may alter the pH in some undesirable way. I haven't used it but this store down the street sells this stuff in a couple different types..

http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/itemdy00.aspx?HKW=&TKW=&SKW=F43&EDP=1843&T1=F43+0532+0013&PgNo=2

 

[utahcutter]

o.k. mayby I will upgrade to lr a little sooner. Would love the extra help with filtration. I have a couple of good sized lava rocks in the aquarium now, that my flame angle absolutely loves, and another nice rock, but I can never remember what type it is. Will these work well as a host for all those critters that grow on lr? Also what kind of lighting requirements will I need? etc. totally new to the LR scene so any help would be greatly appreciated. maybe somebody could whip up an article on the subject, since there doesn't seem to be one that addresses maintaining LR on this site. TIA.

 

[jackdp]

Lighting, I would shoot for about 2.5-3.5 watts per gallon of fluorescent lighting to maintain just LR, higher if you want any photosynthetic corals or inverts. As far as any other LR maintenance, maintain good levels of calcium and carbonate alkalinity and it will do fine.

 

[fishfreek]

The maintance of the rock istelf is fairly stright forward. Provide water conditions that are consuive to keeping fish and wala you are maintaning the live rock. Now there are different levels of maintaning it. You have the baisic maintance as far as the live rock as a home for clean up crew worms and crustations as well as bactera. This kind of maintance is basicly done at the water quality level.

Then you have keeping the rock looking nice (corline algae and other algae growths). For this ample light and calcium levels would be in order. Light does not need to be at the level to keep corals but does need to be more than maybe a single or double florecent tube. (depending on tank size and depth)

The last stage would be acutally encuraging coral growth on the live rock. Most of the live rock has to some extent the potental to grow some kind of coral. Small corals might have been growing on the rock in the wild and could still exist on the rock in our tank after shipping and such. and to maintan rock in this maner than you need the higher output lighting and the higher water quality that corals themselves need.

The basic truth is that its not hard at all to maintain live rock and keeping your tank in the condition to keep your fish is the biggest part of the equasion.