For the saltwater aquarium enthusiast, inserting aquacultured “live rocks” into your saltwater environment is the pinnacle of the pursuit for a natural marine ecosystem. Adding these pieces to your personal brings your saltwater aquarium ever closer to mirroring the beauty we see in our ocean environment. The beauty of aquacultured “live rocks” is that transplanting these rocks has no harmful affects on your tank or the rocks natural environment. In fact, it can benefit your tank and bring about awareness for protection of our natural marine ecosystems.
These are not rocks or pieces of coral that are harvested from the natural oceanic environment. This practice was made illegal in 1997 by the United States government. Harvesting natural rock and coral can have a devastating impact on the marine habitat. The removal of this habitat can cause great harm to the flora and fauna that reside in these natural environments, but also can harm the quality of the saltwater environment.
So to harness the beauty of the natural environment in your own saltwater aquarium, large tracks of sea floor were leased by state governments and quarried rocks were placed on the sea floor. After a number of years different species of marine plants and animals begin to call this reproduced habitat home. Once a number of species have moved in these quarried rocks are then harvested for the life that they now contain. Throughout the aging process of these “live rocks” many different corals, fishes, algae, sponges, and other sea life find their way to these habitats. Once harvested the life can then be transplanted to your home.
Aquacultured live rocks go through a process called curing. In this process, rocks are placed in different pools of natural sea water which removed waste materials from the rock which could harm the quality of life it contains and also could harm your saltwater aquarium. This process in effect is a form of quality control.
Once placed inside your saltwater aquarium these aquacultured “live rocks” can be of great benefit. They provide your saltwater ecosystem with a gauge for pH and nitrate levels. They also provide your ecosystem with critical filtration that betters the quality of your water. Filter feeding creatures found in aquacultured “live rocks” can remove excess food and waste from your saltwater aquarium.
Finally, when you have included aquacultured “live rocks” as a part of your saltwater aquarium you have in your own home a display of our oceans natural beauty. As mentioned before this can help bring about awareness for the protection of our marine habitats so that we can enjoy their beauty for the years to come.
Tags: agriculture and water quality, aquaculture