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Live rock is one of the ways to go when you are looking at finding a good filtration system for your tank. Some people prefer live rock as a method of filtration, rather than using electrical or other types of filtration.
There are many benefits for using live rock in your tank, the first one being that live rock has the ability to host large quantities of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. The better the quality of the live rock, the more bacteria you can have, which helps with water quality.
Live rock helps to stabilize the water chemistry in your aquarium. It is made up of calcified skeletons that died. The rock is able to release calcium into the water which will also help with maintaining the PH levels in your tank.
If you are looking to have a more natural looking aquarium live rock is the answer. It will help fish to adapt more quickly, because it will remind them of their natural environment. Live rock can also function as a hiding place for fish which gets them to ring out their personality. It may also be their safe haven.
There are also a few disadvantages to using live rock in your tank, the biggest one being that setting up an aquarium with only live rock for filtration and other purposes, is one of the most expensive ways to go about starting a saltwater aquarium.
When you add live rock to an existing aquarium, the levels of ammonia will drastically increase, and you don’t want to risk it getting toxic.
While live rocks seem like the way to go, most people would recommend dry rock rather than live rock. Dry rocks are made from various natural materials.
Dry rocks are much more simple than live rocks. They aren’t attention seeking décor and they do not need that much care. They also support healthy parameters. It can also be used as a method of filtration in your tank and it is not as expensive as live rock.
A frequently asked question is: “how much live rock should I put in my tank?”. Some tanks might require more live rock than others, for example a full-blown aquarium will require more rock than a fish-only aquarium so that there is a stable foundation for the invertebrates you plan to keep.
Different species of fish have different needs. You have to know what needs your fish have in order to calculate the amount of rock that you will be able to put into your tank.
If you have a good filtration system that removes all waste from your tank, you will not need that much live rock. However, many man-made systems aren’t guaranteed to fail, but live rock guarantees good filtration. In this case you should think smart and get rock.
Resources:
https://reefhacks.com/aquascaping-live-rocks-vs-dry-rocks/
http://www.reefaquarium.com/2012/what-are-the-benefits-of-live-rock/
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/how-much-live-rock-do-you-really-need-5626/
