growing live rock

13468f · 04/23/2018, 01:09 AM

i was wondering how difficult it would be to grow your own live rock and if an sps would go down thru the sand and encrust to the glass bottom kind of like a plant

sde1500 · 04/23/2018, 04:18 AM

By grow your own live rock what do you mean? Make the rock yourself and run a tank of it to make it live? Buy dry rock? Something else I’m not thinking of? You can make rock, there are those that do, a search here will find some threads on it. As for the sps I’d say likely no, it would have to start on a rock you anchored to the glass but the sand around the coral would irritate it.

mcgyvr · 04/23/2018, 04:21 AM

Shortly after you put dry rock into a tank of saltwater it becomes live rock..
"live" just refers to the point where it starts to become colonized with living bacteria..

and no corals don't have roots and don't grow into unlit areas..

homer1475 · 04/23/2018, 05:03 AM

WOW I never knew you could GROW rocks.

Someone tell me why the heck we have been buying rock all these years?

mcgyvr · 04/23/2018, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homer1475

WOW I never knew you could GROW rocks.

Someone tell me why the heck we have been buying rock all these years?

Must have had a sheltered childhood..

Never had a Magic Rocks Kit?
Crystal Growing Kit?
Rock Candy Kit?

homer1475 · 04/23/2018, 06:41 AM

Must have been. never had any of those, but did eat rock candy every time we went to camp.

hijinks · 04/23/2018, 07:01 AM

I almost think that OP thinks that live rock is dead coral?

ClownNut · 04/23/2018, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hijinks

I almost think that OP thinks that live rock is dead coral?

you think live rock is not dead coral?

sde1500 · 04/23/2018, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hijinks

I almost think that OP thinks that live rock is dead coral?

Well, it is, so...

FoxFace Fish · 04/23/2018, 09:43 AM

live rock is any rock with bacteria in its pores/ on the surface does not matter what kind of rock as long as it has bacteria living on it.

on a side note i thought he meant grow like put a pebble in the water and have it turn into a 10lb rock

Sk8r · 04/23/2018, 12:09 PM

Read the 'preparing rock' thread atop this forum. That will help you. Yes, you can condition the right KIND of rock to perform as live rock. Limestone is best, but raw limestone may present you with a load of phosphate (algae fuel) ---getting rid of that is one reason you condition rock. Stay away from other kinds of rock: some types have metals and others are too dense.

Adding just one fist-sized 'very live' rock with worms and such growing on it (from a healthy tank) will spread that life to all the rock.

on the spot · 04/23/2018, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hijinks

I almost think that OP thinks that live rock is dead coral?

Pining for the old days of Tonga branch...

13468f · 04/23/2018, 07:09 PM

what i mean is grow sps and pull it out then let it die then place the dead coral skeleton back in and use it as live rock, but taking a few frags off first of course

Ive always been confused how do you add rock to a pre-established tank without causing a massive swing in water quality ie.(mini cycle,) because that's what worry's me most about adding live rock

my 75 gallon tank already cycled for almost 2 months with 5 hermits, cheato in a CPR medium refugium, im seeing a lot of copepods and using marine pure spheres for my primary bio filter

Pslreefer · 04/23/2018, 07:23 PM

You add rock to an existing system slowly. Add a piece or 2, wait 2 weeks add again, wait, etc

No idea why you would want to grow sps then kill it then put it back in??? You mean the rock?

13468f · 04/23/2018, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pslreefer

No idea why you would want to grow sps then kill it then put it back in??? You mean the rock?

so you can utilize the skeleton for muiltible different corals

but the other thing helps a little

mcgyvr · 04/24/2018, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 13468f

Ive always been confused how do you add rock to a pre-established tank without causing a massive swing in water quality ie.(mini cycle,) because that's what worry's me most about adding live rock

To increase the amount of rock in an existing tank you can either just add dry rock or cure live rock in another tank/bucket then add it or if it contains little to no die off due to shipping or was purchased locally then it can be added directly to the tank as is.. All of those won't cause any water quality/mini-cycle issues..

ryeguyy84 · 04/24/2018, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 13468f

what i mean is grow sps and pull it out then let it die then place the dead coral skeleton back in and use it as live rock, but taking a few frags off first of course

Ive always been confused how do you add rock to a pre-established tank without causing a massive swing in water quality ie.(mini cycle,) because that's what worry's me most about adding live rock

my 75 gallon tank already cycled for almost 2 months with 5 hermits, cheato in a CPR medium refugium, im seeing a lot of copepods and using marine pure spheres for my primary bio filter

that would take a really long time and would be really sad. you spend all that time and effort to grow them just to kill them off.

sde1500 · 04/24/2018, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 13468f

what i mean is grow sps and pull it out then let it die then place the dead coral skeleton back in and use it as live rock, but taking a few frags off first of course

Ive always been confused how do you add rock to a pre-established tank without causing a massive swing in water quality ie.(mini cycle,) because that's what worry's me most about adding live rock

my 75 gallon tank already cycled for almost 2 months with 5 hermits, cheato in a CPR medium refugium, im seeing a lot of copepods and using marine pure spheres for my primary bio filter

just add the rock. The cycle is when a tank can't handle the ammonia. If you have a cycled tank it should have an adequate biofilter to be able to handle any potential die off. The live rock you are adding also adds to the biofilter as bacteria is already established on it.

