Live Rock

[Dorkhedeos]

will live rock work in complete darkness or does it need some light to function?

 

[mcdanielnc89]

I believe it needs light.....

But.. everything i say is always wrong so wait for anoyther member.. I'm learning as I go as well...

 

[andywg]

LR works fine in the dark, just don't expect any hitch hikers that need light (such as free corals) to live very well. It is, after all, the bacteria in and on the rock you are most after

 

[Mr Miagi]

LR works fine in the dark, just don't expect any hitch hikers that need light (such as free corals) to live very well. It is, after all, the bacteria in and on the rock you are most after

Exactly, only photosynthetic organisms would suffer, but the bacteria we use to break down waste products would survive. Darkness can often encourage other beneficial organisms such as sponges, ascdians and other invertebrates that dont need light to survive. Some individuals actually black out sections of their sump/fuge to encourage such filtering organisms.

 

[Matthew5664]

Following one from Mr Miagi > and its called a Cryptic Fuge

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Darkness can often encourage other beneficial organisms such as sponges, ascdians and other invertebrates that dont need light to survive.

many people have told me that sponges die if they are exposed to air if the liverock is moved from its tank from the lfs into the bag, wouldnt any sponge on it die?

 

[SkiFletch]

Darkness can often encourage other beneficial organisms such as sponges, ascdians and other invertebrates that dont need light to survive.

many people have told me that sponges die if they are exposed to air if the liverock is moved from its tank from the lfs into the bag, wouldnt any sponge on it die?

Different types of sponges... The ones you've been told about are the large decorative sponges, not the really small encrusting ones.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

hrmm, does that mean that bioballs can take the place of live rock as long as there is a little bit of it in the tank since you are only going for the bacteria? once the bacteria get on the bioballs, that means liverock can be removed from the tank? i wont do this though because for some reason i like liverock better than bioballs

 

[Mr Miagi]

Yeah, I cant imagine bioballs would leave a very lovely aquascape. This would eventually count as a FO though, and then you might as well put the bioballs in a cannister filter for flow through the bioballs and fill the tank with some dead LR. The reason why LR is so good is because it can also contain areas where anearobic processes can remove nitrate to nitrogen. Bioballs dont have that ability, and hence produce nitrate. You could add a DSB for denitrifcation, but as you'd see if you went on to do further research its pretty controversial on how to exactly implement one, what depth, what sized grains etc. Also, creatures present on LR, including things like brstleworms also contribute to processes of waste removal by consuming un-eaten food etc. Most people will just tell ya, nothing compares to LR, and its worth the money.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

so if you had a sump thats in complete darkness, would you put lr or bioballs in there? or maybe both?

 

[SkiFletch]

I'd just put LR in there myself . The organisms that grow on it in a light-free (benthic) zone are remarkable.

 

[Mr Miagi]

I'd just put LR in there myself . The organisms that grow on it in a light-free (benthic) zone are remarkable.

Yup