Attaching coral to river rock

[Walkingupstream]

Hello,

I have a question about attaching coral to rocks.

To supplement my live rock and add some different texture to my tank, I got some interesting looking local river rock (cleaned it real, real, real well) and placed it in among my live rock. I recently acquired a purple daisy polyp frag that came growing off a piece of coral skeleton.

My question is whether it is fine to attach the coral skeleton directly to the river rock (with superglue gel) and whether the daisy polyps will then spread across the river rock without issue.

I have read somewhere that coral sometimes actually grows into the liverock- and of course the river rock is not limestone and is not porous like liverock, so my concern is whether the daisy polyps will fill the coral skeleton, but then get stuck and unable to spread further.

Thanks!

WU

[billdogg]

encrusting corals will grow on just about anything so that should not be a problem. I would be concerned, however, with the makeup of the rocks themselves. What type of rock are they? Quartz would be ok i think, but granite can have a number of metalic inpurities in it, and slate could be a problem due to things it might leech into your water as well. If it is sandstone or limestone you should be fine.

The reality is that you would be better off using (real or manmade) reef rock.

[disc1]

I got some interesting looking local river rock (cleaned it real, real, real well)


To further what billdogg said, you have to realize that the stuff you can clean off is usually the least of your worries. It's the stuff the rock is made from that should concern you.

That said, corals will grow on just about anything. They shouldn't have any trouble growing over that rock.

[Walkingupstream]

Yes, I'm aware of the potential for problems with the rock make up and mineral leaching- that being said, the tank's been up and running for over a year now with those rocks in it, and is holding parameters fine-

thanks for the responses!

WU

[ska d]

So in a year nothing has grown on it, and you haven't tried attaching anything in all that time. You also must have a great test kit set up to test for all that stuff