Saltwater Live Rock - Top 3 Tips
Tips for the Serious Hobbyist Marine fish can find a suitable aquarium habitat with the addition of naturally artistic saltwater live rock.
This colorful aquarium addition can be added to a saltwater fish tank or alone as a beautiful coral garden.
However, this special rock requires proper care and attention since it is a living habitat for a number of organisms.
Saltwater live rock is not a rock at all.
It is a piece of coral that has broken off from a reef and settled to the ocean floor.
Over time algae, bacteria and small organisms find refuge in the porous habitat where they make home.
It is retrieved by diving or farmed by dropping coral pieces in select areas of the ocean.
The bacteria, algae and other living organisms perform a valuable service when added to a tank.
One form of waste expelled by fish is urea.
Anaerobic bacteria live in the coral and will process the urea.
Eventually urea become nitrogen gas and is expelled from the tank.
The saltwater living rock also provides a source of food for the fish completing an aquatic life cycle.
1 - How Much Rock The first item to consider is the amount ofrock to add to a tank.
General guidelines are one pound of rock for one gallon of water for a tank with fish and two pounds of rock per gallon without fish.
2 - Cured or Not Cured It is also important to consider whether to purchase cured or non-cured saltwater rock.
Cured rock has been scrubbed of dead organisms and left in a storage tank for a period such as a month.
This is more expensive but provides a better source for the tank.
Non-cured rock will need to be cured before use.
Generally this involves scrubbing off dead organisms and curing in a tank with saltwater.
It is also important to cure both types for a couple of weeks after shipment before dropping into a fish tank to avoid a spike in ammonia levels.
3 - Caring for Your Rock Saltwater live rock should be cared for once it is placed in the tank.
It is most important to monitor levels of ammonia for increases.
When ammonia levels do increase, the water should be partially replaced to reduce ammonia levels.
This will help keep the saltwater live rock and fish healthy.
This colorful aquarium addition can be added to a saltwater fish tank or alone as a beautiful coral garden.
However, this special rock requires proper care and attention since it is a living habitat for a number of organisms.
Saltwater live rock is not a rock at all.
It is a piece of coral that has broken off from a reef and settled to the ocean floor.
Over time algae, bacteria and small organisms find refuge in the porous habitat where they make home.
It is retrieved by diving or farmed by dropping coral pieces in select areas of the ocean.
The bacteria, algae and other living organisms perform a valuable service when added to a tank.
One form of waste expelled by fish is urea.
Anaerobic bacteria live in the coral and will process the urea.
Eventually urea become nitrogen gas and is expelled from the tank.
The saltwater living rock also provides a source of food for the fish completing an aquatic life cycle.
1 - How Much Rock The first item to consider is the amount ofrock to add to a tank.
General guidelines are one pound of rock for one gallon of water for a tank with fish and two pounds of rock per gallon without fish.
2 - Cured or Not Cured It is also important to consider whether to purchase cured or non-cured saltwater rock.
Cured rock has been scrubbed of dead organisms and left in a storage tank for a period such as a month.
This is more expensive but provides a better source for the tank.
Non-cured rock will need to be cured before use.
Generally this involves scrubbing off dead organisms and curing in a tank with saltwater.
It is also important to cure both types for a couple of weeks after shipment before dropping into a fish tank to avoid a spike in ammonia levels.
3 - Caring for Your Rock Saltwater live rock should be cared for once it is placed in the tank.
It is most important to monitor levels of ammonia for increases.
When ammonia levels do increase, the water should be partially replaced to reduce ammonia levels.
This will help keep the saltwater live rock and fish healthy.
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