LR???

[nycfatcow]

Whats so special about live rock? why can i just go buy rocks any where and let them grow algae on it in the tank? Can i just go the local beach to pick some some large stones that i find in the water? What about the sand? Also how does LR die? Once its dead can i revive it or is it a goner?

[GoodFish]

you can recure lr... takes time though here is how you do it http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showqu...aq=2&fldAuto=6

[sharkbate]

I am still really new to SW stuff, so someone with more knowledge than I correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that live rock acts as one huge bio filter. The rock itself is very very pourus and provides lots of space for bacteria to grow that eat amonia and nitrites. Also because of the pourus nature of the rock the middle parts don't get much water flow so bacteria form inside the rock that will break down the nitrates.
As far as just going to the beach and picking stuff up to put in your tank, I have read warnings about doing such things as the beach is often contaminated with lots of debris and waste that would be harmful to a SW tank environment.
If it is the price of the rock is what you are concerned about you can check out Garf.com I think, and they have plans for making your own live rock out of concrete and aragonite sand.

[EJS4]

Not all rocks can be LR. LR are porous and bacteria grows deep in the crevices. Its the bacteria in the rock that makes it LR not whats on the outside. Once the rock is back in the water it will start growing bacteria and once the different bacterial colonies have established themselves its LR.

[hammerhead911]

shark hit it on the head. You need the anaerobic activity in your live rock to help with the biological filtration. Stay away from taking stuff off the beach, to many pollutants, and in NYC probably hype needles and rubbers. 8O

[EJS4]

You can also start with BR which is dry porous rock www.hirocks.com has nice stuff and much cheaper than LR. It just takes time to grow the algae on the outside.

[malkore]

BR is base rock...or 'dead' rock. Just volcanic rock that you can turn into live rock over time.
In order to get coralline algae (the colorful stuff) to grow, you have to seed it with...you guess'd it...coralline algae from a real live rock.

What many people do who can't afford a ton of live rock, is to buy 10-20% of their total rock as live rock, and then the rest is all dead rock, or hirocks.com rock. After a few months, it's all live, and the hirocks will have coralline startign to grow if your water parameters allow it.