Can Live Rock be made from Live Sand?

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osujamesc

Registered Member
Sep 8, 2005
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I live in Hawaii, and we are not allowed to have live rock shipped here, nor can we go and collect it ourselves from the reef. What are the options available in order to have an aquarium with live rock in it?

We can collect live sand and I was wondering if Live Sand and dead rock will eventually produce live rock? I know that you can grow more live rock if you already have 1 piece of live rock in your tank. Is there a similar truth to growing live rock from live sand?

Thanks,
James
 
Sort of. It depends on your defintion of live rock. For some, 'live rock' means rock that is biologically active with the beneficial bacteria that process nitrogen wastes in our tanks. For others, 'live rock' refers to the encrusting algaes and corals that are on the rock, along with the variety of mobile hitch hikers often found with rock.

The first kind--yes, live sand will introduce bacteria that will colonize rock. For the second--it will be limited. A variety of pods and worms will be introduced. It's possible, but unlikely, that you would get encrusting coralline algaes or other inverts from the sand.

I don't know if it's an option, but ordering Garf's Grunge might give you a wider variety of 'stuff'.
 
you could try using bio balls to let bacteria build on that and then put dead rock in the tank its a crazy idea but it might work



why cant you ship it. is it because of companys wont do it. because maybe you could pay a friend some big bucks for him to ship you a pound or two.

can you collect fish at the reef i might be intersted for a trade
 
Hawaii has strict importation laws that prevent live rock from coming in--it's basically in consideration of their diverse sea life. Imports could introduce forieng species, permitting local collection could damage the reef locally. Violating local laws is never encouraged.
 
Put a piece of dead rock or aragocrete into the ocean. It will eventually get seeded with bacteria, coraline algae and inverts.

That way you can make use of the local organisms without actually taking any live rock from the ocean.
 
live rock

you can make "live" rock from concrete. There are several places on the net to give you examples of how to do it.. you basicaly make a mold poor the mud in let it harden somewhat then go plop it in the ocean or in some water to cure for a little while.. then move it to the tank. very soon it is covered with coraline algea and looks just like liverock..

But what you can do is order base rock.. not live rock... its cheaper too.. then just seed it with live sand from either the ocean or other aquariums.

If that doesn't work go to a building material supply store.. or a landscaping company and look for limestone.. alot of limestone is mined for building material reef are made of lime stone based rocks to begine with.. these used to be underwater millions of years ago but over time have been buried and now are being dug up for construction and building material.. you can get it cheap and its the same stuff.. it might just lake a little shape becuase it is dug out and often looks boxy get a hammer and a chisel and get into your
artist mode...

thats three alternative that are way better then the rest I have heard.. good luck...

(PS the concrete live rock is really catching on for its non impact on the oceans and the way you can make one peice rockwork check out www.garf.com)
 
CubiX said:
Put a piece of dead rock or aragocrete into the ocean. It will eventually get seeded with bacteria, coraline algae and inverts.

That way you can make use of the local organisms without actually taking any live rock from the ocean.
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That's a good idea. There might be the risk that someone would mistake the recovered "dead rock" as freshly-collected live rock.
 
i dont understand, why is it illegal to take rocks out of the ocean (not just reefs, i can understand reefs, but other parts of the ocean ive heard is illegal as well) but not fish?
 
Hawaii is hard-core about protecting the environment. There are too many people (locals and tourists) who try to remove things (from lava rock to coral to shells) that they feel they have to make it illegal. (I used to live there.) It's a well intentioned law based on something that, if unchecked, could pose a problem (both in terms of tourism and the environment). I'm not sure it's the right approach, but I understand it. As for the fish... dunno. There might be overlap there with federal law concerning fishing rights that precludes the state from regulating that, but I'm really not sure. (I could be wrong on all of this, but that's my impression.)
 
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