When you hear "live rock" it is not correct to thing that the rock itself is alive, nothing could be further from the truth. What make the rocks live are the many forms of micro and macroscopic marine life that lives inside of the rocks. The rocks themselves are nothing more than the skeletons of dead corals. The different names of live rocks refer to the locations from where they were collected and the type of rock.
Live rock is a necessary and essential part for fish or coral reef eco-systems to flourish. They are living filters and more importantly increase the success of your marine aquarium than aquariums that do not have live rocks. The natural filtration live rocks provide proper water management and the longevity of your marine animals.
There are two very popular types of live rock that most use, they are the branch rock and the shelf rock. As their names would suggest the shapes of these rocks provide a great look and atmosphere for you aquariums and they also serve as good holding locations for the placement of corals.
When purchasing live rock is is always advisable to purchase cured live rock. This means that the rocks have been through the cleaning process which consists of conditioning and cycling the live rocks for use in saltwater aquariums. Cured means that the live rock is stable to use right away in your aquarium with minimal concern. Always be wary of rocks that are labeled fresh or uncured, these rocks have NOT been properly processed and may contain elements that should not be placed directly into your aquarium. Uncured live rocks can also contain dangerous elements that could prove to be harmful and even deadly to your fish, corals or invertebrates.
The different physical make-up of live rocks come from the different areas they are collected from. There are many different types of live rocks from many locations around the world. Fiji live rock's are predominantly covered with a purple coralline growth once matured. The Tonga and Carribbean live rock's are a rainbow color, while the still other types will have a more red coralline algae growth once established. The coloration of these rocks are diminished during the curing and shipping process, but with proper aquarium lighting and chemistry the colors will reappear and you will enjoy years of beautiful live rocks.
