How Do You Know Its Live Rock

[rocknurworld2006]

When buying live rock privately , or online, how do you know what your buying is live rock and not other kind of rock??

 

[dayzofspeed]

it should be feel pretty light and porous, for example you can also get white ocean rock this isnt porous and will feel heavy, also when you pick up a piece of live rock, you will generally have a lot of water come pouring out. i will try and put up some pics in a while as i have both ocean and live rock. you can also get what is known as reef bones which are actually dead coral some of these may feel quite heavy tho

this is ocean rock you can see how solid looking it is

and this is live rock

you should also realise that any rock in a marine setting will overtime become seeded and therefore in some respects will become "live" hope this helps......kevin

 

[woody88]

Agree with above.

Live rock has texture and colour and usually all sorts of things hanging off it.

Where as dry/ocean/base rock is just a calcium based non porous heavy lump with the odd hole here and there. It will seed!.......................eventually!

I also have some in mine at the bottom to build my scape up.

Some lfs sell completely dead 'live' rock. Basically uncured LR that has been left on a shelf for a long while. I find this seeds and cures pretty quickly. I've had some in my tank for about 3 months now and you can't tell the difference.
Oh and it's reasonably cheap.

 

[sorgan]

it should smell like the seaside aswell, if it ronks it likely either base rock thats been dunked or un cured LR.

good LR will be light, active and smell good.

 

[dayzofspeed]

it should smell like the seaside aswell, if it ronks it likely either base rock thats been dunked or un cured LR.

good LR will be light, active and smell good.

omg...... i haven't heard the word ronk for yonks, which part of the country are you from sorg?

 

[seffieuk]

you should also realise that any rock in a marine setting will overtime become seeded and therefore in some respects will become "live" hope this helps......kevin

I have to dissagree with our friend Kev, not all rock will become seeded by bacteria colonies within the rock, some rock is too dense, it will harbour bacteria on the outside, but will be pretty useless for filtering.

Seffie x

 

[dayzofspeed]

you should also realise that any rock in a marine setting will overtime become seeded and therefore in some respects will become "live" hope this helps......kevin

I have to dissagree with our friend Kev, not all rock will become seeded by bacteria colonies within the rock, some rock is too dense, it will harbour bacteria on the outside, but will be pretty useless for filtering.

Seffie x

thats what i meant