Question about live rock.

If my understanding is correct, live rock is simply limestone deposits which house micro organisms that provide the beneficial environment for ocean life.

I've been researching tufa which is simply porous limestone rock made when minerals settle in an ambient body of water.

Is there any reason that (with proper seeding) I could simply build live rock using tufa?

I'm learning allot, so any information, answers, and corrections are greatly appreciated!

 

Well, the live rock you normally get tends to be aragonite, rather than calcite. That lets it dissolve at a higher pH, which would help quite a bit to keep your pH from ever plunging to really unsafe levels.

I would also be very concerned about trace mineral deposits. If there was a copper vein upstream from the tufa deposit, you're going to have problems. I don't think tufa is tested as regularly for composition as the normal limestone deposits.

 

also I am willing to be that the price for this "tufa" is comparable to base rock from say, reefcleaners.org where you can get 30#'s of rock SHIPPED for $60 - so for $2/lb -considering all of the other investments you will have to make in this hobby, probably worth it to stick to the tried-and-true.

 

That makes sense. I've also been looking at Pumice. All these things are just ideas I'm exploring. Any other suggestions too are welcome.

 

You can make your own with oyster shells that are crushed and concrete then make it live.

Something along these lines : Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - View Document

 

Pumice isn't a good idea, either. You don't have a clue as to what contaminants are in it. Stick with base rock from a known vendor. It may be a bit more expensive (depending where you get it), but it's been tested chemically for composition, and is definitively the best rock for a tank.

You can also make your own, but be warned, it takes months to cure properly. When I say months, I mean it needs to be underwater for 3 months, with daily or alternating days of 50%+ water changes in the container. None of this time counts towards cycling the tank itself, which already takes a month or more. If you don't soak it, it'll shoot up your pH to dangerous levels, and there's no way to keep it down.

 

Agreed. Pumice is volcanic rock and is thus silicate based, at least largely. Plus, it floats, even better in salt water, and is microscopically very sharp which can easily hurt fish and corals.