Can you make live rock?

Can you make live rock?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 38.9%

  • Yes, I've done it successfully

    Votes: 9 50.0%

  • No

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • No, I've tried an it didnt work.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    18
Mperkins92

Mperkins92

Member
I've heard of people saying that they can make live rock by letting it sit in their tank from many sources, however i've also heard that the beneficial bacteria will not reproduce in the home aquarium. anybody tried making live rock before?
 
redneckgearhead

redneckgearhead

Active Member
Are you asking if you can turn base rock live? Of course you can. And of course the nitrifying bacteria reproduces how do you think people cycle there tanks? To turn base rock into live rock you must have a food source for the bacteria such as the deli shrimp that most use to feed the bacteria while they are cycling their tanks. Do some reading on this site. Start with the stickies in the beginner forum and you'll find most of the info to get you started.
 
Mperkins92

Mperkins92

Member
That is what i always believed untill i read a sticky by leebca. I'm hesitant to change all my views on it so i still said yes but here is a quote from and a link to the sticky.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/61875-what-live-rock-anyway.html


"Probably the biggest error for new aquarists is the thought that if dead, home made, or base rock is placed next to live rock in the marine aquarium, that these will turn into live rock. NOT.

No matter how long dead, home made, or base rock sits next to live rock in our aquarium, the lifeforms that live inside of live rock will not move over to the dead or base rock. Those rocks will never become LIVE rocks! Why? Because the organisms that make homes for the denitrifying bacteria inside the true live rock don't reproduce in our aquariums These worms and other special lifeforms responsible for the rock giving homes for denitrification bacteria, will not spread. They cannot move to other rock and they cannot reproduce/multiply in the aquarium. In fact, this is one reason why some aquarists claim that live rock should be replaced every 5 to 10 years. The lifeforms inside the rock will die off of their own accord, and the help the live rock gave at removing nitrates will diminish as the rock ages. Some claim that once coralline algae covers over the crevices and these worm holes, that the rock will loose its ability to handle nitrates, too. Makes sense. So maybe don't be in such a rush to cultivate a lot of coralline if you need the denitrification!"
 
G

gbose

Member
Augh! I guess you need to take your dead rock and attach it with wires to your lightning rod. Give it a chicken brain and wait for the next thunderstorm. It helps if you have a hunchbacked assistant called 'Igor'.....

GBose
 
sasquatch

sasquatch

Brunt of all Jokes~
PREMIUM
Im not going to stir Lees pot but in fact he is partially correct in that real live rock is built up by creatures cementing themselves one upon another and that you cannot reproduce at home, dead rock or man made rock can and will be colonized by bacteria that functions as a filter,de-nitrification will also occur as anaerobic areas develop just like a deep sand bed, but for real ocean like life... no way
 
redneckgearhead

redneckgearhead

Active Member
If that is the case then how do deep sand beds work? They are supposed to house anaerobic bacteria that turn the trates to nitrogen gas correct? And maybe I need to adjust my definition of live rock. I am under the impression that "live rock" was just a term for rock covered in the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrate.
 
L

leebca

Well-Known Member

You are correct, redneckgearhead. You need to adjust your definition of live rock.

The original definition which the hobby sales people have modified to sell more 'live rock' is quite simple. Live rock is rock from the sea/ocean and has been there so long is has life in and on it that only being in the ocean can give it. This cannot be duplicated in an aquarium.

When you put a piece of plastic decoration in a marine aquarium, it gets covered with bacteria. If the piece has nooks and crannies there will be micro areas of anoxic conditons which will support a moderate group of bacteria that can live under such conditions. Is this live rock?

What live rock is is the rock with all the creatures inside of it AND on the surface. All of these creastures do not reproduce in the home aquarium. If you put dead rock next to true live rock, the dead rock does not become fully live rock. It will pick up bacteria (which it would even if NOT next to live rock), and pods (which could have easily come from the substrate) and micro life/algae (which it could also get from substrate). It doesn't require live rock for this dead rock to get populated with the creatures that reproduce in our aquariums.

BUT those retailers and wholesalers in the hobby would like you to think it's real live rock so they can get full 'live rock' value for it. It's a scam on the confused hobbyist.

Hobbyists get into marine aquariums and are told they should have live rock. But no one tells them what live rock is. So retailers scam them by putting cheap dead rock next to live rock in their in-store tanks, and pretend like they made live rock. That $.25 a pound junk rock they now sell for $5./lb.

Get the facts so you are not fooled: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/61875-what-live-rock-anyway.html

Our best weapon is knowledge. This hobby is expensive enough. AND, don't forget, live rock is not necessary to setup a marine aquarium. We know that is only helps, but isn't essential. :D
 
redneckgearhead

redneckgearhead

Active Member
So how do know by looking at the rock whether it is "live"? Several pieces of my "live rock" have feather dusters and other visible life on/in it does that mean its live? I'm gonna read the sticky so all my questions may be there. Thanks lee.
 
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