These live organisms are of great value for your fish tank or aquarium because they create a very natural environment for your fish. Live rock will have crabs, algae, worms, crustaceans as well as bacteria, and all these will be transferred to your tank to create an environment as close to the real thing as possible. Salt water live rock is the one that is most guaranteed to give you as many organisms as possible. Salt water aquarium live rock has made it possible for many people to keep saltwater aquariums.
What are the Benefits of Live Rock?
1. It acts as the primary filter for your fish tank. Live rock looks just as you see it out at sea or in the ocean; it’s full of little holes and nooks and crannies and is porous. This means that when water goes through it, waste gets caught in the rock. You will still need a dedicated filter for your tank, but this as a first step in filtration is important because live rock has so many added benefits.
2. Live rock, because of the nature of its surface, has a huge surface area. This surface area supports growth of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. This is another way that it acts as a filter – it allows natural growth of all kinds of beneficial bacteria! The bacteria are important for converting ammonia to nitrates and then to nitrogen, a harmless gas that will leave the tank from the water surface.
3. Fish like to play. Aquarium live rock provides them with an interesting play ground where they can hide. They can go off in the live rock for some quiet time too when they do not wish to be disturbed.
4. Live rock can be a source of food for some kinds of salt water fish as well as other invertebrates that are in your tank. The fish may consume bits of it, but the live rock will also contain small organisms that the fish can feed on.
5. Live rock makes your fish tank look prettier. And not just the rock, but the algae that grows on the rock is very pretty as well. You will get a lot of pink and purple crystalline algae growing on live rock.
6. Live rock, after it’s cured and in your tank, springs new organisms. These can be varied and interesting and will definitely add life to your fish tank. You might spend more time looking at these new organisms than at your own fish!
7. Aquarium live rock gives your saltwater aquarium a more natural look. You can compare it to a freshwater aquarium that is well planted.
How Much Rock Should You Put in Your Aquarium?
The amount of rock that you put in your aquarium will determine the length of the nitrogen cycle in your water tank. 1 pound per gallon of water will usually do for a regular fish tank. If you don’t have an aquarium filter, you may need a bit more. It is highly recommended though that you get a filter – live rock is designed to exist in a much more extended environment where filtration occurs naturally because there is lots of room. Space is rather limited in an aquarium and waste will tend to collect much faster. This waste can be too much for your live rock to handle.
Adding more fish in the aquarium also means more waste, and there is only so much aquarium live rock that you can put in without squeezing your fish out. If you have few fish and decide to use live rock as a filter, you need to constantly check the quality of your water.
You want to have the best experience possible with your water tank. That means maintaining healthy fish as well as making sure that your aquarium looks good. Aquarium live rock will definitely give you an enhanced experience.