I read this a lot...well I read a lot period and this comes up a lot.
Heck I may have even asked this before,but why do people believe that live rock helps in the filtration department?I just can't get my head around the idea.
What if anything does it filter out of the water?I know it provides surface area for benificial bacteria,but that same bacteria would eventually develope on the substrate and filter media in a FO tank would it not?The bacteria population is dependent on the bioload,not the amount of rock it has to live on imo.
But there is this standard recommendation of 1.5/2 pounds per gallon but just don't see why that is....don't get me wrong I like the stuff and I'll buy more when I run across cool pieces...but does it "filter" my water?...I'm having a hard time with that one.
The one thing I have seen and this seems to have a bit of controversy attached to it is this:
The more rock you have the more pores you have,the more pores you have the more areas for anerobic conditions to develope.Its in the anerobic areas that some people believe that nitrate consuming bacteria develope...hence nitrate is consumed and nitrogen gas will leave the tank as a bubble.
I have also seen this refered to as the 3rd stage denitrofication (I think thats it lol)...anywho...not everyone believes this to be the case.
Anyone feel like driving this through my thick skull??I'm up for a good discussion on it actually but I'm off to work soon so I'll reply in the morning.
Filtration?Just surface area?Just pretty?Denitrofication?
Heck I may have even asked this before,but why do people believe that live rock helps in the filtration department?I just can't get my head around the idea.
What if anything does it filter out of the water?I know it provides surface area for benificial bacteria,but that same bacteria would eventually develope on the substrate and filter media in a FO tank would it not?The bacteria population is dependent on the bioload,not the amount of rock it has to live on imo.
But there is this standard recommendation of 1.5/2 pounds per gallon but just don't see why that is....don't get me wrong I like the stuff and I'll buy more when I run across cool pieces...but does it "filter" my water?...I'm having a hard time with that one.
The one thing I have seen and this seems to have a bit of controversy attached to it is this:
The more rock you have the more pores you have,the more pores you have the more areas for anerobic conditions to develope.Its in the anerobic areas that some people believe that nitrate consuming bacteria develope...hence nitrate is consumed and nitrogen gas will leave the tank as a bubble.
I have also seen this refered to as the 3rd stage denitrofication (I think thats it lol)...anywho...not everyone believes this to be the case.
Anyone feel like driving this through my thick skull??I'm up for a good discussion on it actually but I'm off to work soon so I'll reply in the morning.
Filtration?Just surface area?Just pretty?Denitrofication?