Marine Live Rock is one of the most important pieces of a modern reef aquarium. Live rock is useful because it provides a place for beneficial bacteria to colonize to help break down harmful waste like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Essentially live rock is a part of your filtration. It also serves as refuge for fish and invertebrates to hide and sleep. Adding live rock reduces stress because it prevents bullying by more aggressive fish and creates a more natural looking ocean environment.
What is Marine Live Rock
Marine Live Rock also provides an area for you to place your corals. Different corals prefer different amounts of light, so you may need enough Marine Live Rock to build a structure tall enough to satisfy some of the species of coral. In case you didn’t already know, live rock is considered alive because of the bacteria and different critters that colonize on it. Live rock can’t actually get up and move. A number of fish and invertebrates also graze off marine algae and other organisms like copepods and amphipods that breed in the rock. Additional pieces of rubble live rock can be added to a refugium to help promote more copepod breeding and to provide more filtration. Generally, the more porous the aquarium live rock is, the more bacteria that can colonize on the surface. Less dense live rock will cost less to fill a saltwater aquarium.
For more information about aquarium live rock you may consider reading our helpful guide that discusses marine live rock more in more depth.