Differnce in Live Rock

aarond21 · 09-10-2008, 05:41 PM

Cant find really any substanchel info on the different types of live rock. I was told i bought fiji? I have about 50 pounds of live rock in my 30 gallon FOWLR. But my nitrates stay high. I have a Ocellaris Clownfish, a yellow tailed damsel, and two other Damsels, not sure type. Never had the nitrates very high till just recently they are extremley high they read on my test kit around 160ppm. They were a little high before around a 20ppm. Ive done water changes, and not sure what else to do? Ive been told by a local saltwater store i have not so good quality rock. To get some Caribbean Liverock. can anyone help with some answers on the different rocks and ways to get the nitrates down.

Dr.Fragenstein · 09-10-2008, 06:52 PM

Caribbean live rock does NOT exist. It has been illegal for some time to collect in the Caribbean, at least legally collect. Caribbean rock is aquacultured by throwing limestone/concrete into the ocean for several months then collecting it again. As far as inferior rock is concerned that is garbage for them to tell you that.
Rock DOES have differences as far as shape, texture, life and density. Fiji is typically denser, more spherical and less "holey", Bali, Marshall Is, and Pohnpei are more odd shaped and tend to have more holes and more coralline on them. But this is a broad description, some Fiji is odd shaped and covered in coralline and vice versa for the other rocks. Marshall Island is also typically pretty dense where as the Bali is very light per size of the rock.

Hope this helps
Good luck!
Nitrates will be reduced through water changes, less feeding, good quality water to start and so forth.

aarond21 · 09-10-2008, 07:47 PM

Thank you for the info. I hope the water changes work. Is there a sight for rock type identification that you know of?

Judge · 09-10-2008, 08:19 PM

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1986&articleid=3277 - 37k

Hi aarond21. I think you can find what you're looking for here. As Drf has stated water changes are your best bet. Good luck

Dr.Fragenstein · 09-10-2008, 08:36 PM

Wow, they are collecting Carribean again?!
Tonga WILL be banning collection soon if they have not already.

unclejed · 09-11-2008, 09:41 AM

Hello aaround, To address your concern about the nitrates, I would say before going crazy doing water changes and and throwing off your water chemistry (we don't know how long the tank has been up) I would think more along the lines of a faulty test kit, false reading or your own error in performing the test. If there is another LFS (other than the one that told you bad rock was the culprit) take some water there and have them test it for you. What is the name of the test?
Too many times people make a mistake (num. of drops, amount of test water) and start messing around with changes that may be totally unnecessary.
I have tested, for example, for Calcium and it showed like 200 ppm. I almost panicked! I re-tested and it was 400 ppm. Tested again and it was 400 ppm. You can get false readings.
Get the water checked out before doing anything else to eliminate the testing as the cause.

orb4me · 09-11-2008, 01:43 PM

arron, In case you buy any live rock on line, read aquarium products review for my experience with live rock.

good luck on getting nitrAtes down.

Don Trinko · 09-11-2008, 02:45 PM

The test strips are not accurate. The liquid tests are closer to the truth. The LFS typicaly use the strips because they are fast and simple. Don T.

Dr.Fragenstein · 09-11-2008, 03:43 PM

I beg to differ on the LFS using strips, maybe some shop run by teens other than that most use liquid reagents.