Aquacultured Rocks For Saltwater Aquariums
The best place to find aquacultured rocks is in Florida. Reefs in the tropical waters off the shores of Florida are full of natural beauty. Magnificent coral reefs, sponges, and bright invertebrates are all found in abundance just offshore. A growing trend among saltwater aquarium enthusiasts is to include a piece of aquacultured “live rock” to their home marine environment. These specimens are cultivated in a natural environment, harvested from the offshore site, cured to ensure their quality, and then shipped to your very own saltwater aquarium.
Florida aquacultured “live rocks” are produced off the shores of the southern state. Because taking natural rock from the sea floor is illegal, stretches of sea floor twenty feet below the surface are leased out by the state of Florida, which enables vendors to introduce habitats for marine species. Large amounts of rock are placed on the sea floor which creates a new environment for natural sea life to inhabit. This rock in some cases has been imported from other natural sea floor environments which helps create an authentic look. After two or three years, beautiful sea creatures begin to dwell in these artificial reefs. Creatures such as sponges, crustaceans, crabs, anemones, and different corals inhabit these new environments.
As the marine environment matures the time comes for the “live rock” to be harvested. Divers enter the water and gently select sections of rock to be moved. The rock is placed in a mesh bag and brought to the surface. Once at the surface the rock is immediately placed in a tank of fresh sea water. It is critical that the rock is always submersed in circulating sea water because of the life it carries. Once the rock has been returned to the shore it begins the process of curing. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: agriculture and water quality, aquacultureRelated posts
Setting Up a Saltwater Aquarium – Aquacultured Live Rock
When starting a saltwater aquarium you have a number of options as to the look, feel, and even the natural foundations that your 
aquarium will have. You, as the saltwater aquarist, have the opportunity to introduce “live rocks” into your saltwater aquarium, which bring a natural feel to your saltwater aquarium. As opposed to artificial corals and stones “Live rocks” are rocks that can possibly contain a number of different marine life forms which are all found naturally in the saltwater environment. These “rocks can contain life in the form of coral, crustaceans, algae, and many others.
You must realize that the rock itself is not alive but the rock is teaming with life on its surface. These live rocks contain life in the same way that you would find life on the surface of rocks taken from the wild. However aquacultured rocks are not harvested from the natural environment. These rocks are raised to contain the life that you find on them now. Taking rock directly from the sea floor would cause immense damage to our fragile ocean ecosystem. Therefore aquacultured rocks are “grown” in the same type of environment but in very eco-friendly ways.
The process begins when rocks, or in some cases dead coral, are taken and placed on stretches of the sea floor. As time progresses the natural inhabitants in the ocean environment begin to dwell within the implanted rock. Over a number of years these rocks become home for thousands upon thousands of natural oceanic life. When the proper time comes these implanted rocks are harvested. The are kept in a constant flow of natural sea water and cured to ensure their quality. This process takes dead material and harmful bacteria off of the “live rock” so when it is introduced into a saltwater aquarium it will not harm the system. As mentioned before these aquacultured “live rocks” are teaming with a number of different life forms. Each of these creatures creates an even more natural environment for your saltwater aquarium. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: agriculture and water quality, aquacultureRelated posts
Does Tap Water Give You the Best Drinking Water?
Do you drink tap water as your major source of drinking water? Many Americans do and thereby are saying it’s the best drinking water source for them. Is this a wise choice?
One of my clearest childhood memories is returning to the U.S. from the Congo, where I was raised. It seemed incredibly wonderful to be able to drink water directly from the tap. I was used to drinking only water that had been boiled and then filtered.
This blessing of quality tap water is both affirmed and cautioned by Rene Ebersole in her June/July article in National Wildlife, 2004, entitled, “Is Your Drinking water Safe?” She says,
“The quality of U.S. tap water rates better than what is found in most countries, but it doesn’t mean you should take it for granted. It’s clear, smells fresh, tastes good, but is it safe to drink?…Truth is American water supplies are some of the cleanest in the world. Still, it sure doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
She goes on to recount the example of Washington, D.C. Less than a year previously, thousands of D.C. residents were informed that their tap water was tainted with dangerous levels of lead which could have serious effects on children if continued to be consumed. There was a scramble on the part of the city to get to the root causes, and a scramble on the part of the residents to buy drinking water filters. She goes on to say that there are three dozen other water systems in the U.S., most smaller communities, that have lead levels above the federal safety standard.
Erik Olson, Senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, puts us on guard by saying,
“Most Americans take it for granted that their tap water is pure and their water infrastructure is safe. They shouldn’t.”
Is Tap Water the Best Drinking Water for You? Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: agriculture and water quality, drinking water