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Aquarium fishkeeping around the world!
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Danikins
Regulars
Joined: 19 May 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canda
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 Posted: 2006.07.25(Tue)20:38 Post subject: Completely random question about LR... |
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Okay so I was looking at the LR in the coral tank at my LFS today and I could see all these like... ridges and stuff that looked almost like fossils, and dips and curves and tunnels and stuff and I was wondering...
What exactly *IS* live rock, anyway? Is it dead coral? Or what? I'm trying to figure out what its made of and I don't know...
Apologies if this is a stpid question. *blush*
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number6
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Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: 2006.07.25(Tue)21:02 Post subject: |
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I think it's a great question... it started as coral skeletons, and then it gets tunneled into by worms etc. (that still goes on in your SW tank as well) broken up by waves and storms, etc. and built on by feather dusters, more corals, etc.
When you buy live rock, some looks like rocks with holes, tunnels, and such, and other pieces still resemble a coral to a degree... you mix and match until you're happy with the look as all live rock performs pretty equally.
Pretty wild... 
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FloridaBoy
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Joined: 04 Jul 2004
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Danikins
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Joined: 19 May 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canda
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| Posted: 2006.07.26(Wed)13:03 Post subject: |
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Thanks guys! 
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ChAoZ
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Joined: 25 Jul 2006
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| Posted: 2006.07.27(Thu)9:05 Post subject: |
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| This may sound stupid but from reading that, if I were to pick up a dead coral skeleton from the beach and place it in my tank would it then become live rock? Or is live rock something that is treated by a company and made to be "living" |
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FloridaBoy
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Joined: 04 Jul 2004
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| Posted: 2006.07.27(Thu)18:12 Post subject: |
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| ChAoZ wrote: | | This may sound stupid but from reading that, if I were to pick up a dead coral skeleton from the beach and place it in my tank would it then become live rock? Or is live rock something that is treated by a company and made to be "living" |
Hmm, I wouldn't say that sounds stupid...
fact is, the foundation of a living reef is made of a variety of materials; old coral skeletons become covered with Corallines and encrusting inverts, (marketed as "Reef BonesTM" by CaribSea, see link at bottom) as do most other materials including calcium carbonate rock (even old anchors, chains, outboard motors, whatever. We were scuba diving off Key Largo at the Christ statue a few weeks ago, also encrusted with a lovely coating of material).
In time all the natural calcareous stuff becomes processed by the sea, broken down into so much "rubble" where it is cemented by inverts into a foundation of fossilized coral rock, upon which living reef builders constantly rise above into the light.
So yes, in time the dead coral in your tank will become coated with living material, it's not a corporate thing it's a natural thing... check out the other link below also on making your own...
http://www.carib-sea.com/pages/products/marine/marinerock.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6279/RaiseCementRock.html
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ChAoZ
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Joined: 25 Jul 2006
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| Posted: 2006.07.27(Thu)20:10 Post subject: |
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| Wow, thats pretty neat..my Dad brought back some dead coral washed up on the beach from when we went to queensland(Australia) so I may eventually try to make it live. |
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