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Live rock (LR) is the main filtration system for your reef tank. It is the remains or pieces of coral reef that contain the beneficial bacteria for your tank. It also provides shelter, attachment for corals and contains coralline algae and small critters. You can read tons on LR, which I'll leave for you to do. Live rock is added to your nano tank when ready for startup and your SW is mixed and ready. After cycling, you may see corals arise, critters (copepods, amphipods) and also pests (later talk).
Cured vs. Uncured
Sounds like a ham, right? Uncured rock is LR that comes out of the ocean and has been exposed to air and/or varying temps for awhile. Some of the organisms die off and when put in a tank, the dead material will decompose and a large ammonia spike can occur. Cured rock is that which comes from your lfs and has already gone thru this dieoff process. Cured LR can have minimal dieoff, if any, if it is rapidly shipped and kept moist or shipped in water. Uncured rock should never be put in a cycled tank with livestock/corals. The ammonia spike could kill them. Truly cured rock can be placed right into your tank.
So, which should you buy? It's your call. Uncured rock may take longer to cycle, have an odor, require more work including large water changes and have more die off, but, it also may arrive with more coralline algae, beneficial life (and pests). Cured rock cycles quicker, but, may lose some of the good stuff. If you are just starting off with an empty new tank, you may want to go with uncured and start the cycle right off in the tank. Certainly, pre-cured rock is much easier and usually what's locally available.
What do I do when it arrives?
Depends on what you are getting. Talk to the dealer before buying it. Many recommend scrubbing the rock with a toothbrush. My dealer did not recommend it. I think it's safe to say that rinsing it in SW and picking off grossly dead material and dead sponges (if they are there) are wise to do.
How do I cure my LR?
Easy...you do it in your tank when you're ready to go. Never add uncured rock to an already established tank. If you chose to do it separately, you will need:
1) SW
2) a large bucket or one of those Tupperware like storage containers that you can buy at WalMart or Target
3) heater
4) Powerhead
Here is one of many links to give you a guide:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general...ral_pagesid=293
Sources to Buy LR
1) Your lfs: The easiest source is your lfs. Check out prices; look for good color; ask how long they've had it for. If you are unhappy, you can look to the internet.
2) Internet: I did a lot of research on this. Four of the most popular internet sources for LR were:
In the U.S:
a) http://www.premiumaquatics.com
b http://www.liveaquaria.com
c) http://www.liverock.com
d) http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/
Your live rock will look something like this when it arrives:
In the UK:
{?suggestions?}
3) Make your own: some people do this and although I have never reseached it, apparently it is made with concrete and particles that later dissolve to make porosity. Some use rock salt and I have heard some use pasta. One website that has a DIY manual is:
http://www.thelebos.com. This might be an option for those people who are on a strict budget.
How much do I need to put in?
In general, the estimate is 1.5 lbs of LR per gallon of water in your tank. This is just an estimate. If the rock is dense, you may need more. If it is very pourous, you may need less. Ask the dealer.
Types of LR
Just a few examples of the most popular types:
1) Marshall Islands
2) Fiji
3) Kaelini
4) Tonga branch rock
5) Atlantic base rock..generally a very dense rock and used as a base to aquascape on to save on the cost of more expensive LR.
6) Aquacultured LR.....farmed LR.....see Tampa Bay link above. They actually 'grow' live rock off of Florida.
Live Sand and Substrate
There are many types of substrate to use in your tank. Unlike a FW tank but similar to a cichlid tank, the pH of a SW tank needs to be higher, around 8.2. Calcium carbonate, the component of seashells and aragonite sand, provides that buffering capacity. The average recommendation is 1 lb of substrate/ gallon of water. Depth can be 1- 4 inches deep, however, current nano thinking is a thin sandbed, 1/2 - 2 inches. Some types of fish need a deep bed (eg, jawfish). However, the deeper it is there may be dead areas which can have a negative effect on the tank. Choices for substrate include:
1) Live Sand: this is sand that contains beneficial bacteria. There is some controversy here. Many say that your sand will seed anyway. Others say that it will 'jump start' your tank. The best live sand is that which you can get from someone elses tanks that contains live organims such as copepods, etc. Some people sell this online. Some people simply add a small amount to nonlive sand to seed it. The other source is store bought.
2) AragAlive: this is a store bought aragonite sand that has beneficial bacteria. It comes in a 20lb bag. Many feel it is the best substrate in the 2-5mm size. Perfect blend of buffering capacity (that crushed coral lacks), porous biolgical capacity, and compatibility with sand loving organisms.
3) Florida crushed coral: Crushed coral has been pretty much avoided in recent years, being a poor biological medium and not very friendly to sand loving organisms. Some claim it will trap detritus and contribute to nitrate retention.
4) Other types including Fiji pink sand, black sand, Tahitian Moon,etc
5) No substrate: some people go 'barebottom'. Not my cup of tea, but, many claim it is much easier to clean off detritus. The substrate CAN and DOES supply buffering capability, so, this could be an issue without it.
DSB or Deep Sand Bed
A deep sand bed is one that is built up to a layer of 4 inches. This creates dead areas where anaerobic breakdown of nitrate occurs releasing nitrogen gas. It works very well in keeping nitrates reduced in large marine tanks. Current nano thinking is that it is ineffectual secondary to the minimal surface area and should be avoided in a nano tank. The DSB could work as a nitrate trap. New thoughts in this area are focused on an RDSB, or remote deep sand bed. This is a 5 gallon bucket filled with sand and plumbed remotely to the tank. This large DSB is getting favorable reviews for denitrification.
