Can i turn any rock into live rock

[Jawaits]

R does it have to me metamorphic? Can I take sedimentary rock and use it in my aquarium?

 

[rdnelson99]

Don't have a good answer for you but two things I would be concerned about. Sedimentary rock typically would, over time, tend to desolve in water. That would put whatever was in the rock into you water. The second concern would be how porous the rock is. The BB need lots of tiny pores to live in for it to be good LR. The BB live on all surfaces but the more porous the rock, the more surface area for the BB to live.

 

[melosu58]

The word live means that nitrifying bacteria is covering your rock. You really want as much surface area for the bacteria. Your rock needs to be very pourus and have many holes in the rock for added surface area.

 

[mr_X]

also, there are low oxygen areas deep inside the ocean rock that harbor bacteria that break down nitrates. this might not be accomplished with other material.
there is also the possibility that heavy metals in that rock would leach out and wipe out sensitive invertebrates.