EMeyer · 04/24/2018, 01:21 PM

I cant imagine anyone deliberately growing corals for the purpose of killing them and turning their skeletons into live rock. But real live rock *is* dead coral skeletons. And if a coral dies in your tank, it will also turn into live rock after all the worms, sponges, algae, and bacteria colonize it. So in a sense yes this proposal has some merit. Just seems like a slow, costly, and labor intensive way to get live rock...

13468f · 04/24/2018, 07:11 PM

i think ill just add live rock then

Smokey Stover · 04/24/2018, 07:29 PM

It took mother nature millions of years building skeleton upon skeleton to form the coral reefs we have now. Some rock is mined here in Fla. from prehistoric coral reefs that are now inland.

04/23/2018, 01:09 AM	#1
13468f Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 5	growing live rock i was wondering how difficult it would be to grow your own live rock and if an sps would go down thru the sand and encrust to the glass bottom kind of like a plant

04/23/2018, 04:18 AM	#2
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	By grow your own live rock what do you mean? Make the rock yourself and run a tank of it to make it live? Buy dry rock? Something else I’m not thinking of? You can make rock, there are those that do, a search here will find some threads on it. As for the sps I’d say likely no, it would have to start on a rock you anchored to the glass but the sand around the coral would irritate it. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

04/23/2018, 04:21 AM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Shortly after you put dry rock into a tank of saltwater it becomes live rock.. "live" just refers to the point where it starts to become colonized with living bacteria.. and no corals don't have roots and don't grow into unlit areas.. __________________ Who me?

04/23/2018, 05:03 AM	#4
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	WOW I never knew you could GROW rocks. Someone tell me why the heck we have been buying rock all these years? __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

04/23/2018, 06:41 AM	#6
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Must have been. never had any of those, but did eat rock candy every time we went to camp. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

04/23/2018, 07:01 AM	#7
hijinks Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 505	I almost think that OP thinks that live rock is dead coral?

04/23/2018, 09:43 AM	#10
FoxFace Fish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Posts: 435	live rock is any rock with bacteria in its pores/ on the surface does not matter what kind of rock as long as it has bacteria living on it. on a side note i thought he meant grow like put a pebble in the water and have it turn into a 10lb rock __________________ FoxFace RabbitFish For Life Everyone in this hobby has made a mistake at least once. Be smart and learn from others mistakes Current Tank Info: Reason I am broke as a joke

04/23/2018, 12:09 PM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Read the 'preparing rock' thread atop this forum. That will help you. Yes, you can condition the right KIND of rock to perform as live rock. Limestone is best, but raw limestone may present you with a load of phosphate (algae fuel) ---getting rid of that is one reason you condition rock. Stay away from other kinds of rock: some types have metals and others are too dense. Adding just one fist-sized 'very live' rock with worms and such growing on it (from a healthy tank) will spread that life to all the rock. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/23/2018, 07:09 PM	#13
13468f Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 5	what i mean is grow sps and pull it out then let it die then place the dead coral skeleton back in and use it as live rock, but taking a few frags off first of course Ive always been confused how do you add rock to a pre-established tank without causing a massive swing in water quality ie.(mini cycle,) because that's what worry's me most about adding live rock my 75 gallon tank already cycled for almost 2 months with 5 hermits, cheato in a CPR medium refugium, im seeing a lot of copepods and using marine pure spheres for my primary bio filter

04/23/2018, 07:23 PM	#14
Pslreefer In Memoriam Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Port St Lucie, FL Posts: 597	growing live rock You add rock to an existing system slowly. Add a piece or 2, wait 2 weeks add again, wait, etc No idea why you would want to grow sps then kill it then put it back in??? You mean the rock?

04/24/2018, 01:21 PM	#19
EMeyer Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 173	I cant imagine anyone deliberately growing corals for the purpose of killing them and turning their skeletons into live rock. But real live rock is dead coral skeletons. And if a coral dies in your tank, it will also turn into live rock after all the worms, sponges, algae, and bacteria colonize it. So in a sense yes this proposal has some merit. Just seems like a slow, costly, and labor intensive way to get live rock...

04/24/2018, 07:11 PM	#20
13468f Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 5	i think ill just add live rock then

04/24/2018, 07:29 PM	#21
Smokey Stover Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Largo, Florida Posts: 361	It took mother nature millions of years building skeleton upon skeleton to form the coral reefs we have now. Some rock is mined here in Fla. from prehistoric coral reefs that are now inland.