Live Rock??

Okay I was recently told that Live Rock was the most important part of your aquarium, but does it have speacil filteration setups it needs? Or is it just rock with algae and bacteria?? I have a 30gallon aquarium, with 2 powerheads and a bio-wheel power filter penguin 150 from marineland. It filter 150 gallons per hour. I know it's a poor excuse for a filteration system but i'm a lil low on founds right now. So, Live Rock?? If so what kind??

 

Well live rock can cost way more than a filtration system. I would get mostly dry base reef rock like 25 lbs and then get like 5-10 lbs of live rock from the lfs. Its pretty much just rock with algae and bacteria (sometimes more stuff). Its the bacteria thats important for biological filtration. But i personally would upgrade the filtrtation system. What all do you have in your tank?

 

1 coral beauty
1 yellow-tail damsel
1 blue damsel
1 tomato clownfish

 

Well there are a lot of different ways to setup an aquarium. Most of the people around here are probably using the berlin method. This kind of setup basically involves good lighting, live rock, sand, a protein skimmer along with dosing whatever trace elements the tank happens to lack and/or regular water changes.

In a tank there are a couple different kinds of bacteria that process all the bad stuff. From what I understand this bacteria tends to live on the surface of objects in the tank. Since live rock is full of so many holes, nooks, and crannies it provides a huge amount of surface area for the bacteria to live on.

 

Yeah. Do you have sand? Live rock here is 7.99/lb and its not that great. So for 30lbs its gunna be more than 240 (for me at least). I got mine off craigslist for 2/lb and its was cured and purple and all. So just look around to find the price you like. I would at least get some live rock. Coral beauties love to pick on live rock and it might make her more happy.

 

Magnett2 No I don't have sand, i hhave more of crushed coral and shells...... should i get sand instead??

 

Personally I don't think I'll buy live rock again. I just get base (dry) rock and set it up however I want. It's waaaaayyyy cheaper and no hitchhikers. Some people like the little surprises that come with live rock, but I'd rather know whats in my tank and know that I put it there. All rock will become live rock eventually. It just refers to the bacteria in the rock not the little creatures (good and bad).

 

So even with my meger filteration system i should get live rock... or base rock and let it become live rock.

 

Well its up to you. I mean there can be bad things on live rock. I havent had a problem (yet). Personally I would do both. Mostly base with some live. At least one piece live. But its up to you. If you get base only it will take a while longer to become live but it IS much safer. I think that adding some live will have more benefits though.