Plenum
A plenum works on the the same principal as a deep sand base, however,people create this using electrical eggcrate and PVC tubing. It creates a dead layer of undisturbed sand and water where anaerobic metabolism breaks down nitrates into nitrogen gas which bubbles up and out of the tank. Generally not used in a nano tank.
Cured vs. Uncured
Sounds like a ham, right? Uncured rock is LR that comes out of the ocean and has been exposed to air and/or varying temps for awhile. Some of the organisms die off and when put in a tank, the dead material will decompose and a large ammonia spike can occur. Cured rock is that which comes from your lfs and has already gone thru this dieoff process. Cured LR can have minimal dieoff, if any, if it is rapidly shipped and kept moist or shipped in water. Uncured rock should never be put in a cycled tank with livestock/corals. The ammonia spike could kill them. Truly cured rock can be placed right into your tank.
So, which should you buy? It's your call. Uncured rock may take longer to cycle, have an odor, require more work including large water changes and have more die off, but, it also may arrive with more coralline algae, beneficial life (and pests). Cured rock cycles quicker, but, may lose some of the good stuff. If you are just starting off with an empty new tank, you may want to go with uncured and start the cycle right off in the tank. Certainly, pre-cured rock is much easier and usually what's locally available.
What do I do when it arrives?
Depends on what you are getting. Talk to the dealer before buying it. Many recommend scrubbing the rock with a toothbrush. My dealer did not recommend it. I think it's safe to say that rinsing it in SW and picking off grossly dead material and dead sponges (if they are there) are wise to do.
How do I cure my LR?
Easy...you do it in your tank when you're ready to go. Never add uncured rock to an already established tank. If you chose to do it separately, you will need:
1) SW
2) a large bucket or one of those Tupperware like storage containers that you can buy at WalMart or Target
3) heater
4) Powerhead
Here is one of many links to give you a guide:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general...ral_pagesid=293
Sources to Buy LR
1) Your lfs: The easiest source is your lfs. Check out prices; look for good color; ask how long they've had it for. If you are unhappy, you can look to the internet.
2) Internet: I did a lot of research on this. Four of the most popular internet sources for LR were:
In the U.S:
a) http://www.premiumaquatics.com
b http://www.liveaquaria.com
c) http://www.liverock.com
d) http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/
Your live rock will look something like this when it arrives:
In the UK:
{?suggestions?}
3) Make your own: some people do this and although I have never reseached it, apparently it is made with concrete and particles that later dissolve to make porosity. Some use rock salt and I have heard some use pasta. One website that has a DIY manual is:
http://www.thelebos.com. This might be an option for those people who are on a strict budget.
How much do I need to put in?
In general, the estimate is 1.5 lbs of LR per gallon of water in your tank. This is just an estimate. If the rock is dense, you may need more. If it is very pourous, you may need less. Ask the dealer.
Types of LR
Just a few examples of the most popular types:
1) Marshall Islands
2) Fiji
3) Kaelini
4) Tonga branch rock
5) Atlantic base rock..generally a very dense rock and used as a base to aquascape on to save on the cost of more expensive LR.
6) Aquacultured LR.....farmed LR.....see Tampa Bay link above. They actually 'grow' live rock off of Florida.
Live Sand and Substrate
There are many types of substrate to use in your tank. Unlike a FW tank but similar to a cichlid tank, the pH of a SW tank needs to be higher, around 8.2. Calcium carbonate, the component of seashells and aragonite sand, provides that buffering capacity. The average recommendation is 1 lb of substrate/ gallon of water. Depth can be 1- 4 inches deep, however, current nano thinking is a thin sandbed, 1/2 - 2 inches. Some types of fish need a deep bed (eg, jawfish). However, the deeper it is there may be dead areas which can have a negative effect on the tank. Choices for substrate include:
1) Live Sand: this is sand that contains beneficial bacteria. There is some controversy here. Many say that your sand will seed anyway. Others say that it will 'jump start' your tank. The best live sand is that which you can get from someone elses tanks that contains live organims such as copepods, etc. Some people sell this online. Some people simply add a small amount to nonlive sand to seed it. The other source is store bought.
2) AragAlive: this is a store bought aragonite sand that has beneficial bacteria. It comes in a 20lb bag. Many feel it is the best substrate in the 2-5mm size. Perfect blend of buffering capacity (that crushed coral lacks), porous biolgical capacity, and compatibility with sand loving organisms.
3) Florida crushed coral: Crushed coral has been pretty much avoided in recent years, being a poor biological medium and not very friendly to sand loving organisms. Some claim it will trap detritus and contribute to nitrate retention.
4) Other types including Fiji pink sand, black sand, Tahitian Moon,etc
5) No substrate: some people go 'barebottom'. Not my cup of tea, but, many claim it is much easier to clean off detritus. The substrate CAN and DOES supply buffering capability, so, this could be an issue without it.
DSB or Deep Sand Bed
A deep sand bed is one that is built up to a layer of 4 inches. This creates dead areas where anaerobic breakdown of nitrate occurs releasing nitrogen gas. It works very well in keeping nitrates reduced in large marine tanks. Current nano thinking is that it is ineffectual secondary to the minimal surface area and should be avoided in a nano tank. The DSB could work as a nitrate trap. New thoughts in this area are focused on an RDSB, or remote deep sand bed. This is a 5 gallon bucket filled with sand and plumbed remotely to the tank. This large DSB is getting favorable reviews for denitrification.
Plenum
A plenum works on the the same principal as a deep sand base, however,people create this using electrical eggcrate and PVC tubing. It creates a dead layer of undisturbed sand and water where anaerobic metabolism breaks down nitrates into nitrogen gas which bubbles up and out of the tank. Generally not used in a nano tank.