Artificial Live Rock

[ricardomax]

Hi - I'm about to set up a 5ft marine tank, for which I want live rock to provide the main filtration (along with a protein skimmer).

However - I don't really want to use live rock because of environmental concerns. So I'd rather use an artificial version - I gather you can get aragite which is porous enough (or even better than live rock), will be cheaper, and can be moulded into whatever shapes you want. So far, so good.

I also don't mind waiting for the longer curing time, and the aragite mix will come with a seeding for bacteria and coralline algae.

So... my question is this (assuming the above all sounds fine to you experts!) is there a way of seeding the artificial live rock with the other life that would normally come with live rock - sponges, anemonoes, worms whatever?? I could buy a small bit of 'real' live rock and use that to seed but if it's possible to avoid it, that'd be better!

Or should I not even worry about seeding in this way, and assume that I'll gain various life by it hitch-hiking in on corals that I buy?

Thanks!!
Richard

 

[Mr Miagi]

You could still seed your rock, by a variety of methods. Yes, you could wait until corals bring in whatever life they may on the small piece of rock they are attached too, but I think you will find this would take ages. On the other hand, share/buy/swap! Many other hobbyists will have bucket loads of macro-algae, inverts, bristle worms, sponge, algae or live sand which you could take a small sample from, and propagate in your tank. Look for local societies or members from around your area which you can get in contact with for "samples" of life! There are UK/US/Australian based Reef Boards (TFF has relatively small SW community, and is globally based), but societies IME reep much more community minded sharing/trading!

 

[Matthew5664]

Could ask you LFS after curing your Artificial Live Rock if they would hole it in there LR holeing tank to seed it for a week or two?

 

[andywg]

Live Rock is only collected from the rubble zones behind a reef, it is dead coral broken off from the reef. If you are that worried that you do not want to use LR I assume you will not have any wild caught corals, motile inverts or fish?

It is fairly esy to make LR yourself, just get 5 parts Crushed Oyster Shell (sold as bird grit) to 1 part Portland Cement. Add wter until it has the constituency of cottage cheese and allow to set. around 6 weeks curing in water should kill off the worst of the alkalinity, after which you just need the bacteria to colonise it.

You could in theory do a fishless cycle with ammonia like you do with FW.

 

[ricardomax]

Live Rock is only collected from the rubble zones behind a reef, it is dead coral broken off from the reef. If you are that worried that you do not want to use LR I assume you will not have any wild caught corals, motile inverts or fish?

It is fairly esy to make LR yourself, just get 5 parts Crushed Oyster Shell (sold as bird grit) to 1 part Portland Cement. Add wter until it has the constituency of cottage cheese and allow to set. around 6 weeks curing in water should kill off the worst of the alkalinity, after which you just need the bacteria to colonise it.

You could in theory do a fishless cycle with ammonia like you do with FW.

Wild caught specimens is a concern of mine... is there a convention, or recognised sustainable gathering practice that I can ask stockists if they use?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, your best bet is to look for local clubs if you're worried about conservation and purchase from people there. Follow andywg's method for creating the rock and cure it in freshwater like he said to get all of its alkalinity out (cement is exceptionally alkaline for its first month or so of life). Then you're gonna want to get a couple pieces of LR to "seed" the stuff you made from a local reefer taking down his tank.

As for stocking, ask if the animals are "captive bred or tank bred" when it comes to fish or anything thats not a coral. For corals, ask if they're "fragged or propagated". Those terms generally indicate specemins that people grow themselves. I know a vast majority of the corals I own are frags mostly cause its way cheaper

 

[sukie]

I agree get some rock from someone local - then put dead rock (or make your own) and put it in the tank. . . if you look at my nano thread (in the nano section) you'll see that I just 80% dead rock rock and a couple pieces of live rock to help the seeding process. 6mos later - you can't really tell which was dead and which was live.

 

[Chac]

If you pm me you email Address I will send you a PDF on how to make you own Live rock

 

[Lynden]

I made my own rock a few months ago, really awesome shapes to it, but after months of curing I still get a pH reading of over 8.6! It has since frozen in it's tub outside. It is supposed to be a quick curing cement that is resistant to freezing and high heat. We shall see about that.

-Lynden

 

[Allen]

Whizz me over a copy.

hopefully you got my email address.

 

[Chac]

Will do Allen

Now where the hell is that file

Ps may be an idea to remove your email addy from the open forum

On it's way

 

[sukie]

Ck Garf's site too:

Garf