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.
Not only are the aquacultured live rocks a great source of natural beauty for your saltwater aquarium, but they can also provide your system with natural filtration and nitrate control. The flora and fauna contained within aquacultured rocks are mostly filter feeders which strain the saltwater within your aquarium and remove excess food and pollutants. While these creatures can be of great help in maintaining the proper nutrient levels in your saltwater aquarium, they cannot be solely depended on for filtration. They can however, prove to be an incredible natural monitoring system for the health of your saltwater aquarium. These creatures will clearly display how healthy your system is by their growth. In particular, if the algae on an aquacultured “live rock” grows significantly, you can be almost certain that you have high nitrate levels within your system.
Tags: agriculture and water quality, aquaculture