How do you make a reef live rock?
To make your own live rock you need to purchase two bags of aragonite sand (one fine, one coarse) and one bag of Portland cement. To begin, mix six parts aragonite sand with one part Portland cement to create a mixture called aragocrete – this mixture will form the base of your live rock.
Is live rock good for reef tank?
Live Rock is a very beneficial addition to any reef aquarium. It provides large surface areas for Nitrifying Bacteria to colonize & multiply, allows natural food sources to grow and provides shelter for livestock. Using live rock also provides a natural framework for aquascaping and mounting coral.
How do you treat real reef rock?
If it smells like the ocean or a jetty at low tide your good to go, if it smells like rotten fish it will need to be cured. The more scientific approach is to place your new live rocks in a container of salt water for 12-24 hours then test for ammonia, if ammonia is high your rocks will need to be cured.
How much live rock do I need for my saltwater aquarium?
The standard suggested rule of thumb for how much live rock to use ranges from a minimum of 1 pound to a maximum of 1.75 pounds per gallon of water, but a visual method can also be used. The actual quantity you may need can vary depending on its density because geographically some live rock is denser than other types.
Can any rock turn into live rock?
If your rock has been dry for a long time, just rinse it well and put it in your tank. As long as it hasn’t been sitting near anything that would contaminate your tank, it’ll be fine. If you already have LR in your tank, the bacteria from that will colonize the base rock within a matter of weeks.
How do you make Base rock Live?
To make true live rock would take years to have a major impact on biological filtration. Now if your talking about curing dried rock than a few weeks would be fine. Run the temperature a little high, skim like crazy, and heavy flow. Test water ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite when all 0 done.
Is dry rock or live rock better?
Live rock creates a kind of natural replica of a larger reef system, improves the efficiency of the nitrogen cycle, and can help to keep your water’s pH levels stable. Dry rocks are either reef rocks that have died/calcified or rocks created from natural material.
Does live rock reduce nitrates?
Live rock basically acts as a better bio ball, great at removing Amonia and Nitrite but not that great at reducing Nitrate, that’s where the DSB, Skimmer and Fuge come in, along with water changes.
Can you use dead live rock?
There is no process, just put it back in the tank, or a plastic container and fill it with saltwater. Thats it. Any dead algae or organic material in the rock will start the bacterial process. You will still have to cycle the tank with either a dead shrimp or amonia depending on what you want to do.